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Myanmar, officially known as the Republic of Myanmar, is a Southeast Asian country that shares borders with Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, and Thailand. It has coastlines in both the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country has a complex history, with various ethnic groups and dynasties controlling different amounts of land. Burma was finally reunited in the early 17th century, pushing back the newly arrived Portuguese who were trying to take over the kingdom. Burma was colonized by the British in the 19th century and gained independence in 1948. In 1962, power was seized in a bloodless coup by a number of military leaders, who declared Burma a socialist state. In 1988 the situation reached a boiling point and a revolution seemed imminent. In the midst of this, the military seized power, declared martial law, and dissolved the Constitution. In 1989 the new military junta officially declared the country’s name to Myanmar and continued to crack down on all protests. The question of whether or not to travel to Myanmar is a difficult one, with security concerns and allegations of forced labor in the tourist industry.
Myanmar is a large country in Southeast Asia. It covers 261,200 square miles (676,600 square km), making it somewhat smaller than the state of Texas. It shares borders with Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Thailand and has coastlines in both the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
The country is officially known as the Republic of Myanmar, a name that has been in use for more than 700 years, but it was only officially created in 1989 by decree of the military junta that governs the country. As a result, the name itself is a somewhat politicized issue. Many groups who do not want to support the junta have chosen to continue to refer to the country by its former name, Burma. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia also continue to refer to the country as Burma. The United Nations, however, refers to the country as Myanmar.
Early humans first settled Burma about 11,000 years ago, but they left no real traces of any civilization they may have had. The Pyu people arrived around the 1st century BC and founded a number of cities, but never formed a true kingdom. The Mon may also have arrived in Burma early, possibly as early as 1 BC, although some sources suggest that their arrival was actually much later. By the 6th century, however, the Mon had formed an extensive kingdom in Burma, continuing into the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries as well.
Further north a new ethnic group, the Bamar, had moved into the area that is now northern Myanmar and formed a kingdom by the mid-9th century. By the mid-11th century their pagan kingdom had become powerful enough to conquer the main Mon outposts and consolidate the country. The pagan kingdom became the second major power in the region over the next two centuries and, together with the Khmer empire, controlled virtually all of Southeast Asia. The pagan kingdom eventually fell to the Mongols in the late 13th century.
A separate Burma reformed over the following centuries, with various dynasties controlling different amounts of land. Burma was finally reunited in the early 17th century, pushing back the newly arrived Portuguese who were trying to take over the kingdom.
Burma then entered its strongest and most expansionary phase, during the second half of the 18th century. During the Konbaung dynasty the kingdom expanded its lands far and wide, successfully repelling the Chinese and conquering all who stood in their way. This ultimately led Burma to capture the Indian state of Assam, posing a direct threat and nuisance to the British Empire in the process.
The British response was swift, and in a joint effort with Siam, the British began pushing back the Burmese forces. By the mid-19th century Britain had conquered parts of Burma and by the end of the century had captured the whole kingdom and turned it into a British province. The British era was not a good one for the Burmese, resulting in a loss of land, a loss of freedom, and a general discontent with being under foreign rule. By the early 20th century, a widespread nationalist movement had begun, with the ultimate goal of driving out the British.
During World War II, nationalist factions with socialist leanings within Burma supported the Japanese in exchange for promised independence. Although this independence never came from the Japanese, within a few years the British allowed Burma its independence, which was formally declared in 1948. The next 14 years were tumultuous, with various political factions vying for power. In 1962, power was seized in a bloodless coup by a number of military leaders, who declared Burma a socialist state.
In 1974, a one-party constitution was adopted, which assigned virtually all powers to a People’s Assembly. Violence continued to sweep the nation, with growing protests and government crackdowns. In 1988 the situation reached a boiling point and a revolution seemed imminent. In the midst of this, the military seized power, declared martial law and dissolved the Constitution. In 1989 the new military junta officially declared the country’s name to Myanmar and continued to crack down on all protests.
Whether or not one should travel to Burma is a very difficult question, even setting aside the security concerns, which are very real. Many people point out that unlike many industries, which are solely owned and operated by the junta, tourism is something that many locals have direct access to and directly profit from. It is also noted that a country that has a thriving tourism economy is less likely to experience serious human rights violations, as there are always international witnesses around.
Others point out that opposition movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi has explicitly asked people to stop visiting the country, believing she condones the junta and supports them financially. There have also been widespread allegations that the government uses forced labor to run many aspects of the tourist industries, essentially making visitors guilty of slavery. Until the situation resolves itself, it’s probably best not to visit or visit neighboring countries like Thailand or Laos and get a first-hand sense of the situation.
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