0:00:03 > 0:00:07The Tropic of Cancer marks the northern border of the tropics,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12the most beautiful, brilliant, and blighted region of the world.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14I've already travelled around the equator
0:00:14 > 0:00:16and the southern border of the tropics,
0:00:16 > 0:00:21but following the Tropic of Cancer will be my toughest journey yet.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24This tropic cuts through Central America, the Caribbean,
0:00:24 > 0:00:30North Africa, India and on through Asia to finish in Hawaii.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35It's 23,000 miles across deserts, rivers and mountains.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Along the way I encounter extraordinary people,
0:00:38 > 0:00:39simmering conflicts
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and some of the most stunning landscapes on our planet.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49This part of my trip takes me from Bangladesh and on into Burma.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I'm travelling from a lush water-world
0:00:56 > 0:00:59through the jungles of India
0:00:59 > 0:01:03and into one of the world's most repressive states.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'I witness the unstoppable effects of climate change...'
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Oh, my God!
0:01:08 > 0:01:12'..and I throw myself into Bangladesh's national sport.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18'The trip ends with a dangerous and covert trek
0:01:18 > 0:01:20'into a forgotten corner of Burma.'
0:01:20 > 0:01:23If you were caught by the Burmese authorities,
0:01:23 > 0:01:24what would happen to you?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26If they catch us,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28they will kill us.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55We're in the far west of Bangladesh,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58which is a very watery country,
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and one of the best ways of getting around is by boat.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05And I think this beauty over here
0:02:05 > 0:02:08is going to take us across the country.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16'Muslim Bangladesh is crisscrossed by more than 700 rivers,
0:02:16 > 0:02:21'but its main artery is the mighty Padma, known in India as the Ganges,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25'which I was planning to follow east along the Tropic of Cancer.'
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Thank you.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28Whoa.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Oh, fantastic, look at this.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Avoiding packed roads,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35the motorboat Chhuti offered us
0:02:35 > 0:02:38a smooth ride to the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40And here's Tanjil.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42- Hello, Tanjil.- Hi, Simon.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45He's going to be guiding us across...
0:02:45 > 0:02:46Bangladesh,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49along with the trusty captain here,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51a reassuring presence behind the wheel.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53And if we just have a quick look out here...
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Look at the view!
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Is this typical of the landscape
0:03:00 > 0:03:03that we'll be seeing as we head towards the capital?
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Yes, absolutely the same.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07It's flat like a pancake, and this time of the year,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09it's really green and lush.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14So, um, we should get going, shouldn't we?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- Let's start.- Start the engines!
0:03:17 > 0:03:19TANJIL SPEAKS IN BENGALI
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Oh, look at this!
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I thought that was just for show.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39In Bangladesh, life revolves around the water.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44Up to 60% of this country floods every year.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45The remaining land is crammed
0:03:45 > 0:03:48with 160 million people,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51the seventh-largest population in the world,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53in an area smaller than England and Wales.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57As a result,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Bangladeshis have found all sorts of ways to survive on the water.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08We hopped off the Chhuti and headed down a tributary
0:04:08 > 0:04:13to see one extraordinary traditional lifestyle that's now under threat.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So, we're sailing down this very peaceful little river at the moment.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Tanjil is manning the engine -
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Tanjil IS the engine -
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and we're heading to a little fishing village...
0:04:24 > 0:04:25There is the village, you can see.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31..where the fishermen have got a rather innovative method
0:04:31 > 0:04:34for catching their fish.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37There are children there to welcome us.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Hello, small people!
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Yeah, mind the lady cleaning her pots!
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Dozens of families here in the village of Gobra
0:04:50 > 0:04:52harness some unlikely and noisy partners
0:04:52 > 0:04:54for an unusual method of fishing.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56They use a technique
0:04:56 > 0:04:58that dates back more than a thousand years
0:04:58 > 0:05:00and was once practised in Europe.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Local villager Robin showed us his very own fisherman's friend.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08But basically, these fishermen...
0:05:08 > 0:05:12fish using otters.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16The otters have been trained
0:05:16 > 0:05:19to swim alongside Robin's fishing boat
0:05:19 > 0:05:21and chase fish into his net.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Robin, can you tell us a little bit about your otters?
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- IN TRANSLATION:- They're husband and wife, and they have a family.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36In a few days, they'll have more babies.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Fishermen here are exploiting the natural instincts of otters,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45which hunt in pairs or as a family.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49These otters might be harnessed and working with humans,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51but they're still wild at heart.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Oh! They're fast as well. Look! One's just gone.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59One of them really has got away down here.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Can you see it?
0:06:03 > 0:06:04No. Where's the one that got away?
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It's just there. It's there.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19Robin sent in the otter's partner to lure it back.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21OTTER SQUEALS
0:06:21 > 0:06:25So one of them's saying, "Come back, don't leave me."
0:06:35 > 0:06:38After Robin finally recaptured the one that got away,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40we waited for the sun to go down.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54It's quite magical being out here on the river.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Quite wonderful, in fact.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00The big question is,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02are we going to catch any fish?
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Oh!
0:07:20 > 0:07:24OK, so watch how Robin moves the otter around
0:07:24 > 0:07:28using his feet on the pole there.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34So basically, they've got to work the otters on both sides,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and the otters force...
0:07:37 > 0:07:42the idea, anyway, is that the otters force the fish into the net.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Have they got something?
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- Yeah. Small fishes.- Yeah, a few.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54There's some tiddlers.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57There's a little one here,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59or a couple of little ones, jumping around.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01There's a crab there.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06It's not a huge amount, is it?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09And it's quite back-breaking work.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15- IN TRANSLATION:- We used to catch more fish, but not any more.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18There are fewer fish now because of over-fishing.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Bangladesh gains an extra two million new mouths
0:08:22 > 0:08:24to feed every year,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28which, combined with pollution and outdated farming techniques,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31is putting huge pressure on the food supply.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Hey! Another one, yeah.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35There's nothing there, really, is it?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Despite the otters' best efforts, it was a disappointing catch.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44- IN TRANSLATION:- This time, we haven't been able to catch many fish.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46It's not good.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50We have to buy fish sometimes to feed our otters.
0:08:50 > 0:08:56It sounds like such a difficult, hard way to make a living.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Can you imagine your children ever fishing like this?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Generations of us have been catching fish like this.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11But what the future holds for my children, I don't know.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Back on board the Chhuti, we set sail again for Dhaka.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Following the Padma River, we skirted the Tropic of Cancer
0:09:37 > 0:09:39on our way to the capital.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48The boundary between water and land is blurry in Bangladesh.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Almost the entire country is just a few metres
0:09:50 > 0:09:52above an already rising sea level,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55the main reason why global climate change
0:09:55 > 0:10:00threatens Bangladesh more than any other country in the world.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03One thing you really do see immediately about...
0:10:03 > 0:10:04certainly this area,
0:10:04 > 0:10:09but I know Bangladesh generally, is you can see there's no rocks
0:10:09 > 0:10:13by the edge of the river, it's just pure mud.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15And because it's mud,
0:10:15 > 0:10:19the land's not only at risk from annual floods and tropical cyclones,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22it's also constantly being eroded by the huge rivers.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26You can see the bank is getting ready to collapse.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Hang on, what are these white bags here?
0:10:30 > 0:10:32They're trying to stop the erosion.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34You can see they're putting the bags there.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39Oh, my God, these are sand! They're using them as sandbags.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Oh, my God! Look, they're chucking them in to the water edge there
0:10:43 > 0:10:45to try and save the land.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49We've got to stop.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- Is there any way we can stop here? - Yes, we can stop here.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Look, there's another one going there,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00desperately trying to shore up the river bank.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06Look, it's falling away right now, right as we're approaching.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28This whole bank here is now really going,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and they're working faster and faster,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33because this is their land they're going to lose.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39I can't see how they're going to save this.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43What was that?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46That's another big chunk.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Oh, my God!
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Who here lives close to the edge?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Who's worried that they're going to lose their home?
0:11:57 > 0:12:01- He.- So this gentleman here,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03where does he live? Can we ask him?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06TANJIL SPEAKS BENGALI
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Just this one.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- IN TRANSLATION: - The river has destroyed
0:12:11 > 0:12:13all our crops and our land.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It's taken the food from our mouths.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24As more ballast arrived for sandbags, locals told us
0:12:24 > 0:12:25that in the past fortnight,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29the river had eaten 500 yards into their village.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34In the past four years, it's taken 2,000 homes in this community alone.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38This was the devastating effects of climate change
0:12:38 > 0:12:40happening right in front of my eyes.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Perfectly natural for there to be erosion of a riverbank by the river,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49but scientists are absolutely convinced
0:12:49 > 0:12:51that what's happening in Bangladesh
0:12:51 > 0:12:53is an increased rate of river erosion,
0:12:53 > 0:12:59partly or largely caused by an increasing melt in the Himalayas,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03in the mountains, from which this river has its source.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- IN TRANSLATION: - I've lost everything - my cows,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22my goats, my trees, everything.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I've only got my home left.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Have you noticed the rate of erosion speeding up?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Do people talk about the fact
0:13:33 > 0:13:36that the erosion is happening faster and faster?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41It's been happening for a long time.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45But now it's getting faster and it's coming closer.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52When we want to sleep, we can't,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56because we're scared by the noise of the land falling into the river.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It sounds like shooting. Boom! Boom!
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Scenes like this are now repeated on a daily basis across Bangladesh.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12Increased erosion makes 100,000 people homeless every year,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15turning them into environmental refugees.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18But this could be just the beginning of a climate catastrophe
0:14:18 > 0:14:20on a biblical scale.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Even a small rise in sea levels would devastate millions here.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27We were heading in the same direction
0:14:27 > 0:14:30as many of the new environmental refugees -
0:14:30 > 0:14:32towards the capital, Dhaka.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46So we're making our final approach into the capital now, and, er, well,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48you can see, it's pretty chaotic.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52The captain needs to navigate our boat up the channel here
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and find us a place to dock.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03This is Sadarghat, Bangladesh's busiest port.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Crowded ferries from across the country
0:15:06 > 0:15:11and tiny local commuter boats battle their way across the water.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19But look, you can really see here the boats forcing their way
0:15:19 > 0:15:22through the other boats to try and get
0:15:22 > 0:15:24their passengers off at the terminal.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Their motors going, their engines going,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28the water churning up behind them -
0:15:28 > 0:15:30push, push, push.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Where the hell are we going to dock our boat, then?
0:15:41 > 0:15:46We can take our boat close to another boat and we can just...
0:15:46 > 0:15:49walk through the boats.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Oh, right, OK. So we'll attach our boat to somebody else's
0:15:52 > 0:15:54and use them as a landing platform?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57- Yes.- OK!
0:15:57 > 0:16:00SIREN WAILS
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Our boat could only stop for a few minutes.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09We need to get off. Captain, thank you, thank you.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Thank you very much indeed.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Thank you. Can we come through your little cabin?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Thank you very much!
0:16:19 > 0:16:22TANJIL SHOUTS IN BENGALI
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- From the front.- To the front!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27SIMON LAUGHS
0:16:30 > 0:16:31Ooh!
0:16:33 > 0:16:35There's dry land ahead.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Is there a way off there? Yes! Dry land!
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Welcome to Dhaka!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- Look at that way. Look at that way. - Look at it!
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Bloody hell!
0:16:51 > 0:16:54All right, now, this is proper chaos.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01The tropics are home to almost two-thirds
0:17:01 > 0:17:03of the world's population.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10And an increasing number are moving to mega cities like Dhaka.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Hundreds of thousands arrive here every year,
0:17:13 > 0:17:19joining the 13 million people already crammed into the city.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21The global urban population
0:17:21 > 0:17:25is projected to double over the next 15 years,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27and the population of Dhaka is expected to rise
0:17:27 > 0:17:30to a staggering 25 million,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33with about half of them packed into slums.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Oh, I suppose this is old Dhaka?
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's quite a sight, eh?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42- It is.- How are you?
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I'm very well, thank you. How are you?
0:17:45 > 0:17:46Oh, look. Look at this.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50This amazing art that you get on the rickshaws here
0:17:50 > 0:17:53is a constant delight.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55It's a work of art.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05It's an evocative, atmospheric city, but there's no hiding the filth
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and appalling poverty that scars most lives here.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12There's a quarter of a million children
0:18:12 > 0:18:14living on the streets of Dhaka,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17and in slum areas, many try to earn a few pence
0:18:17 > 0:18:20by sifting through piles of rotting waste.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23As we've been walking along,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27we've gathered, like the Pied Pipers,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29a small group of...
0:18:29 > 0:18:31urchins around us.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34And what they do
0:18:34 > 0:18:38is walk around, walk around the streets, collecting up fragments
0:18:38 > 0:18:42of plastic or glass bottles, any bits that they can recycle.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Can we have a look in here? Can we see?
0:18:44 > 0:18:45TANJIL SPEAKS BENGALI
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So, look, plastic bottles in here.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50- Aluminium cans.- Yeah.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55And then they'll sell them to a recycling shop.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It's quite hard to see four year olds, five year olds
0:18:59 > 0:19:02working on the streets barefoot like that, isn't it?
0:19:02 > 0:19:07You live here for one week, two week, one month,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09then it will not hurt you a lot.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11It's happening.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12It's there.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18As well as the thousands picking through rubbish,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20there's a hidden army of young labourers
0:19:20 > 0:19:24who work behind closed doors.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25This is it here?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27HUMMING
0:19:27 > 0:19:29God, can you hear the furnace going?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33There's even a child-sized entrance.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42'Tanjil had brought me to a glass recycling factory
0:19:42 > 0:19:45'where they make bottles for export to South Korea.'
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Good God!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52This is Jehangir.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Jehangir. Hello, Jehangir.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Very nice to meet you.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Ten-year-old Jehangir works a full shift here every day
0:20:00 > 0:20:02for the equivalent of 30 pence -
0:20:02 > 0:20:05enough to buy his family a small bag of rice.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Why did you put that one in there, Jehangir?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10TANJIL SPEAKS IN BENGALI
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- IN TRANSLATION: - It's no good. It's broken.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21He's basically quality control, isn't he?
0:20:22 > 0:20:25It was more than 40 degrees centigrade outside,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29and the heat standing here by the furnace was almost unbearable.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35The fumes coming from the furnace, they're really choking.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And we're just here for a few minutes.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56So he's taking us up to see
0:20:56 > 0:21:00where he sleeps with his mum and his sister.
0:21:00 > 0:21:06And can you see, his sister is barefoot...in a glass factory?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12That's it. It's a bit rickety, isn't it?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15So, Jehangir, where do you sleep?
0:21:17 > 0:21:21- This is his bed.- Just right here?
0:21:21 > 0:21:25And is it just your family here, or are there more people who live here?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- IN TRANSLATION:- Many of us live here, 10 or 12 people.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33There are quarrels.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37People sometimes eat other people's food, and this causes arguments.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Do you find it hard, working in the factory?
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Yes.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49If I had a home, then I wouldn't have needed to work.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I could have gone to school.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53My mum would have worked.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Why did Mum want you to come and live here?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Why did Mum want you to come to the glass factory?
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Because of hunger.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Factory owners like to employ children, because they're cheap,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20they have nimble fingers and they complain less than adults.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23So, shift change, new operator.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26This operator - can you show us your arm?
0:22:44 > 0:22:48It seems obvious that these children should be stopped from working.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54But the older labourers wanted me to understand what can happen
0:22:54 > 0:22:57when children here are prevented from earning a living.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- IN TRANSLATION:- You see, there are foreigners who come here
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and they stop the children from working.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16- IN TRANSLATION:- If we throw the children out of work,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18what are they going to live on?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20If they don't work, they'll die of hunger,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22so they go out begging or stealing.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25They'll do anything if they're hungry.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Hunger drives them to do many things.
0:23:30 > 0:23:36These men all started working between the ages of 9 and 11.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Child labour is a harsh fact of life in Bangladesh.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43Nearly five million children here earn vital income for their families
0:23:43 > 0:23:44or themselves.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50But Jehangir's boss has been persuaded to give him
0:23:50 > 0:23:53a few hours off each day to visit a special centre
0:23:53 > 0:23:59for working children run by UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00This is the centre.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Oh, my good God!
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Oh, my goodness. Hello!
0:24:08 > 0:24:12- Salaam alaikum. - CHILDREN:- Salaam alaikum.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Jehangir, you've got a lot of friends here.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- IN TRANSLATION:- This is my friend.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31The centre gives working boys
0:24:31 > 0:24:36a free lunch, a shower and space to learn and have fun.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Most of all, it gives them the chance simply to be children.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47There's a few good shots here.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51They've all had a lot of practice, haven't they?
0:24:51 > 0:24:57Jehangir, tell us, what do you like about coming to the centre?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- IN TRANSLATION: - I like to play the carrom board.
0:24:59 > 0:25:05This is your favourite thing about the centre, playing this game?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07What about your friends?
0:25:09 > 0:25:14Yes, my friends are here with me, and I like that too.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Western campaigners and fashion firms have forced
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Bangladeshi clothing factories to stop employing child labour,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27but this has meant many families going hungry,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and many children have taken riskier jobs.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Farzana Ahmed from UNICEF says they've been forced
0:25:33 > 0:25:35to accept child labour as a necessary evil,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38but in thousands of centres across the country,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41UNICEF is now teaching children skills
0:25:41 > 0:25:43to break the cycle of poverty.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Some people watching this might be surprised that you're not working
0:25:47 > 0:25:52to try and close down the factories where the children are working.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55What would you say in response to that?
0:25:55 > 0:26:00We really cannot say, "OK, stop child labour right at this moment,"
0:26:00 > 0:26:04because the reality is that many of the families
0:26:04 > 0:26:07are really dependent on the earning of the children,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and if they can have a safe working environment
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and if they have scope of going to school,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17some free time for recreation,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20they're having a scope to have a different kind of life.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see these boys having fun.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38BOY: Hello! How are you?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Hello, hello, hello, hello!
0:26:51 > 0:26:57Day-to-day life here is tough, but Bangladeshis have a playful spirit
0:26:57 > 0:27:01and, given a chance, they know how to have fun...
0:27:01 > 0:27:03as their national sport shows.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13'In kabaddi, players have to go into the other team's half
0:27:13 > 0:27:17'and keep holding their breath while they try to tag someone out
0:27:17 > 0:27:19'without being wrestled to the ground.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25'To prove they're not breathing in, they repeat the word "kabaddi".'
0:27:26 > 0:27:30MAN: Kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- Is he holding his breath all this time?- Yes.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Ooh!
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Despite the knockabout nature of the game,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43someone thought it would be a good idea if Tanjil and I joined in.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Why did we agree to this?!
0:27:46 > 0:27:48TANJIL SPEAKS BENGALI
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Take a deep breath.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi...
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Oh, it didn't last very long!
0:28:19 > 0:28:23'I'm not sure I was following the rules, or even what they were,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25'but that didn't get in the way of the fun.'
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Go on, Tanjil!
0:28:35 > 0:28:36You've got him, Tanjil, you've got him!
0:28:36 > 0:28:38You've got him!
0:28:43 > 0:28:46All right, come to Daddy!
0:28:46 > 0:28:48MAN: Too light for him.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00I got one!
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Unbelievable!
0:29:03 > 0:29:06CHEERING
0:29:06 > 0:29:09TANJIL: Yeah, you played good, you played good.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14Your movement and your...everything was kind of perfect, as a beginner.
0:29:14 > 0:29:15- As a beginner?- Mm-hm.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I have suffered several injuries.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Look at this, look at the colour of this!
0:29:22 > 0:29:26Possible broken ribs, but, hey, what the hell?
0:29:26 > 0:29:27It was worth it!
0:29:40 > 0:29:45So we've left Dhaka behind and we're now driving across Bangladesh
0:29:45 > 0:29:48and we're heading towards India.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Bangladesh is almost completely surrounded by India,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00and this will be my second time in the giant neighbour on this journey.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I was heading for two of India's most remote states,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Tripura and Mizoram, bang on the Tropic of Cancer.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14The only border crossing in this area is way off the beaten track.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Oh, my God, where the hell are we?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Can we just ask, Tanjil?
0:30:26 > 0:30:28TANJIL SPEAKS BENGALI
0:30:28 > 0:30:33MAN SPEAKS BENGALI
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Is this the customs?
0:30:43 > 0:30:47- Here?!- Yes, as I said.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49- This is the customs point?- Yeah.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Finally, we'd made it to the border.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57We were leaving a remote corner of Bangladesh
0:30:57 > 0:30:59and trying to enter a remote corner of India.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Everything OK?
0:31:12 > 0:31:16'The officials told us no foreigners had crossed here in months.'
0:31:18 > 0:31:20We have a lot of permits.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Hopefully, this will enable us to cross the border
0:31:25 > 0:31:28without requiring us to pay a hefty tax.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32That's me.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35The permits seemed to do the trick.
0:31:36 > 0:31:37- We're free to go?- Thank you.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Thank you! Thank you, sir.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45BUGLE PLAYS
0:31:48 > 0:31:52We were just in time, as the border was being closed for the night.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Well, that's the Bangladeshi flag lowered.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06It's the end of our journey across Bangladesh.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07I've loved every minute of it.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10It's packed and poor,
0:32:10 > 0:32:15but it's a beautiful, beautiful country, and I'm really sorry to go.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17ORDER SHOUTED
0:32:23 > 0:32:24Farewell, mate.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Thank you very much indeed.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28- Thank you, sir.- Bye-bye, mate.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31- I feel quite emotional. - Yes, I am also feeling...
0:32:31 > 0:32:33- Yeah. All right.- We had a good time.
0:32:33 > 0:32:34- We had a very good time. - We'll remember that.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36- I'll see you again.- Yeah.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47We'd left the flat, water-world landscape of Bangladesh
0:32:47 > 0:32:52and immediately began climbing into the Indian hill state of Tripura.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10We're up in the hills now and we're in a place that feels really exotic.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15You get a sense here that this is where India and Asia really meet.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21In this part of the country,
0:33:21 > 0:33:26traditional hill tribes mix with migrants from the rest of India.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29As in many parts of the tropics, the growing population here
0:33:29 > 0:33:33has put a huge strain on Tripura's ancient forests,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36which are being lost to homes and small farms.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38And as the trees disappear,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41so does the exceptional wildlife that relies on them.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51(We're on a very narrow forest trail
0:33:51 > 0:33:56(and we're looking for some very special little monkeys.)
0:34:09 > 0:34:11(I can see them up ahead.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15(Yes! I just saw a tail.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22(We're just underneath one now.)
0:34:24 > 0:34:27These monkeys are spectacled langurs.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30They're now hard enough to find even here
0:34:30 > 0:34:32in the Sepahijala Wildlife Reserve.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Across the state, their numbers are down to just 2,000.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40(It's such a treat to see these creatures.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44(They're so incredibly rare now and endangered.)
0:34:46 > 0:34:49These rich and diverse forests used to dominate
0:34:49 > 0:34:51this part of the tropics,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54but deforestation and road building
0:34:54 > 0:34:56has divided them into isolated pockets.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Many patches can't sustain viable animal communities.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05It's one of the great problems for wildlife throughout the tropics.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09There are other native animals in the reserve's zoo.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11As the human population of this area grows,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14it seems the only realistic chance for the survival
0:35:14 > 0:35:18of rare wildlife is now in a cage.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Absolutely magnificent creature.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28These are two extremely rare cloud leopards.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32And again, what they symbolise, really, is the fact
0:35:32 > 0:35:37that their habitat has - and is - being completely destroyed.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Depresses the hell out of me.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55The next Indian state east along the Tropic of Cancer is Mizoram.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59The roads in this region are frequently blocked by landslides,
0:35:59 > 0:36:03so we hopped on a plane to the state capital, Aizawl.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Mizoram is on the very far east of India,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20and it feels quite cut off from the rest of the country.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24In fact, people here talk about the rest of India as being the mainland.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29This border area is home to dozens of different ethnic groups,
0:36:29 > 0:36:31many of them Christian.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35For me, it was a stop on my way east into a forbidden land.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39So now...
0:36:39 > 0:36:42the most difficult part of our journey begins.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49I headed towards the next country along the Tropic, Burma.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54It's a place with a terrible reputation for human rights abuses,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57where democracy activists disappear,
0:36:57 > 0:36:59and where much of the population
0:36:59 > 0:37:02lives in fear of the military rulers.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05It took us two days of hard driving to reach the border.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13'Burma's military dictatorship, which calls the country Myanmar,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16'has banned the BBC from entering officially,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20'so we embarked on our own little covert mission.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25'An exiled Burmese activist from the Chin ethnic group, Cheery Zahau,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28'had bravely offered to show me what life is like
0:37:28 > 0:37:31'under perhaps the most repressive regime in the entire tropics.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37'We'd decided to try to sneak over the border into her home region
0:37:37 > 0:37:41'of Chin State and then trek to a remote tribal village.'
0:37:43 > 0:37:46My God, look at that!
0:37:48 > 0:37:52- Do you see the little village there? - Right, yes.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54- That's Chin State. - So that's in Burma?
0:37:54 > 0:37:56CHEERY: Yeah, that's in Burma.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01The Burmese troops might be there, cos they love that village, somehow.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03So we're not going to that village.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08Whenever the troops are there, it involves forced labour.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Are we putting ourselves in danger by doing this?
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Yes. It's always dangerous when you go to Chin State,
0:38:14 > 0:38:15when you go to Burma.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18You don't know what will happen, really.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Um, yeah.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23I mean, are you putting yourself
0:38:23 > 0:38:26in even more danger than us by going back there?
0:38:26 > 0:38:31Because you fled Burma when you were much younger.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Yeah. They...they don't want me to be there.
0:38:34 > 0:38:41They put me in the wanted list in 2007, but...
0:38:41 > 0:38:43You're actually on...
0:38:43 > 0:38:47the Burmese military wanted list, are you? I didn't know that.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Yeah. They said
0:38:48 > 0:38:51that I am...
0:38:51 > 0:38:56I am being empowered by the Western rich nations
0:38:56 > 0:39:00and now I try to disunite the Union of Myanmar.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Which potentially puts your...
0:39:03 > 0:39:05your life at risk.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Yeah.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11Because if we don't speak up, if we don't tell the stories
0:39:11 > 0:39:15of the people under this repressive military regime,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18then no-one will know what's happening.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21And if they don't know, they will not do anything.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25It wasn't just the Burmese military causing us concern.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29India's developing a controversial trade project with Burma
0:39:29 > 0:39:32in this area, and all of India's borders are carefully monitored.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34We had to move quickly.
0:39:34 > 0:39:39Well, we've had all manner of terrifying stories and rumours
0:39:39 > 0:39:45about what lies in wait for us - the Indian army, Indian border security,
0:39:45 > 0:39:51Indian intelligence, and on the other side, the Burmese army.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54We're still going to go ahead. We think it's OK. Fingers crossed.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15'We wanted to get to the river that forms the border
0:40:15 > 0:40:17'between India and Burma before nightfall.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22'The steep track down is used mainly by local traders on foot.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24'Travelling by vehicle was hard going.'
0:40:42 > 0:40:45We met Burmese farmers coming the other way,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47making a risky journey into India
0:40:47 > 0:40:50to try to earn some money by selling their cattle.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Have you seen any Burmese soldiers?
0:40:52 > 0:40:56THEY SPEAK IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Well, that's a relief. OK.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Travel safe.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03THEY SPEAK IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:41:14 > 0:41:18So the river is now just ahead of us.
0:41:18 > 0:41:24I think we've finally made it. I'll tell you what, it's pretty wide.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31'We were now just a stone's throw from Burma
0:41:31 > 0:41:32'and we bedded down for the night.'
0:41:37 > 0:41:40I can't quite believe we're here.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44We're in an incredibly remote part of India,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48in an area where very few Westerners have been to before.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52But that's the whole point of following the Tropic of Cancer
0:41:52 > 0:41:53around the world.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58It takes us to off-the-beaten-track places such as this.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06We planned to swim across the river
0:42:06 > 0:42:09and then haul our kit over using ropes.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13On the Burmese side, men from an ethnic Chin village
0:42:13 > 0:42:14were waiting for us.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Oh, my God - he's in the water!
0:42:21 > 0:42:24'And then, for some reason, one of them jumped into the water
0:42:24 > 0:42:27'and swam frantically to get over to our side.'
0:42:30 > 0:42:34They saw some people hiding, some troops hiding up there.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Sorry, Cheery,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39just trying to get my head round this. What are you saying?
0:42:39 > 0:42:44You're saying that Burmese troops are hiding just round the corner?
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Yeah. They just saw now.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48God, I feel sick.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54I don't know what to say, really.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57I'm just a bit shocked.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59'Suddenly, the soldiers appeared.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06'It looked like Burmese troops had been waiting for us,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09'and we'd just had the luckiest escape of our lives.'
0:43:10 > 0:43:12I don't know.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19But the soldiers weren't interested in us or the villagers.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22It turned out to be a bizarre case of mistaken identity.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26It was a small patrol of rebel forces.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29So who are the soldiers?
0:43:29 > 0:43:31The Chin National Army.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35Insurgency groups fighting against Burmese regime.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38So, crucially, they're your friends?
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- Yeah.- OK.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45So no Burmese troops for now.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48But there was still the river to deal with.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52We discovered the villagers had their own way of crossing.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00So it looks like we're going to be taking the death slide
0:44:00 > 0:44:01across the river.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05I'm quite scared of this.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Cheery, I think we've got other things to worry about
0:44:07 > 0:44:09than the bloody death slide, OK?
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Here goes.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19- Bloody hell!- Oh...
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Oh...
0:44:21 > 0:44:25- OK, well, here goes, off we go to Burma.- Are you ready?
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Yeah. As I'll ever be.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40Bloody hell!
0:44:48 > 0:44:52Lalamor. Nadamor! Nadamor!
0:45:00 > 0:45:02We've arrived.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05We've travelled from the world's largest democracy
0:45:05 > 0:45:07on that side of the river
0:45:07 > 0:45:11to one of the most repressive countries in the world on this side.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16All right, we've got a long walk.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Let's get going.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29There are no roads or infrastructure of any sort in this area of Burma.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33A long trek over the hills was the only way to get to the village.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37My God, look at this place!
0:45:37 > 0:45:40We really are in Burma.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48'Every step took us further into what felt very much like
0:45:48 > 0:45:50'hostile territory.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54'In this area, there are more than 50 Burmese army bases
0:45:54 > 0:45:56'and thousands of Burmese troops.'
0:46:00 > 0:46:03How does it feel to be back here, Cheery?
0:46:03 > 0:46:05A bit fearful.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07- Fearful?- Yeah.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10The Burmese troops...
0:46:10 > 0:46:12are not so far from here.
0:46:12 > 0:46:17That's why the villagers are always...
0:46:18 > 0:46:22..be careful and scared of the Burmese troops.
0:46:22 > 0:46:29Whenever they are there, it involves forced labour, extortion,
0:46:29 > 0:46:32sometimes rape against women,
0:46:32 > 0:46:34and child labourers.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38The Burmese military really are...
0:46:38 > 0:46:41an occupying force in Chin State?
0:46:41 > 0:46:46Yeah. Chin State and all over Burma.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49'American group Human Rights Watch
0:46:49 > 0:46:52'recently reported that Burmese soldiers
0:46:52 > 0:46:56'are using torture, arbitrary arrest and killings
0:46:56 > 0:46:58'as part of a campaign to suppress the Chin people,
0:46:58 > 0:47:00'who are largely Christian
0:47:00 > 0:47:03'and number more than one-and-a-half million in Burma.'
0:47:05 > 0:47:08Look at this. There's huts. Huts.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14I can hear children screaming, and some of them see us.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17Oh, my goodness!
0:47:17 > 0:47:19We've arrived!
0:47:19 > 0:47:22We've made it!
0:47:22 > 0:47:23CHEERY: Nadamo.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26- Nadamo.- Nadamo.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30'The entire village came out to meet us.'
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Nadamo.
0:47:32 > 0:47:33Nadamo.
0:47:36 > 0:47:37Nadamo.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Nadamo.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Nadamo.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Oh, my goodness. Everybody!
0:47:45 > 0:47:48- Nadamo.- Nadamo.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Got tears welling up inside me.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55It is a huge privilege to be here.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58These hill people struggle to scrape an existence
0:47:58 > 0:48:01on what the land provides, living in simple wooden huts
0:48:01 > 0:48:04and with little contact with the outside world.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09We're very, very, very happy to be here. Thank you for allowing us
0:48:09 > 0:48:13to come and visit your village. We're hugely grateful.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22He doesn't know what it is.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27Has he seen white people, foreigners, in the village before?
0:48:34 > 0:48:37It's what you meant when you said...
0:48:37 > 0:48:40forgotten people in a forgotten land.
0:48:40 > 0:48:46Yes, absolutely. No-one reach here, and nobody knows they exist here.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57'One of the reasons we'd come to this particular village
0:48:57 > 0:49:00'was because we'd heard it had other visitors as well,
0:49:00 > 0:49:04'a humanitarian group called the Free Burma Rangers.'
0:49:11 > 0:49:13- Simon. Hello.- Jacob.
0:49:13 > 0:49:14- Jacob?- Yes.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16- Nice to meet you, Jacob. Simon. - Joshua.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18Joshua. Simon. Very nice to meet you.
0:49:18 > 0:49:23What are the Free Burma Rangers and why are you doing this?
0:49:23 > 0:49:27- IN TRANSLATION:- Our team comes here to help our people
0:49:27 > 0:49:31in any way we can, by bringing medical aid, for example.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37In our land, there are many ill people
0:49:37 > 0:49:40because the government deliberately denies them medical help.
0:49:43 > 0:49:48When was the last time a Burmese government nurse or doctor
0:49:48 > 0:49:50came to the village?
0:49:50 > 0:49:53They never received.
0:49:53 > 0:49:58- IN TRANSLATION:- Never. I've never seen them come here,
0:49:58 > 0:49:59not once in ten years.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03So this community has been completely abandoned
0:50:03 > 0:50:04by the Burmese state?
0:50:04 > 0:50:08Yeah. That's true.
0:50:08 > 0:50:13The Rangers are a Christian volunteer group
0:50:13 > 0:50:15operating across Burma.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Their small teams are given training and a medical kit
0:50:18 > 0:50:21as well as a camera to document human rights abuses.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26They operate covertly behind the lines and at enormous risk.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33If you were caught by the Burmese authorities doing this,
0:50:33 > 0:50:35what would happen to you?
0:50:35 > 0:50:40If they catch us, they will kill us.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44- Is that really possible? - Yes. It's possible.
0:50:49 > 0:50:54CHEERY: All what the Burmese regime wants us to do is to surrender,
0:50:54 > 0:50:58but instead of surrendering, we're trying to help ourself,
0:50:58 > 0:51:03we're trying to stand up so there's a ray of hope we can build.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08We were told it had been two weeks
0:51:08 > 0:51:11since troops had last been to the village
0:51:11 > 0:51:13and they were due another visit.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15We didn't have much time.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18If locals were caught hiding us, they could face execution.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22At a secret location nearby, we met Chin elders who wanted to speak out.
0:51:22 > 0:51:29In your encounters with Burmese soldiers, can you describe to us
0:51:29 > 0:51:32how they behave towards you, your village...?
0:51:32 > 0:51:37SPEAKS IN DIALECT
0:51:37 > 0:51:41- IN TRANSLATION:- If they get angry, they slap us and shout at us.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45They tell us off
0:51:45 > 0:51:46and they threaten us.
0:51:48 > 0:51:53Then, whatever they want, like rice or chickens,
0:51:53 > 0:51:55they just take it.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00One afternoon, they asked us for money.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06We didn't give it to them, so they beat me up three times.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Does it feel as though they represent your government
0:52:14 > 0:52:17or they represent an enemy government?
0:52:20 > 0:52:22I don't see them as our government.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26If the smallest people were hungry,
0:52:26 > 0:52:28then a good government would feed them.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32A good government would help those who are in trouble.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36But this government is totally the opposite.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Instead, they take whatever they want from what we have.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43I've heard a lot about Burma over the years,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46but it's not really until you're here,
0:52:46 > 0:52:50experiencing some small degree of the fear
0:52:50 > 0:52:54that these people experience on a daily basis,
0:52:54 > 0:52:57that you really understand what it is like
0:52:57 > 0:53:00to live under a totalitarian, despotic,
0:53:00 > 0:53:04evil regime like the one that is in power in this country.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07CHEERY: Yeah.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09- It sounds... - DOG BARKS
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'Then suddenly, a messenger arrived with news.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18'A heavily armed Burmese patrol had appeared in the next village,
0:53:18 > 0:53:20'just a short march away.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22'We were all in grave danger.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49'We'd travelled for days to get here,
0:53:49 > 0:53:51'but now the threat to all of us,
0:53:51 > 0:53:54'especially Cheery and the villagers, was becoming extreme.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58'I felt we had to leave, but it needed to be a team decision.'
0:53:58 > 0:54:00What do you think we should do?
0:54:02 > 0:54:06I think our luck so far has been... has been good.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08You know, we've made it here.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12I think we probably weren't sure that we were gonna make it this far.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15I think we should probably bank what we've got
0:54:15 > 0:54:17and stop taking chances now.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19What do you think?
0:54:20 > 0:54:22I think we should go back.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30Oh, my God.
0:54:30 > 0:54:36'Our only option was a risky, night-time dash back to the border.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39'We trekked through the darkness,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42'constantly aware that Burmese troops could be pursuing us
0:54:42 > 0:54:44'or lying in wait ahead of us.'
0:54:45 > 0:54:50It's one thing to cross a river like this in daylight,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53completely different crossing it at night.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14(We're just a few minutes from the border between Burma and India
0:55:14 > 0:55:18(and we've just sent one of our village guides ahead of us
0:55:18 > 0:55:25(to try and check if there's any Burmese military down by the river.)
0:55:26 > 0:55:28'Then we heard voices.'
0:55:28 > 0:55:30VOICES IN DISTANCE (Some people are coming.)
0:55:30 > 0:55:32(Turn your light out.)
0:55:36 > 0:55:38VOICES IN DISTANCE
0:55:38 > 0:55:40Ah, that's our guys.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Bloody hell!
0:55:42 > 0:55:44I thought we were screwed then.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53We've made it...
0:55:53 > 0:55:55at least to the border.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57But there is somebody over there.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00I think if we can try and signal to them, we might be able to get back.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08'Luckily, the locals who'd built the zip wire
0:56:08 > 0:56:12'had come to the river at 4am to help with our escape.'
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Hello!
0:56:31 > 0:56:33OK.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35India, here we come.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47We're back in India! We've made it!
0:56:54 > 0:56:57- Welcome back to India. - CHEERY: Thank you.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00- Welcome back to India too. - And thank you for taking us.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Thanks for coming.
0:57:02 > 0:57:09And now you experience...very different life in Burma, isn't it?
0:57:09 > 0:57:13It's an incredibly different life, yeah.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16I mean, it's a totally... it's a totally different world.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27I'd only had a brief glimpse of life under the Burmese regime,
0:57:27 > 0:57:29but it was one of the most unsettling experiences
0:57:29 > 0:57:31of my travels in the tropics.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38'The Chins are one of several ethnic groups numbering millions of people
0:57:38 > 0:57:41'that suffer horrific abuses in Burma.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44'They live in a remote area of the tropics,
0:57:44 > 0:57:46'cut off from the rest of the planet,
0:57:46 > 0:57:50'but I can only hope the world doesn't forget about their plight,
0:57:50 > 0:57:53'leaving them at the mercy of the Burmese military.'
0:57:55 > 0:57:58It's just a few hours since we crossed back,
0:57:58 > 0:58:02but this is the end of this part of my journey,
0:58:02 > 0:58:05and I can see the end of the entire journey in sight now.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07Just a few more countries to go.
0:58:07 > 0:58:12On the next leg, the final leg, I'll be travelling across Asia
0:58:12 > 0:58:15and ending my journey, my entire journey
0:58:15 > 0:58:18around the Tropic of Cancer, in Hawaii.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21'I float down the mighty Mekong River in Laos,
0:58:21 > 0:58:25'I follow the Ho Chi Minh golf trail in Vietnam...
0:58:27 > 0:58:29'..uncover shocking cruelty to animals...'
0:58:29 > 0:58:31Unbelievable! Look at this.
0:58:31 > 0:58:35'..and I end my journey around the world
0:58:35 > 0:58:37'on the glorious island of Hawaii,
0:58:37 > 0:58:39'where I uncover a dirty secret.'
0:59:04 > 0:59:07Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk