15

meats....did cambodian people speak about their country as democratic kampuchea? i think not.... that is the big difference to myanmar.

the people of myanmar call their country myanmar, they say myanmar language, myanmar money, etc.... they use yangon, mawlamyine, bagan, etc.

the only ones still using the colonial names are politicans within Myanmar and foreigners...

16

Meats, you can call the country whatever you want, no-one cares. The country was named Myanmar well before your government (British) decided to change it after illegally invading the country. What do you say to that?

And if you ask the majority of the people of Myanmar what they currently call the country, its language and its people, the majority will call it Myanmar. As for the Cambodia/Kampuchea issue, it's irrelevant.

17

"there is no difference between the three main political parties in the UK."

Really so Labour are the same as the Tories, I agree they have sifted towards the centre but not the same and Labour have no chance until they get a better leader,

18

meats: The British and American Govt do advise ASSK, she also relies upon their support. It also depends upon oil & minerals and boosting their failing economies at home, maybe Salmonds and Scotlands wishful thinking also relies upon those North sea OIL & Gas revenues to fund its Independence? if so yeah get real Ha! Ha! they will then belong to an Independent Orkneys.
Tan Shwe and his cohorts are hopeful of avoiding International human rights tribunals and retiring in peace, clutching the $millions they have corruptly embezzled, something never allowed to those they have slaughtered as they lined their own pockets, with Myanmars assets and still do as they all start following the russian Oligarchs example after Glasnost, The BBC even stated that Thein Sein was asia's equivalent of Gorbachov. As for Banking in Myanmar/Burma watch this space

19

martin010,

What would happen to the people if they referred to it as Burma? Would they still be alive today?

sarrahjane,

I asked what you would've called it, or are you going to just try and not answer it? Also I suggest you brush up on your history a bit too, as the first war with Burma started after the Burmese illegally invaded British territory.

Herbie47,

The three parties are much the same. None of them listen to the electorate and the majority of our MPs are purely there for their own self-interests. I hope that Labour are out of power for a hell of a long time after their wanton destruction of this country.

montyman,

Speaking as an Englishman I hope that Scotland gets its independence. Let them have whatever oil and gas is left in the North Sea. The banking and finance industries will never happen in Burma. Why? Because you've already got big banking and financial centres on its doorstep, namely Singapore, Mumbai and Shanghai. If you want to predict a next big banking and financial centre in SE Asia, then the smart money would be on Saigon as the Communist party has started to open up its economy.

I also wouldn't believe everything you see on the BBC. The BBC is very blinkered in its reporting nowadays and very selective when it comes to certain subjects.

20

If Scotalnd gets independance are they going take back all those bank debts?

If they do get independance then Labour have even less change of being elected.

21

Do you want to say people are getting killed for saying "Burma" ... ??

I hope you arent serious about that...

22

martin010,

Read what I said and don't put words into my mouth.

23

I asked what you would've called it, or are you going to just try and not answer it? Also I suggest you brush up on your history a bit too, as the first war with Burma started after the Burmese illegally invaded British territory.

We're discussing about Myanmar here not Cambodia. Cambodia is irrelevant to this argument. And reason why I'm debating this issue with you is because you're insisting that the people of Myanmar refer to their country as Burma? So what right do you have as a foreigner to suggest what they call their country? As mentioned above, by not only me, but others as well, the people of Myanmar refer to their country as that. You come to their country and start telling them what their country should be called? How pompous is that? lol.

Burma illegally invaded British territory? If you're referring the East India as British territory then you've got to be kidding me. The British back in their colonial past had no right to be in region in the first place. The present turmoil in Myanmar is largely due to the British presence and their leaving the country in a mess when they pulled out. It's because of the British that many millions of third and fourth generation Myanmar people of Indian descent are not considered as citizens of their own country. You and your government would do better trying to sort out these bigger issues than worry about what you prefer to call the country that is known officially by the United Nations as Myanmar.

24

martin010,

What would happen to the people if they referred to it as Burma? Would they still be alive today?

Meats, seriously, have you ever been to Myanmar and asked the people themselves about this issue? This is something I often ask when I meet locals because I am genuinely interested in why they prefer not to use the colonial name for their country. The majority of people say, Burma refers to the people of Bamar origins and excludes other enthnicities. Thus the country is known as the Union of Myanmar as it unites people from different ethnicities to form Myanmar. There are people (usually the older generation) that still refer to the country and 'bamar' , and no, nothing has happened to them by referring to the country as 'bamar'. You sound like the arm chair political activist runningdog who fades in and out of this branch when he's got nothing better to do.

25

Actually, sarrahjane, I have NEVER insisted anything when it comes to what the people of Burma call their country. Please read what I say before trying to put words into my mouth. I stated quite clearly why I, and others, refer to Burma as Burma and it is you who is trying to tell me what I should be doing. And further reading actually suggests that the Burmese do actually refer to Burma as Burma. The name Myanmar is the literary name, where Burma is the colloquial name.

Yet again you're ignoring the Cambodia comment because it proves that you are a hypocrite. My reference to Pol Pot renaming Cambodia is far from irrelevant to this argument. You think that it is irrelevant because it shows that you are a hypocrite unless you called the country under Pol Pot, Democratic Kampuchea.

As to your final paragraph. Correct, Burma invaded British territory just like the Burmese invaded their local neighbours too. Perhaps you should go and tell off those naughty Burmese rulers all of those centuries ago too? Burma has been an independent country for over 60 years, which makes you blaming the current situation on British quite laughable. It is people like you with your blinkered views that create more problems than you solve. I guess that the problems in Zimbabwe are also the fault of the British? I guess that the problems in Mali at the moment are the fault of the French too?

And purely because I want to hear your response, why didn't Britain have any right to be in India or indeed anywhere at that time? Tell me, how do you think the world would look today if there had been no empires whatsoever throughout history? So, no British Empire, no Roman Empire, no Mongol Empire, no Ottoman Empire, no Persian Empire, no Greek Empire, and no Burmese Empire either, etc etc.

26

i use burma because i sometimes can`t spell myamar???? haha!!!

27

sarrahjane,

I don't talk politics when I'm in a foreign country. If I'm in a foreign country then I'm either on holiday or working. I don't work in politics and I have no intentions of getting involved in discussions about local politics whilst on holiday.

As to you referring to me as an "arm chair political activist runningdog who fades in and out of this branch when he's got nothing better to do", haha! Like the vast majority of people who use these forums I come on here when I'm planning a trip, which is what I'm doing at the moment. I wouldn't have even commented on this thread had it not been for nijkerk's post.

28

Well, meats you can call me anything you wish, and you can call Myanmar by it's colonial name Burma. It's no skin off my nose. But you really should reread some of your posts and how you come across. Just glad that I have many friends from the UK who don't share the same condescending attitude that you do towards the countries that the British have invaded and made a mess of in the past. Is it your first ever trip to Myanmar, perhaps? Maybe you'll be able to learn a bit more about its history and take particular note of how many Myanmar people of Indian descent who are in that country as a result of the British once occupying that region, and then leaving them to fend for themselves when they left.

29

... and don't you just love the arrogance of some westerners who completely ignore the norms of the country they're visiting. There would be such an outcry in the UK if Pakistani tourists came to the UK and started calling your country by some other name.