Fertile

Although the British administration in Burma proved highly successful (in terms of economy, to say the least), one important factor was the very character of Bamar people - they may not have all the good qualities that we desire, but the majority of them are calm, obedient, and not calculating.

In fact, they live in a place close to Shangri-La; as long as you plant some seeds onto the field, a good yield of rice could be harvested twice a year. Unlike, say, people in North Korea or Iceland, Burma should naturally be doing well; the current state of poverty is not a fault of its citizens.

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Every time when I come to think of Bamar people, I find that a similar character is common in this part of the world - Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and a few more. They all settle in fertile soil and excellent weather (for the purpose of agriculture). Protein is not a problem either: There is never a short supply of insects and worms and other crustaceans, so that keeping chickens and ducks is a piece of cake. If that's not enough, just take some supplement from the local river or seashore - there are tons of fish and shrimps and clams, and what not.

A shrewd reader may realize at this moment, the god's praise comes with the demon's curse. With a fantastic environment, people living there for centuries would become more leisured and never worry very much. (There's little to calculate or worry about. By the rule of evolution, those bearing the gene for being suspicious and calculating would see no benefit; by all probability, they are just more likely to die of premature heart attack.)

Alas, they would do well until some aggressive visitors come in ships - often with gun, germ, and steel - or some dictator arises by mutation.