A Bittersweet Independence Day for the Union of Burma

Where: Myanmar

January 4, 2009 at 12:11 PM | by Victor Ozols | Comment (1)

Here's a little Southeast Asian history for you on this Sunday. Today marks the 61st anniversary of the creation of the Union of Burma. After 120 years of colonial rule, the nation cast off its bonds to the United Kingdom on January 4, 1948, and it has never looked back. Sadly, the hope for freedom that was stoked in the hearts of many Burmese people that day has been reduced to ember over the past few decades, as the nation has been ruled by military juntas since 1962 that routinely stifle any hint of free speech and political dissent.

There's been plenty of suffering. In 2007, pro-democracy protests by Buddhist monks swelled with popular support across the nation, but were brutally suppressed by government forces, resulting in several fatalities and scores of arrests. Last year, Cyclone Nargis ripped across the country's Irrawaddy Delta region, killing as many as 130,000 people and creating a humanitarian catastrophe that has been compounded by the government's refusal to permit outside organizations to distribute aid. (Apparently, the junta wants to hand out the food and supplies itself, so it is seen as the benevolent hand for the people, but it lacks the resources to do so effectively.)

The government in exile celebrated today's milestone from London with a pessimistic outlook for their homeland. As reported by the AP, Chairman Aung Shwe called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi - who has been under house arrest in Burma since winning a general election in 1990 - and said "Hope for the present and future of the country is totally lacking."

For its part, the military government told the "neocolonialists" of the world to mind their own beeswax.

And now, the travel angle: Is it right or wrong to visit a country like Burma (or Myanmar, depending on your home country's diplomatic protocol) as a tourist? Will your visit imply approval of the regime in power and serve to further enrich them, or can your presence facilitate communication between the cultures that may one day bring about positive change? I can certainly understand the argument on each side, but would generally lean toward visiting the country. Life is short, and I'd like to think that the Burmese spirit still flourishes amid the hardship. Agree/disagree?

Related Stories:
· Burma's Independence Day [U.S. Department of State]
· Opposition: No Hope for Future of Myanmar [Associated Press]
· Burma Travel: Jailed for Life for Not Saying a Word [Jaunted]

Comment (1)

Return to » A Bittersweet Independence Day for the Union of Burma

I am all for boosting communication between the cultures, and I've been curious about visiting Burma for years. Though I admit I'd be a bit nervous about ticking off the regime and having to stay a bit longer than I'd planned. And I've been put off by critics' warnings that the regime has used forced labor to build much of the tourism infrastructure and that villagers are forced off their land to make way for hotels and tourist areas. (In other words: your tourist dollars may be lining the pockets of those in charge but not doing much, if anything, to benefit the Burmese people.) The BBC wrote an interesting story on the topic in 2006 that quoted Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as saying: "Tourism to Burma is helping to prolong the life of one of the most brutal and destructive regimes in the world." But the story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5093832.stm) went on to provide compelling arguments for visiting as well. And it's hard to imagine that some of the local people wouldn't be thrilled to have access to a U.S. visitor's ear and dollars. At the least, they'll know then that the world hasn't forgotten them. Just be conscientious about where you stay, what you say, and where your money is going.

Jaunted

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