Tell your friends that you have just come back from
Myanmar, and most will respond, “Where?” But tell them your
trip was to Burma, and the reply will be different, “Wow, how exciting.
In 1885, after much conflict between the Burmese king and the British
Empire, the British invaded Myanmar, and anglicized the country’s
name to “Burma.” They also changed the name of the capital,
Yangon, to “Rangoon.” These names are familiar to us, through
literature and history—Rudyard Kipling’s Road to Mandalay,
and World War II’s struggles for the Burma Road. There were also
the roadside signs, for those of us old enough to remember, for Burma
Shave.
In 1989, the official name of the country was changed to the “Union
of Myanmar” by The SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council)
of the military government which seized power after the uprisings in
1988, noting that “Burma” was part of the British colonial
past.
The official United Nations designation is Myanmar. However, there is
debate among human rights organizations regarding this name. The change
was made by a government which was not officially elected and has been
accused of human rights violations. However, Amnesty International does
recognize the name as Myanmar.
In fact, Myanmar has really been the name for centuries. The common language
of the country is called Myanmar, and Myanmar refers to the whole country,
while Bamar, from which the name Burma comes, is the name of just one
group of people. Some linguists theorize that since in many Indo-Chinese
languages, the “m” and “b” are interchangeable,
the words Myanmar and Burma are essentially the same, especially since
the “r” at the end of Myanmar is not actually pronounced—it
was used in British English to lengthen the preceding “a.”
With over 130 nationalities, and a population over 46 million, Myanmar
(Burma) is a melting pot of different peoples with their own traditions,
religions, and customs. One thing that all Burmese have in common, however,
is that they are some of the nicest people around.
Click Here for information on our Myanmar (Burma) Tours.
