Burma?s rulers have shown little inclination to learn from the environmental mistakes of their neighbors... "WHILE the world ponders the continuing repressive policies of the Burmese junta, a different crisis is looming across the country. The health and welfare of large numbers of the country?s 50 million or so population is endangered by the consequences of a deteriorating natural environment. Scavengers collect garbage floating on a sewage pool in central Rangoon in order to earn their livelihood. (Photo: AFP) A combination of water pollution, land degradation through forest slashing, and badly thought out infrastructure projects is threatening to displace hundreds of thousands of people and put the lives of many others in danger, say environmentalists. The lawless pursuit of profit is wrecking good farm land, poisoning drinking water and depleting natural resources such as fish, on which millions depend for food. Several international NGOs have sent out warnings that years of wanton plunder by the military and its business affiliates—plus massive new projects being pursued without proper technical assessments—are coalescing to create an ecological disaster..."