Why did it take the so called enlightened company on this site 10 years after the quashing of the democratically elected government in Burma (1989) - which took 80% of the vote - by the Burmese army who continued to keep the new president under house arrest quite apart from the subjugation of the local people, before they decided it was a more responsible approach not to provide the already boycotted Burmese military-backed government with any more tourist dollars?
It was obviously a moral issue in 1989 let alone 10 years later when the decision was made!
It seems so crassfor the brochures to 'claim' it has a policy of responsible moral tourism when it continued to operate in Burma for another 10 years before suddenly claiming it was actually counterproductive.
Can they be honest and say they got it wrong in the first place or was it simply a change in management with different ideas who decided to pull out?
Burma......
Re: Burma......
yES IT IS A POLITICAL ISSUE BUT THAT IS PRECISELY THE POINT. TRAVEL AND POLITICS CANNOT BE COMPLETELY SEPARATED WHEN A BROCHURE CLAIMS TO ACT 'RESPONSIBLY' REGARDING THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN COUNTRIES WITH REPRESSIVE MILITARY REGIMES.
REGARDING THE REPLY FROM THE COMPANY:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE, THOUGH A CLEARER KNOWLEGDE OF LOCAL ASIAN POLITICS WOULD SHOW CLEARLY THAT THE REGIME HADN'T CHANGED. THE GOVMT OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI WAS NOT STILL NEVER ALLOWED TO BE FORMED AND THAT ALONE IS SUFFICIENT TO PROVE THE LIE TO ANY CLAIM BY THE MILITARY OF POLITICAL REFORM!
THIS IS THE STYLE OF ASIAN POLITICS. HOUSE ARREST OR NO HOUSE ARREST IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE THERE WAS NO CHANGE - WORDS ARE IRRELEVANT IN SUCH CULTURES AS THEY ARE EASILY SAID AND TOO EXPEDIENT. ONLY THE INSTALMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC GOVNMT WOULD SUFFICE
Re: Burma......
Instead of harrassing a company that has, for whatever reason, decided not to operate trips in Burma. Why don't you go to the forum of companies that still do?
You suggest that these guys don't have a clear knowledge of Asian politics. What makes you think you know more?