Since 1988 Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) has been under the military rule of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) - formerly known as Slorc - an abominable military junta. Prospective travellers should monitor events in Myanmar and weigh up the arguments in support of and opposition to travel. Dissent is suppressed, and political prisoners are jailed for expressing their opinions. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi advocates boycotting all forms of travel to the country as a means of isolating the government and forcing reform. Inside Myanmar, there are a number of people who support her stance. This pro-boycott group argues that much of the money from tourism goes directly and indirectly into the pockets of the very generals who continue to deny Burmese citizens the most-basic civil rights. However, others involved with Burmese politics, including many current or former members of the NLD, feel that a travel boycott of Myanmar is counterproductive. They maintain that tourism is not only economically helpful, but vital to the pro-democracy movement for the two-way flow of information it provides. Warning The decision as to whether or not to travel to Myanmar is best made after an appraisal of the pros and cons of such a visit. Reasons Not to Go International tourism can be seen to give a stamp of approval to the SPDC Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD have called on the international community to boycott travel to Myanmar until the candidates elected in 1990 are allowed to form a government The government keeps travellers away from areas where forced labour or repression of minorities is occurring It is difficult to avoid some government-owned businesses, tourism sites and transport. Forced labour has been used to construct some of the country's tourism infrastructure Reasons to Go Tourism remains one of the few industries to which ordinary Burmese have access. Any reduction in tourism means a reduction in local income-earning opportunities It is becoming increasingly possible to travel in Myanmar without staying in government-owned hotels, using government-owned transport and so on. Many pro-democracy activists within Myanmar itself argue that sanctions are counter-productive, and that economic development can lead to political liberalisation Keeping the Burmese isolated from international witnesses to internal oppression may only cement the government's control If You Decide to Go In order to maximise the positive effects of a visit among the general populace, while minimising support of the government, follow these simple tactics: Stay at private, locally owned hotels and guesthouses Avoid package tours connected with Myanmar Travel and Tours Avoid MTT-sponsored modes of transport, such as the Yangon-Mandalay Express trains, the MTT ferry between Mandalay and Bagan, and Myanma Airways (MA) flights Buy handicrafts directly from the artisans, rather than from government shops Avoid patronising companies involved with the military-owned Myanmar Economic Holdings. Companies with solid links to the Tatmadaw (armed forces) are often called Myawadi or Myawaddy Write to the Myanmar government and to the Myanmar embassy in your country expressing your views about the human-rights situation there Full country name: Union of Myanmar Area: 671,000 sq km Population: 45 million People: 65% Burmese, 10% Shan, 7% Karen, 4% Rakhine and Chin, Kachin, Mon, Chinese, Indian and Assamese minorities Language: Kachin, Karen, Burmese, Shan Religion: 87% Theravada Buddhist, 5% Christian, 4% Muslim, 3% animist Government: military regime Head of State: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council General Than Shwe GDP: US$67 billion GDP per capita: US$1,500 Annual Growth: 1.1% Inflation: 30% Major Industries: teak, rice, jute and illegal opium poppies Major Trading Partners: Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, India

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 71 | | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100