Myanmar

Many serious “games” are played by the Burmese—actual games and metaphorical ones. There is a “name-game” over what to call the troubled nation (Burma or Myanmar), or it may refer to the daily “survival game” for nearly half of the Burmese population who live under the poverty line. Historically, Myanmar has been playing a tense “waiting game” for most of the past 42 years of international isolation, waiting to be noticed, and waiting for international help. The military junta, which has ruled the country since the 1962 coup d'etat, officially changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar in 1990, but until today many opposition groups do not recognize this change and continue to use the name Burma intentionally. The “name-game” and ensuing confusion in the media is indicative of the Orwellian state that prevails: torture has been institutionalized as political instrument, and campaigns of forced relocations, forced labor, slavery, and the persecution of ethnic minorities are commonplace—thus the different forms of play found there are somewhat different from Western notions of play.

For many Burmese children, playing has become a last escape from the devastating reality, but the opportunities to take part in such amusement are rare. Many children love to play and put thanaka on each other—the powder from a local tree that people use on their faces and bodies as a natural protection from the sun. Also, the Myanmar puppetry and marionette performances depicting the stories of Lord Buddha are a famous form of art and play in Myanmar, despite the rise of popularity of modern entertainment. The Moustache Brothers are a famous group of comedians who perform rare political satire for tourists in a country where satire is a serious crime. The Moustache Brothers' show brings together a courageous mix of traditional Burmese dance theatre laced with social satire aimed at the military junta.

Overall, the Burmese people have shown their resilience and their serene nature, which is also reflected in [Page 412]their toys, most of which are made of colorful papier-mache. The Pyit Taing Haung toy, for instance, is translated into “that which always rights itself when thrown down”: in Myanmar, a person who rises up again in the face of downfall in life is often likened to this toy. In times of crises, the power of play to overcome such dreadful memories is important, and the significance of soccer as a leisure activity needs to be emphasized here. A colonial legacy brought by the British to Burma in the 18th century has resulted in a soccer-frenzied nation, where live broadcasts of European soccer are widely watched and celebrated.

Notably, however, there are two extreme play-sides in Myanmar: those children who have the financial backing of their parents to enjoy the latest computer games in the increasingly popular game centers of the capital Yangon, and those who do not. The majority of Burmese children are subject to a lack of protection, low educational standards, and the difficult health prospects of living in Myanmar, a desolate situation that worsened considerably with the landfall of Cyclone Nargis in 2008, leaving nearly 700,000 children under the age of 17 in need of long-term assistance. Months after the cyclone, teachers in makeshift schools and newly created “play-spaces” report that children are severely traumatized by the disaster and that they find it difficult to concentrate, as even a gust of wind or increasing rainfall throws them off track. Thousands of children are emotionally vulnerable and are at risk of long-term psychological trauma, while wealthier children are exposed to the latest computer and video game trends. It seems that on and off the computer screen, winning or losing is a matter of life or death in Myanmar.

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