Business Under a Dictatorship

When you search up the terms “Business in Myanmar”, the first thing that pops up is an article stating that “Genocide Bad for Business in Myanmar”. Throughout the last fifty years, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) been under two dictatorship regimes, and was placed under economic sanctions from pretty much the entire western civilization. Myanmar’s political landscape has always been defined the business community.

I grew up into a business family and from such a young age I was thrusted into the world of “business”. Doing business in Myanmar isn’t quite like doing business elsewhere. As a BBA student, I learnt so much about how the business works in the western community. And believe me when I say Myanmar is totally an opposite.

Ever since I could talk, my parents taught me not to talk. They would always say never reveal what your family does to others, even to your friends. My best friend didn’t even know what my parents did until senior year of high school. Although I have learnt the benefits of networking and sharing information, that wasn’t the case under Dictatorship Myanmar. There was always a fear that becoming too successful famous would draw unwanted attention. If your business was worth $20, you’d say you only have $1.

I remember as a child, counting stacks of money. No, it isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. The biggest currency note at the time was equivalent to $1 and there were no banks that had the ability to transfer credits. So if you wanted to buy anything from a car to a plot of land, you’d pay by cash. I’d remember counting stacks of money just for a 100 notes to equal one hundred dollars. Some of the notes would be so deteriorated that your hand would be so moldy after counting so the notes. By filling rice gunny bags with cash, we would carry the bags into cars and that’s how almost every transaction was done.

It’s been 6 years since the dictatorship stepped down and formed a new government with the Democratic government. Although our new leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi tried to change the Burmese Business Culture, its still difficult to change a way of life. It’s been a few years since the rice gunny era has passed. Although a new entrepreneurial landscape is slowly developing, the military still hold great influence over the business world in Myanmar. I hope one day when I go back, I can change the way Burmese Business world works while keeping still keeping the culture that makes the Burmese unique.

Written by Henry Yang

Membership Associate | EEVM | Emory University