East Asia. February 04, PM. Lin Yang. One coup. One country. Two names? More Asia News. The Day in Photos. November 14, You may also like. Or was it in Burma, the name Washington continues to use? The answer is complicated. Because when it comes to Myanmar, pretty much everything is political.
Including language. For generations, the country was called Burma, after the dominant Burman ethnic group. But in , one year after the ruling junta brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising, military leaders suddenly changed its name to Myanmar. By then, Burma was an international pariah, desperate for any way to improve its image.
Hoping for a sliver of international legitimacy, it said it was discarding a name handed down from its colonial past and to foster ethnic unity. At home, though, it changed nothing. It was linguistic sleight-of-hand. But few people were fooled. Much of the world showed defiance of the junta by refusing to use the new name. While tourism has increased, many people still remain unaware of Myanmar, or why it changed its name from Burma.
Like other countries that have altered identities because of changing political power—Russia and the Czech Republic, for example—Myanmar has a long way to go before it is as well-known as neighbouring Thailand, China and India. It is important to understand the story behind name changes. As Myanmar continues to battle with tense domestic relationships, one can only hope that its identity will also improve. So, when you come to Myanmar, feel free to use the names interchangeably. Most people do!
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