Myanmar (Burma) - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 518

BY PLANE
In addition to state-owned Myanma
Airways ( W myanmaairways.aero), which
has a poor reputation for the condition of
its aircraft, an array of private airlines
- among them Air KBZ, Air Mandalay,
Air Bagan, Asian Wings, Yangon Airways
and Golden Myanmar Airlines - run
services on domestic routes and have
o ces in major towns and cities. Given
the long journey times overland, and the
relatively low prices of flight tickets,

travelling by plane can be an attractive
choice. In a few cases it is the only option
as overland routes are closed to foreigners.
Many services fly on circular routes ,
stopping at several airports on the way,
and it may therefore be easier to make a
journey one way than the other way.
here are a number of downsides to
domestic air travel. For one thing, it may
not save you much time as schedules are
subject to change at short notice and
delays are common. For another, most

THE ETHICS OF VISITING MYANMAR
For many years, the o cial position of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the
opposition political party of which Aung San Suu Kyi is the Chairperson and General Secretary,
was to urge foreigners not to visit the country as it legitimized and enriched the regime and its
cronies. Still, some tourists did visit each year and many people within Myanmar welcomed
foreigners - both for the income they generated and for the opportunity to remain in contact
with the outside world. In 2010, the NLD softened its stance, saying that it only opposed package
and cruise tourism, and in 2012 it effectively dropped the boycott. Combined with a weakening
of international economic sanctions, this has contributed to rocketing tourist numbers.
Nevertheless, the ethical dilemma has not simply disappeared. Although the new
government is nominally civilian, in reality the same military figures are still largely in charge.
In addition the prominent business leaders widely described as “cronies” - who became rich
through dealing with the regime, and in some cases allegedly through trading in arms or
drugs - still own many of the country's largest businesses, including hotel groups, banks and
airlines. And although the government is praised internationally for reforms such as the release
of political prisoners and a reduction in censorship, some people within the country see these
as superficial changes intended to please foreigners - particularly the US, which hopes to lure
Myanmar away from its main trading partner, China - rather than anything more fundamental.
In the meantime, the military is still fighting the world's longest-running civil war . For
decades the regime has followed policies that have amounted to ethnic cleansing and - in the
eyes of some observers - attempted genocide. Although ceasefires have now been signed
with some of the ethnic militias, vast swathes of the country - particularly in northern Kachin
State - remain off-limits to tourists while the military continues to fight with rebel armies.
When it comes to the recent violence in Rakhine State (see box, p.540), the authorities have
not only failed to protect the Rohingya Muslims, or to hold perpetrators to account, but also
themselves directly contributed to the humanitarian crisis.
If free and fair elections are held in 2015 then the NLD is expected to win a landslide victory,
but it remains to be seen how they propose to keep the peace with ethnic minority groups
who consider the NLD to represent only the Bamar majority. Already the party has been
accused of becoming too close to the generals and their cronies, but some compromise is
inevitable not least because the military can veto a proposed change to the constitution to
allow Aung San Suu Kyi (as someone who married a foreign national) to run for president.
Bearing all this in mind, travellers should consider limiting the amount of their money that
makes it to the government and its associates. Some expenses are unavoidable, including visa
fees, while others are hard to avoid if you want to see the main tourist attractions. Many banks,
including AGD and KBZ, have ties with figures who have been subject to international
sanctions. On the other hand, by staying in budget accommodation your money is more likely
to go to ordinary individuals or families than to companies with strong government links (and
we have tried to avoid recommending such places). There are also plenty of opportunities to
use small companies and freelancers for services such as trekking guides. Some visitors also
consider avoiding planes and even trains, which are operated by the government.
For more information, see W tourismconcern.org.uk/burma.htm.

7