Protesters target BURMA guide firm ( November 15, 2002 )


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Protesters target BURMA guide firm

By Jane Picken
source :Ham and High

TRAVEL guide publisher Lonely Planet came under fire when protesters staged a vigil outside the firm’s Kentish Town offices calling for a tourist boycott of Burma.A Catholic priest and a Burmese monk were among the demonstrators who gathered in Spring Place last Friday to oppose publication of a new Lonely Planet guide to the country.

The vigil was organised by Burma Campaign UK (BCUK), which has lobbied the publisher since 2000 for the withdrawal of guides to the country.Although Lonely Planet is renowned for producing ethical guides for responsible backpackers and independent travellers, BCUK has accused the firm of making "money out of misery" amid concern that tourism is helping to sustain Burma’s brutal military regime.

According to BCUK, the Burmese government has forced thousands of civilians from their homes often at gunpoint to make way for hotels, golf courses and other tourist facilities.

"Human rights abuses have come about as a direct result of tourism", claimed Yvette Mahon, director of BCUK."The Burmese government forced a vast number of slave labourers to prepare the country for tourism in 1996. So tourism development has already been tainted."

Campaigners targeted Lonely Planet last week after it decided to publish an eighth edition of its Burma guide.

Protester Father Dominic McKenna, from Our Lady Hal Church in Arlington Road,Camden Town, said: "By having the tourist book on the shelf you really are legitimising and promoting this regime."A lot of people have a lot of faith in Lonely Planet and that’s where I’m disappointed. I thought they were ethical and had an understanding of the situation in Burma."

But Lonely Planet spokeswoman Maya Catsanis argued that tourism could be positive for the country."Travellers are still going to go to Burma, and we think it would be irresponsible of us not to give them information," she said."A tourist can have a positive impact. They can be an independent observer to what is happening there and increase awareness."

Burmese monk, U Uttara, said the majority of money from travellers went straight into the government’s pocket via a system of state-owned tourist facilities.He left his home country in 1992 after the Burmese government threatened to imprison him for his efforts to promote democracy.

"The majority of tourists aren’t interested in suffering and politics," he said."We have to support the people who want freedom and democracy and we will continue to tell people not go to Burma."

Lonely Planet, refused to withdraw the new guide and insisted that it stood to make very little from the book.During the last 12 months the firm has sold only 8,000 guides to Burma, compared with 94,000 guides to Thailand.

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