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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on tourism to Burma

Interview with the BBC, December 2002

ASSK: As I said, our policy with regard to tourism has not changed, which is say that we have not yet come to the point where we encourage people to come to Burma as tourists. But let me say this: Burma is not going to disappear, it's going to stay here. We hope that as things change, Burma will become the kind of country that will be even more of a pleasure to visit than it is now.

Q: You don't believe that by people visiting - taking home their reflections, talking about Burma when they come home can little by little have an impact?

ASSK: I think it depends on how aware the visitors are. I think many visitors come here but are not aware of the political situation. They come here for a good holiday, they have a good time, they're interested in the unusual aspects of the country and then they go back. But I don't think they carry any very, very deep impressions of the political and social situation.
So I don't think one can say that tourists come here and spread the word that change is necessary in Burma. I think it's those who are already interested in Burma who learn more about it. And for people like that, even without coming to Burma, they manage to learn about what is going on here.

…. as to whether foreign travelers bring valuable information to the people of Burma, I have to say quite frankly that the people of Burma, in general, do not depend on tourists and foreign visitors to bring them information.
If they are really intent on getting information about what is going on in the world and what is going on with regard to Burma, then they listen to foreign radio programmes such as the BBC and the DVB, the Democratic Voice of Burma, Radio Free Asia and so on. So those who really want information, do you have access - limited as it is - to information.

For full transcript, visit: www.ibiblio.org

Interview with Burma Campaign UK, January 1999

Q:  Do you still think that tourists should not visit Burma?

ASSK: Yes, I still think that people should not come to Burma. Because the bulk of the money from tourism goes straight into the pockets of the generals. And not only that, it's a form of moral support for them because it makes the military authorities think that the international community is not opposed to the human rights violations which they are committing all the time. They seem to look on the influx of tourists as proof that their actions are accepted by the world.

Q:  Do you think that the boycott is working?

ASSK: There are fewer tourists - it's working, and the better it works the better for the prospects of democracy in Burma.

Q: What do you say to the argument of tour operators that say that tourists can bring new ideas and understanding to the Burmese people?

ASSK: That's so patronising! Burmese people know their own problems better than anyone else. They know what they want - they want democracy - and many have died for it. To suggest that there's anything new that tourists can teach the people of Burma about their own situation is not just patronising - it's also racist.

Q: Some tour operators and guide books suggest that human rights campaign organisations have a set agenda and this why they discourage tourists?

ASSK: Tour operators and guide book writers should listen to their consciences - and be honest about their motivations. Profit is clearly their agenda. It's not good enough to suggest that by visiting Burma tourists will understand more. If tourists really wanted to find out what's happening in Burma - It's better if they stay at home and read some of the many human rights reports there are.

ASSK:  I hope you can come back to this country one day and see the people when they are not frightened. Burma will be here for many years, so tell your friends to visit us later. Visiting now is tantamount to condoning the regime.

For more on this interview, visit: www.burmacampaign.org.uk

Interview with 'The Burma Debate', November 1995

Q: My question has to do with tourism and "Visit Myanmar Year - 1996." The government has been making a great deal of effort to attract tourists and foreign investment. In fact, foreign investment and tourism are related industries... in the country right now. The people I've been speaking to inthe north say that it's a kind of double-edged sword because... they're aware that the money, the foreign currency, is strengthening the government but they appreciate that they're actually getting the "trickle down" effect.

ASSK:  There is another aspect to that as well. It is forced labor that has been imposed on the people in order to make the place as it were, "respectable," in quotes, for the tourists. And that is a matter of great concern, because people are made to build roads, build bridges and, in many towns, people are made to replace their wooden or bamboo fences with brick walls. This is in order to impress tourists. And there are some places where they are even made to replace the wooden fronts of their houses with brick facades if they could not afford to rebuild the whole house in brick. This means a lot of hardship for the people, and I doubt that any of those people who have to contribute labor or who have to spend a lot of money, between their walls and houses, really get anything back from the tourist industry.

ASSK:  We think it is too early for either tourists or investment or aid to come pouring into Burma. We would like to see that these things are conditional on genuine progress towards democratization…. They [the junta] should show respect for the [United Nations] General Assembly resolution. The General Assembly resolution of 1994 spells out what is necessary before it can be seen that Burma is really on the road to democratization. So, I think the clauses of that resolution should be implemented before we can take it that the government is really on the road to democratization.”

For full transcript, visit: www.burmalibrary.org