Slogan posters, like this one proclaiming that the dictates of big brother only reflect the desires of the people, are frequent. Maybe they only serve to remind people that big brother is watching them. Wherever I go, I like to find out what people think of their governments and leaders. It is also an easy ice-breaker for generally, everyone has an opinion of how things should be run. Here, you can talk about religion, money, sex, but anything that comes close to politics is taboo.
People are afraid to voice their opinion, even to an independent foreign tourist.
I am a regular user of the Internet not only at home but also when I travel. I use cybercafes two or three times a week to keep in touch with friends at home and in the countries I visit. I have found easy access to e-mail everywhere in the world except here where the Internet is reserved for the military and a select few business concerns trusted by the government. Being isolated incommunicado for a month contributed to my impressions about Myanmar. Taunggyi The Taunggyi market, I thought, would be a good place to meet some of the minority hill tribes that live in the Shan State.