There is no question that the military dictatorship in Myanmar (Burma) is among the most brutal and oppressive regimes in the world. Following elections in 1989, its military rulers refused to hand over power to the democratically elected government, prompting a call for economic sanctions and a tourism boycott. In more recent times, peaceful demonstrations have been disrupted by force and there have been reports of illegal detention, beatings and killings.
Supporters of the boycott have urged Lonely Planet to abandon publication of its Myanmar (Burma) guide, which they argue encourages tourism and implicitly supports the regime.
Lonely Planet takes this view extremely seriously. We therefore considered long and hard whether we should continue to publish this guide. In the end, we came to the conclusion that we should, for the following reasons…
Alex Fenby, Global Publisher
Lonely Planet Publications
