Amid wave of change, Burmese relish new freedoms

• President Obama paid the first visit by a serving U.S. president to this longtime pariah nation
• Activists wonder if new freedoms are permanent
• The Internet has opened up as fewer websites are blocked by censors

RANGOON, Burma — In a restaurant packed with media and political activists, U Myint Aye spoke last Tuesday about his release from life imprisonment. Burma's government freed the prominent democracy campaigner the previous day, when President Obama paid the first visit by a serving U.S. president to this longtime pariah nation.

During two years of democratic changes so dramatic they earned Obama's brief but historic stopover, Burmese authorities have released opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and freed hundreds of other political prisoners.

Until this year, officials banned gatherings like U Myint Aye's news conference, organizers said. "This is just one of the changes, it's part of progress," said human rights activist Maung Maung Lay, 42, a former prisoner of conscience. "But the political situation in Myanmar is still unstable," he warned, using Burma's official name. "We can't say these new freedoms are permanent."

In light of decades of often brutal military rule, his caution over the transition to democracy appears prudent. The country of 60 million remains ruled by an army-backed party, and the constitution reserves a quarter of all parliamentary seats for soldiers. Yet the political and economic changes have sparked widespread optimism here, although prosperity appears many years away for one of the world's poorest countries.

Some changes are highly visible. In downtown Rangoon, bookshops display publicity posters for political titles that could not have been legally published and sold a few months ago. "Before, we couldn't even imagine such books," said bookseller Aye Theinge Aung, holding the latest best-seller, published this month, about student activist Thet Win Aung, who died in a Mandalay prison in 2006.

Since censorship laws were lifted in August, Aye Theinge Aung, 26, has sold increasing numbers of similar titles and read 10 herself. "My generation can learn so much from these books. Myanmar is much freer than before," she said. "We will get more and more rights in the future. I don't want to be over-optimistic, but I feel hopeful we will have full democracy one day."

ATMs at last; Masterard, too

The Internet has opened up, too, as fewer websites are blocked by censors, while Internet speeds have picked up this year, from a very slow start. Falling SIM card prices make mobile communication affordable to many Burmese for the first time.

Physical changes come slower to Burma's ramshackle commercial capital, but new arrivals this summer include ATMs, a breakthrough in this cash-only society, and official money changers. The central bank floated Burma's currency, the kyat, in April, ending a decades-old fixed exchange rate that profited only the black market.

Locals and visitors can sidestep the street hustlers, while MasterCard holders can do the once unthinkable. The first ever use of a foreign credit card to withdraw cash from a Burmese ATM drew headlines this month. "This is big news for Myanmar," confirmed The Su Mon, 22, a clerk at Co-operative Bank, the U.S. firm's partner. "I hope to have a MasterCard myself next year," she said of the currently foreigner-only service.

As tourists flood in, more Burmese fly out, said Thein Htike, 40, reservations manager at Rangoon's Nice Fare Travel Co. But average monthly incomes are $60 to $70, so "foreign travel is still too expensive for most people," he said. "In five years' time, with more foreign companies here, salaries should rise, too."

In a small roadside shop, Khin Moe Nyunt, 43, hopes Obama's visit will bring investment and orders to her T-shirt and flagmaking business. This year, formerly banned items showing Aung San Suu Kyi and her party flag have grown to 70% of all sales, and monthly income reaches $580, split among five workers, she said. "I'm happy about the political changes as I can earn more money," said Khin Moe Nyunt, but rising prices for rice and other goods dominate family conversations more than politics.

Even $1-$2 is too much for many Burmese to pay to watch a soccer match, despite the national team's rising fortunes and popularity, says millionaire tycoon Zaw Zaw, 45, head of the Myanmar Football Federation. "The whole country loves football but has to play on the street," he said.

The political changes mean a warmer welcome abroad for the team his Max Myanmar Group bankrolls. "I keep them like my family," Zaw Zaw said. "Before, wherever we go, no one knows Myanmar, now everyone knows Myanmar. We are proud that everyone knows democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi," whom he hosted at a game this year.

Zaw Zaw is a controversial figure, labeled a regime crony for close business ties to the military. His travels are limited by being blacklisted under targeted sanctions by the U.S. government and European Union. He emphasizes his philanthropic works and insists he welcomes the current transition. "We must minimize the gap between our democracy and the U.K. and USA. I want to see 100% democracy," he said, though expectations must be realistic. "People thought, 'We have more democracy, we can have higher salary tomorrow.' But we must be practical. Changes can't be overnight," he said. Just like in soccer, "we can't be Brazil overnight."

Private papers and democracy curry

One eagerly awaited change is approval for daily, private newspapers, says Hla Hla Win, head of English at Myanmar Egress, a non-profit group that promotes civil society. Only state-run media can publish daily, but The Voice, set up by Egress' founder, is among several weekly journals hoping for licenses by year-end, she said.

"Critical, analytical newspapers like Voice and Eleven Media are very important; they can open the eyes of ordinary citizens who are not computer-literate" and read online, she said. Another key change underway is the spread of politically oriented training, provided by several institutions, she said.

In an Egress classroom, students from across Burma pursue a three-month course in civic education and policy advocacy, including sensitive topics such as political science. "It's freer to think and talk now in Myanmar. Democracy like the USA is our target," said Ah Ga Bruno, 17, from eastern Shan state, who plans to work in environmental protection. "One man can't do much, but I can be the salt in the curry, to make it better tasting and good for Myanmar to get to democracy."

One Rangoon cafe already offers a timely new version of the nation's staple dish. "Democracy curry" joined the menu last month at the Bangkok Expresso Nudle Cafe. "It doesn't sell that well, as people aren't familiar with it yet," admitted waitress May Thwe Win, 20. "But most diners finish the whole plate; it's sweeter than other curries."

Contributing: Htoo Lwin Myo