When I hear the news about the military takeover in Burma it breaks my heart.
I visited the country in 2012 as the political situation was beginning to improve. Aung San Suu Kyi had recently been released from house arrest and everywhere I traveled people wore buttons supporting her.
While there I witnessed many of the problems that emerge from being cut-off from the world: a non-functioning financial system, no software available in Burmese, difficulty in trading with other countries, to name a few.
The Burmese are gentle, friendly, hospitable people. I hope they succeed in restoring democracy.