Burma or Myanmar? The debate concerning nomenclature is a phenomenon of the West. In accordance with the people themselves, it’s the country of
Myanmar and the
Burmese people.
Myanmar has been a terrific visit, surely one of the highlights of my trip so far. It’s at once a place with soaring potential, and one of frustration. The government encourages tourism, but only to certain ‘permitted’ regions. Roughly 25% of my time in Myanmar was spent trying to figure out which states, roads and villages were restricted to foreigners, 25% was spent figuring out how to get to the areas I
was allowed to visit, and the other 50% was spent actually
getting there. Overland travel in Myanmar requires a great deal of patience!
The sanctions imposed on Myanmar by the West have arguably been counterproductive by keeping industry, jobs, money, and products out of the country, reinforcing its isolation from the global marketplace. To a foreigner, the lack of western products in Myanmar is a charming novelty, and it’s one of the few places one can escape the
Coca-Cola empire. Meanwhile, the junta thrives with its business interests in oil, timber, and gems, (no tax revenue), and a debilitated populace lacking the wherewithal to resist it. The keystone of the junta’s leverage is the trading partner and political ally they find in China, without which it’s hard to imagine status quo.
