Myanmar opens up to the world

NAY PYI TAW – In a classic show rarely seen in opening ceremonies – devoid of the fury of sounds and the glare of dancing lights – a nation once called Burma showed its rich history as it opened its windows to the world for the first time in over a half century and spread its arms to friends of Southeast Asia in the kickoff rites of the 27th Southeast Asian Games here Wednesday.

Dark-tanned folks from the 135 tribes of a once divided nation and their beautiful women gathered on stage in a colorful celebration of unity to depict what was once Burma and what is now the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, proud of its past and certain of its future.

The stormy years of military rule that brought about political prisoners and produced a Nobel Peace awardee in 1992 were expunged from the script. They have long been erased from the pages of its unwritten history.

The unified resolve of 135 diverse cultures to come together was the political miracle that saw the immediate dissolution of the military junta, the calling of general elections and the restoration of democracy in 2010.

The show flashed back to a day in 19 A.D., the year Christ roamed the face of the earth before He began His ministry, when King Anawyatatser unified the warring tribes and ruled the country with an iron fist and the caring heart of his queen.

Against a backdrop of “human” crops, the queen plowed the field to start a booming agricultural economy that fed a nation.

Tribes clad in colorful costumes as diverse as their cultures danced to the tune of native instruments to portray bucolic life and the beauty of old Burma until the kingdom collapsed with the country’s independence in 1948.

The future of this country of 60 million rests on the youth, portrayed in the show by teeners dressed in modern attires and singing the pop version of local songs.

The show was not without the lavish use of pyrotechnics, which lit the Burmese night five times at intervals during the two-hour cultural show.

In the parade of nations, Team Philippines also went native, with Ifugao Jason Balabal wearing the “Bahag” as he led the Phl contingent which included officials dressed in white barong and athletes in their blue and white suits.

The host country also showed a bit of the culture of the 10 other participating nations. When the Philippines’ turn to be serenaded came, yellow-uniformed Burmese women sang the old Filipino song “Dahil Sa Iyo” to the amusement of senior members of the delegation.