At that time, one had to be careful, given the government’s sensitivities, even about how one framed the country’s problems – its poverty, lack of rural productivity, and unskilled workforce. Now caution has been replaced by a sense of urgency in dealing with these and other challenges, and by awareness of the need for technical and other forms of assistance.
2009年12月，我在缅甸做讲座。当时，身居缅甸需要如履薄冰，因为政府对你如何界定该国的问题——即使是贫困、农业生产率低下、劳动力素质不高这样的问题——颇为敏感。如今，怀疑早已被抛到了九霄云外，取而代之的求贤若渴——缅甸政府急切地想知道如何应付上述三项及其他挑战，也明自己需要技术和其他形式的援助。（从人口和收入水平看，缅甸是世界上接受国际援助最少的国家之一。）