In the early 1980s, Burma’s economy grew steadily at a moderate pace. The government partially relaxed the ban on foreign financial aid, and considerable funding came from the Asian Development Bank and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. However, the rising trade deficits largely stemmed from falling commodity export prices, rising import costs and rising external debt payments slowed growth. The socialist economic policies enacted in the early 1960s were intended to be reversed as part of the economic reforms proposed in 1987–88. They included an active promotion of foreign investment and a significant liberalization of foreign trade.
Below are some historical photos that show what Burma looked like in 1986.
