Burma has the only government on earth that places such hurdles between its citizens and an education. Many teachers and students have fled to the United States, Thailand and Singapore. Burma’s universities are currently open, but only for technical subjects and for students who vow in writing to avoid politics. Old city campuses have been replaced by new ones close to Army bases. Tiny private schools now offer classes, but not enough. When the United States Information Service opened classes last year, fistfights erupted among students vying to get in. Says exiled editor Tin Maung Than, “Knowledge is paralyzed.”
