Burma and Tourism

Always been a tough call whether to travel to Burma, one of Southeast Asia's last unspoilt destinations or not given the detention of Suu Kyi and given the odious nature of the military Junta and its brutal suppression both of dissent and the country's ethnic minorities. On the one hand since much of the country's up-market tourist infrastructure is owned by the junta either directly or indirectly foreign currency would be going directly to the regime. On the other hand small-scale tourism puts the same resources into the hands of an impoverished people and provides vectors for the transmission of ideas and information.

For years Suu Kyi called for a tourism boycott on the country but in a week that has been full of political theatre Suu Kyi now appears to have softened her stance as I reported earlier. Quite who the 'close acquaintance' through who she has made this announcement is remains unknown, most likely her doctor, but it marks another move on the complex chess board that is Burmese politics.

For more detail see the story in The Telegraph below.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/burma/6026879/Burma-opposition-leader-Suu-Kyi-Tourism-might-help.html

Progress on Burma?

A chink of light perhaps?

Senator Jim Webb today won the release of John Yettaw, the American whose intrusion on Aung San Suu Kyi led to her recent sentence, and an unexpected meeting with the detained Burmese opposition leader. This is a significant development. Only a few weeks ago the country's leader, Gen Than Shwe, refused to allow UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon a similar visit to Suu Kyi.


http://tiny.cc/yp1w4

Another reason why this may mark the beginnings of a new approach towards Burma is that Senator Webb, head of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, has been a strong proponent of moving to a new policy of engagement with the generals.

This also comes a day after there were reports that Suu Kyi has softened her stance towards tourism to Burma. Whereas previosuly she had called on a complete boycott, unsubstantiated reports yesterday suggested she was now calling for people to visit the country but to avoid tourist companies and hotels that were owned by, or linked to the Junta.

To early to say where this goes next but this could mark the start of the new approach Hiliary Clinton hinted at several months ago when she made a speech in which she said that neither sanctions nor the ASEAN policy of constructive engagement had worked and that a new approach was needed.

More on Burma

Links to a couple of media interviews I did recently on Burma.

Background was that there was a conference/convention planned in Jakarta this week of Burmese exile groups including the so-called government in exile headed by Sein Win, the cousin of Aung San Suu Kyi. At the last moment it was cancelled by the Indonesian government following a complaint by the Burmese foreign ministry. The Indonesian government balked lest it look like they were sanctioning the government in exile. The only real significance of this meeting (which took place effetively in private anyway) was that previously the groups participating were deeply divided over strategy and vision, so the fact that came together to forge a common front is noteworthy since the last time there was a common position among the ethnic and pro-democracy groups was in 1947 on the verge of independence. However the Junta certainly and most of Burma's neighbours in ASEAN take such exile groups seriously as events today have visibly demonstrated.

Anyway two reports:

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/200908/s2655929.htm

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-13-voa57.cfm





P.S. Having problems posting hypertext links the app does not seem to be working? Anyone help?

What Next for Burma -- more?

Found this interesting blog comment from BBC Radio 4 presenter Robin Lustig.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldtonight/2009/07/what_next_in_burma.html

Very interesting and unpalatable as it may be to consider perhaps it does represent the only way we actually can move forward? After all what we have is an unstoppable force (Suu Kyi) encountering an immovable object (the Junta).

Interntational Politics are very unpleasant at times and another reminder of how odious this regime is in Burma came to day when news broke of the Burmese military gang raping a young girl in the Shan state.

http://tiny.cc/SLSpw

While the butchers that run Burma should in an ideal world face the International Criminal Court for the crimes they have committed, the stark reality is they won't, nor will there be a UN Security Council sanctioned Global Arms embargo. If we are to avoid another decade of suffering for Burma, and another decade of house arrest for Suu Kyi we need some fresh ideas