Burma Redux -Podcast

Posted on July 28, 2005

Burma Redux
When is the last time you heard a travel writer suggest that you should not
go somewhere? Myanmar, the Southeast Asian country also known as Burma, is in the news again…and the news is not good. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who fairly won election as President in the early nineties but was blocked by the country’s repressive military regime, is still being held under house arrest. Last week, thankfully, Myanmar did not take over the lead of ASEAN, which was due it because of its position in the alphabet. The generals say they still needs more time to “democratize.” But the rest of the world is rolling its collective eyes.

Myanmar was one of my stops on a project to develop sustainable tourism along the Mekong River, funded by the Asian Development Bank, UNESCAP and others. Many people and countries are boycotting the country, having given up on “constructive engagement.” I would love to go back but won’t until “democratization” becomes a bit more real. In the meantime, we thought you’d like to know something about this sad but enchanting place.
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