Inside Burma: Land of Fear

1996, Society  -   19 Comments
8.24
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Ratings: 8.24/10 from 78 users.

More than a million people have been forced from their homes and according to the United Nations, untold thousands have been massacred, tortured, and subjected to a modern form of slavery. Burma, says Amnesty International, is a prison behind bars. John Pilger and David Munro go undercover in one of the world's most isolated, and extraordinary countries, Burma, which Amnesty International calls 'a prison without bars'. They discover slave labour preparing for tourism and foreign investment.

International Actual Award for Risk Journalism, Barcelona, Spain, 1996; Bronze Plaque in the category of 'Social Issues - International Relations', The Chris Awards, Ohio, 1996; Gold Special Jury Award, 'Film & Video Production division', WorldFest-Charleston, 1996; Award for Best Factual Programme, RTS Midland Centre Awards, Birmingham, 1996; Gold Apple in the category 'Politics: Social organisations in other lands', National Educational Media Network Film & Video Competition at The 1997 NEMN Apple Awards, Oakland, California, 1997; the updated version won a Gold Special Jury Award in the 'Film & Video Production division', WorldFest-Houston, 1999.

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19 Comments / User Reviews

  1. menckensman

    Righto, about the first few comments. Yet, hold on...the amusement gets better as we move along here. So many unbalanced barbarians hold power-supported of course by the greater numbers of their unbalanced constituents. One might ask; 'has sanity lost its virtues to the ignorant horde'?

  2. Dina bauer

    "Monkeys "? Wow, racist. Are you a holocaust denier, too, Silva?

  3. Alfred Silva

    Its is a very impressive self righteous documentary of unproven allegations. In Tian An Mein Square the media was all over the place complete with cameras and mikes. All they could produce there a year later were those same pictures of a few injured and bloodied thugs shot by the army being carried away in make shift rickshaw ambulances. And they repeat the same footage all over again.

    Then they go and find some pro western young and old people and get them to repeat what they have been prompted to say to suit their story. Notice how they claim all those atrocities occurred at the hospital yet they produce not a single piece of evidence to support that story.

    It is typical western propaganda. Not to say that Burma is perfect.
    Aung San Suu Kyii is the daughter of a fascist who sees it as her right to rule the place. She wants to turn the state into a pseudo American state like all of these morons who chant "democracy" as if it is a panacea for the ills they bring to the place or that their fight is pure and virtuous. who says Democracy is what Myanmar needs? Sure Myanmarese play the piano. They funded the same trash in Egypt then did the same in Egypt paving the way for another coup.

    None of these monkeys have any right to say they are the champions of democracy. None of them. Britain and America through their own East India company's like Soros' civil societies tried a coup and called it a "pro democracy" campaign.

    Listen to her "her son had to be put into boarding schools" Such a burgeoise cow who is so out of touch with Myanmar. She sold her family for her own personal glory. Her foster mother in England tells a terrible story about a self interested selfish cold woman. She is riding the blood and bodies of young impressionable Myanmarese for her own selfish gains and that of the west.

    1. bluetortilla

      Wow, what are you so bitter about? It must feel good to be a shiny light bulb in a world full of duds.
      Anyway, you don't atrocities happen? That they're all made up? Whew...

  4. Toy Pupanbai

    Tourism sounds like a bad idea.
    Starve them of Forex?

    1. bluetortilla

      After many decades of sanctions that never worked, I think it's time for a new approach. Particularly since the country is now opening up. It will take a long time indeed for Myanmar to heal. The common people are waking out of a 50 year old nightmare, and the atrocities continue.
      But any country that has relatively unhindered foreign tourism is going to institute policies of reform. Give Myanmar Forex precisely because it's now favoring development over oppression and a economy based on raw materials and rice.
      Sometimes sanctions work, sometimes they don't. They never did for Myanmar.

  5. Rick Donovan

    Being a person married to a Burmese lady (note I call it Burma), who of which left in 2006 for a better life, has witnessed some of these atrocities. Great journalism indeed, thank you.

  6. Newton Pati

    great journalism, death to those dictators, and shame to those multinationals involved in oil and gas business .

  7. bluetortilla

    Pretty shameful comments considering the gravity of the concentration camp known as Myamar.
    Suu Kyi is one of the most brilliant minds of our times and a monumental beacon of peace and enlightened government. To think that Burma has squandered such talent is mind boggling. I only wish her influence could spread worldwide.

    1. bluetortilla

      Three years on Suu Kyi has a place in government and remarked that she didn't know that the Rohingya people were even Myanmar citizens...

  8. esmuziq

    yeh wtf are those first coments about hahaha :-)

  9. Philosophocles

    What are those first comments about?! Clearly not this movie...

    Anywho, John Pilger is awesome! He only speaks the truth and makes ignoramus money hungry political types look like the fools they truly are.

    Knowledge of how to gain money and or power, is not knowledge at all. In fact, it is this type of knowledge that destroys the world.

    Knowledge of peace and the self is the only thing that can save the world.

  10. canne

    can anyone recommend anything more recent to watch on this? this is over ten years old.

  11. JibJab

    Love the stereotypical fat pig capitalist murikan. He's a true sleaze ball.

  12. Alex Cooper

    This film is mainly a cover-up for the secret "flying saucer" programs being carried out by world governments. It suggests to the viewer that flying discs were a scraped conception done away with long ago. Yet the reality is government programs have been advancing air/space craft in underground facilities like Area 51 ever since they began making test models.

  13. fear and loathing

    no tom is right mormons are crazy

  14. Micky

    Mormons are cool!

  15. Lynds

    tom you are a complete douche bag!!

  16. tom

    nice defense ..... your doc just plan sucks try to prove he lived that might be more interesting you know go looking for his bones ...ether way your waste your money and if you do find him then you will know he was not god or will you ....I say religions are just overgrown cults but if you are christian go after the Mormons Their really nuts