May 4, 1998  Monday Evening

Dear Family,

As Jean filed papers and packed boxes today for our trip to Burma, she counted email messages from twenty-four countries besides the United States that have flooded our computer. The list of countries she gave me included Portugal, China, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Canada, Italy, Madagascar, Australia, Philippines, Russia, Vietnam, Romania, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Burma, Thailand, Holland, New Zealand, Guyana, Estonia, Bulgaria, Kenya and Scotland. The outpourings of love and compassion for the Laos Christians were matching by equally fervent expressions of anger and anguish that a modern government would persecute their citizens for simple Christian worship and Bible study.   Early in February, while trying to personally deal with the frustrations of modern Laos, the reality of being deported for Christian activities done on our own free time, and the government's rejection of our  management of over $500,000 in humanitarian aid since 1992, I vented by feelings in the following article:

"Back to the Stone Age"
Modern Laos - Satellite Technology with a Dinosaur Brain

Just a few miles past the immigration detention house where I was a "guest" of the Laotian government for four days, on the highway to the "Friendship" bridge, is the construction site for "Laos Star." This high technology vision of the elite of the foreign educated Laotian engineers is fast becoming a dream come true. Laos will soon have its own 500 million dollar satellite communications system! In the finest traditions of the modern Laotian government policy, Laos will have a world class communications system, designed, funded, built, and managed by foreigners. And how appropriate for a nation ranked among the 10th poorest in the world. 

Now with 7% of the new Laotians being born in clinics & hospitals, up to 8% of the rural folks now using outhouses, and 25% of the country  people having access to clean water, its obvious that Laos needs a satellite to keep up with its neighbors.  The 50% of the under five generation that are affected by malnutrition and have no medical care will soon thrill to Sesame Street along with malaria, acute respiratory infections and intestinal diseases.  

The mind set of the 1975 founding fathers has never been more evident than the government decree against non-Laotian dress for Lao ladies while Thai miniskirts glare from every television set along the Lao side of the Mekong River.  Driving at night 100 miles south of Vientiane in an area of no government furnished electricity, no government furnished clean water, and no government medical care, every pioneering bamboo house has a ghostly small light visible through the open door.  Rural Lao families are watching Thai TV on battery operated television sets. Truly the government has hit upon the one vital thing that all Lao families need, more dull government TV programs beamed right into their homes.

As the government prides itself in raising the life expectancy from 48 to 51 years after 23 years of autocratic rule, the dinosaur brain that continues to guide modern Laos will be justifiably proud when their whole nation with

50% adult literacy will soon be able to watch "The Flintstones" in Japanese with their kids.  Just as we have never understood the disappearance of the dinosaur, we probably will never understand the policy that every government official has a vehicle donated by foreign aid, and every rural school has a dirt floor and forest path. What do you want to bet that soon every official will be furnished with a cell phone hooked to that new satellite so they will be better equipped to call in the statistics on aids, malaria, infant mortality, and last nights Thai boxing match........

The Foxes depart Bangkok May 8th for three weeks work in  Myanmar (Burma) and then a month in the United States.  Mary Alice Allison and Jerry Canfield will continue to keep you posted on all efforts to free the Laos Ten.  Your continued prayers and messages of concern keep all of us focused on the bigger picture of the needs of the Laos Ten and their families. Did you know that 3,000 letters and envelopes were handed out at the Pepperdine Lectures last week? The sun never sets on your efforts to free the Laos Ten. 

God bless,

Ken & Jean Fox
Yangon, Myanmar