Should people travel to Burma??

[strider@xxxxxxxxxxx]

/* Written 12:43 pm  May 11, 1994 by tun@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:soc.cult.burma */
/* ---------- "Should people travel to Burma??" ---------- */
>From: connerl@xxxxxxx (Lisa D. Conner)
>Newsgroups: soc.culture.burma
>Subject: Should people travel to Burma??
>Date: 9 May 1994 00:50:23 -0400
>Organization: International Internet Association.

>Now that the PBS showed has aired, I feel obliged to ask:

>1) Should we travel to Burma?  That is, does the hard currency that 
>tourists provide to SLORC negate any possible good we can do by being there and
>bearing witness to the plight of the Burmese people?

>2) If the answer to (1) leaves open the possibility of travel, what
>should travellers do either before, during or after their trip to
>help the Burmese people?

See -see section "Tourism" in March issue of Burma Issue which might 
have posted already to scb.

Here is an excerpt below...

What would be you reaction to a travel brochure which advertised -

    Visit our country - a land in political turmoil! Join in
    street protests and hunger strikes! See rioters and police
    clashed in the streets! Visit our country - a land of in-
    stablity and change?

                      (The Challenge of Tourism,
                       Ecumenical Coalition on Third World tourism)

                [...]

1. The cost of a tourist visiting Burma is high. While they receive
   an exchange rate based on thr legal rate of around 6 kyats/dollar,
   they must spend it at the market rate of 100 to 100 kyats/dollar
   making their purchases extremely expensive. At the same time,
   most hotels and transportation costs must be paid in US dollars.
   
               [...]
   SLORC will keep them far from any indication of political instablity
   or military oppression, so there is little chance that they can serve
   as good information channel for the democratic movement. The few
   politically aware tourists who do visit the country will probably
   be carefully watched by SLORC's extensive MI network.



spelling mistakes are mine - 

Ct