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Saturday, September 29, 2007

It's Burma, not Myanmar 


Why does George W. Bush call Myanmar "Burma"? Because he respects human rights. More here.


3 Comments:

By Blogger D.E. Cloutier, at Sat Sep 29, 11:40:00 AM:

The use of the word "Burma" is official U.S. policy. Notes the CIA World Factbook: "Since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw."

The BBC usually says: "Burma, also known as Myanmar..."

Just about everybody in Asia says Myanmar.

As an international businessman, I switch back and forth. When in Rome...  

By Anonymous Anonymous, at Sat Sep 29, 02:28:00 PM:

If Nelson Mandela was still alive, what would he call it?

Oh, wait...

-David  

By Blogger Georg Felis, at Mon Oct 01, 01:06:00 PM:

Ah, straight from the horses mouth,
National Public Radio
.
“Opponents of the military regime still refer to the country as Burma, to show that they don't recognize the military's authority to change the name. The United Nations recognizes the name Myanmar, but the United States and Britain do not. That's why President Bush consistently refers to Burma in his speeches.”
And that explains why CNN and NPR constantly call it Myanmar, because they support the UN and military dictatorship of Burma more than they do the oppressed people in the country and President Bush.  

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