Myanmar

INTRODUCTION

Myanmar, better known as Burma, is a beautiful country largely untouched by international tourism but plagued by political turmoil.

Since 1990, Burmese prime minister-elect Aung San Suu Kyi has been prevented from taking office by Burma's powerful military junta. Nevertheless, she continues to be an active advocate for democracy. Recognizing the impact of foreign dollars on her country's political situation, Suu Kyi has requested that international tourists refrain from visiting Burma, as a large part of the junta's funding comes from the tourist industry.

HISTORY

The area of Asia now known as Myanmar has been home to many different ethnic groups and ruling dynasties over its long history. The Burman ethnic group, from whom the country takes both its names (Myanmar and Burma), dominated the region from the 11th century onward. At one time, most of Southeast Asia, including present-day Thailand, was under Burman rule.

After three wars with British forces in the early 19th century, the Burman territory existed as a British colony from 1886-1948.

In 1948, the colony of Burma won its independence as three sovereign democratic states: the Union of Burma, the Shan State and the Karen State. However, after General Ne Win's coup d'etat in 1962, the entire former colony was brought under Burmese military rule.

In 1988, a military junta called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) took control of the country and abolished all other organs of state power. The SLORC continues to rule Burma to the present day, though it changed the name of the country to Myanmar in 1989 and changed its own name to the State Peace and Development Council in 1997. The SLORC/SPDC has been responsible for a multitude of human rights abuses, including murder, torture, the recruitment of child soldiers and political imprisonment.

The most famous instance of political imprisonment perpetrated by the SLORC/SPDC has been the placement of Burmese prime minister-elect Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest. Though Suu Kyi won by a landslide in the 1990 general election, she was not allowed to take office and has been under house arrest for 13 of the 19 years following the election.

Today, the country is known by two different names around the world. While the two names share the same root word and have the same linguistic meaning, each name has its own historical and political implications.

"Myanmar" has been the official name of the country since 1989, when the military junta changed the English spellings of many colonial-era place names, as part of a program of top-down political and cultural reform. The name "Myanmar" is used by the United Nations, Germany, Japan, China and Russia.

"Burma" has been used as the name of the country since the time of British colonial rule. Today, "Burma" continues to be used by countries, groups and individuals who do not believe that the ruling junta had the right to re-name the country, since it holds power illegitimately. The name "Burma" is used by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and Canada, as well as by Burmese citizens of non-Burman ethnicity, who object to the use of "Myanmar" because it refers primarily to the country's majority ethnic group.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Capital: Yangon

Climate: Tropical -- expect hot, humid summers and wet winters.

Languages: Burmese

Time Zone: UTC+6:30

Power: 230 V, 50 Hz

Currency: Kyat

Note: Politically sensitive travelers may wish to postpone their visit to Burma due to the ethical implications their presence (and expenditures) would have on Burma's current political situation. A large part of tourist dollars fund the operations of the military junta currently in power, which has prevented Burma's democratically-elected leader from taking office since 1990. For more information, consult http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Burma.

ATTRACTIONS

Ngapali Beach

Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda

Bagan Temples

Shwedagon Pagoda

Mount Popa

Ngwe Saung Beach

Indawgyi Lake

Inya Lake

Lake of No Return

Pindaya Caves

Mrauk U