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Burma

"Burma will be here for many years, so... visit us later. Visiting now is tantamount to condoning the regime." (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 1999)

In September 2007, people around the world were made aware of the repressive situation in Burma through the powerful imagery of the Buddhist monks peacefully protesting against the brutal military regime and the reprisals they are suffering as a result. These recent pro-democracy demonstrations were the biggest since 1988, but already they are being consigned to the back of our minds. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democratically elected Burmese government, will have been under house arrest for 12 years on 24th October, 2007.

Tourism Concern has long argued that tourists should not go to Burma until democracy has been established there. From 1998 onwards, Burma has been a cornerstone of our campaigning work because of the severity of human rights abuses directly linked to tourism developments. It is also important because money earned from tourism helps to prop up one of the most brutal military regimes in the world. Increasing revenues (over $100 million a year) from tourism has not brought local people benefits but has helped the Junta retain control. Tourism Concern’s campaign has raised a great deal of discussion about the ethics of travel to Burma. The tourism industry there has been built up with the use of forced labour and by forcibly relocating households.

That tourism is an important source of revenue for the illegal military junta has been highlighted time and time again. Our campaign endeavoured to stress that tourism does not just fail to benefit local people but is also linked directly to their suffering.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has requested that tour operators should not operate in Burma and that tourists refrain from visiting until democracy is restored.

There is a growing recognition of these issues from all sectors, including the UK Government, the European Union and the international trades union movement. In 2004 the UK government announced its support for a tourism boycott and has since officially discouraged trade, investment and tourism with or in Burma. The UK Foreign Office Minister at that time released a statement asking tour operators and those involved with tourism to pull out of Burma: “Several UK travel agencies still promote tourism to Burma. We are encouraging them to cease to do so, because many hotels and other tourism-related activities in Burma are linked to the military regime.”

Since Tourism Concern first began its campaign at least 10 UK tour operators no longer operate in Burma, or have chosen never to do so. Tourists have used their consumer power to state their opposition to supporting countries which are guilty of human rights abuses bred of tourism. Despite all of this, a number of UK tour operators are promoting tourism to Burma.

The travel industry and all those involved with it have an ethical responsibility to acknowledge these issues and promote awareness of the links between tourism and human rights abuses.