Upturn in tourists gives Myanmar locals hope
Residents of isolated country reaping benefits, following overtures to political dissidents.
Myanmar is still considered to be one of the most politically isolated countries in the world, but there are signs that life is improving for some.
The government’s recent overtures to political dissidents are encouraging others to have cautious optimism.
U Pwe Ba Swe, a taxi driver in Yangon, said he is seeing more tourists arriving, who in turn provide new opportunities and sources of income.
As a taxi driver, he manages to take home around $13 a day, which works out to about three times the average income for people in Myanmar. It is enough to put his three children through university.
Al Jazeera’s special correspondent reports undercover from Yangon.