Letter to Yomiuri

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

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This appeared in Letters to the Editor,
The Daily Yomiuri, October 2, 1995

Traveling to Myanmar?

In The Daily Yomiuri's "Style" section published on Sept. 23,
an article headlined "Pagan trembling with the times" recounts
how an entire village in Myanmar was forcibly resettled in a
"snake-infested location known for its poor soil and absence of
trees" in order for the construction of an archeological theme
park.  The article then continues: "This should not deter
visitors from going to Pagan, though."

It's good to know that The Daily Yomiuri encourages the
support of tyrannical regimes and widespread human rights
abuses.

Tourists going to Myanmar support the dictatorial SLORC
regime by bringing with them both foreign currency and a tacit
sense of foreign approval of the SLORC regime.

Myanmar dissidents have urged travelers not to visit Myanmar
until the SLORC regime has been replaced with democracy.

In the same issue of The Daily Yomiuri another article
recounted Amnesty International reports that hundreds of
Myanmar labor camp prisoners have died during the
construction of public works, and that torture continues in
Myanmar prisons.

Both The Daily Yomiuri and travelers should seriously
consider the effects of tourism in supporting a murderous,
tyrannical regime before encouraging or engaging in tourism
to that country.

Travel should broaden the mind - - not injustice.

David Downing Luce
Hokkaido
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