Burma: to go or not to go?

Dear Colleagues,

In The Times on Saturday 12th December there was a full feature article about travelling to Burma and this included the very itinerary aboard the Road To Mandalay cruise boat. It is beautifully written and reflects our own experiences of the wonderful people that we met during our trip - perhaps some of the warmest and friendliest of anywhere we have been. Please find the article and a link to it on the Times web site below:

Burma: to go or not to go?

Burma is absolutely exquisite - add in Cambodia and Laos, as we have, and it is a trip that will blow you away.

But should you be going to Burma?

We feel that you should (and Aung San Suu Kyi no longer feels you should not). Read on...

The issue of boycotting Burma is one which, on the face of it is morally attractive. However, the main support of the Burmese regime lies within the Chinese (and to a lesser but still important extent) Indian Governments, the former with a rapacious interest in Burma's natural resources (click here for more details)which are being plundered for the enrichment of the Burmese Generals and Beijing. It is not the moral strength of our organisation nor of our Government that will bring change (would that it were) but action against Chinese support that is the only way that change will occur in Burma - as the West is finding out.

What about the Burmese people? When we were there three years ago they were desperate for tourist contact with the West and in guarded moments, in isolated circumstances, our guides pleaded with us to encourage others to come and contact the people so that their story could be heard across the world and their isolation could be abated. You may well have read Ang Sung su Kyi has now reversed her attitude to tourist (click here to read an article from The Telegraph) believing, as we were repeatedly told by the oppressed and impoverished, that tourists bring contact for the otherwise isolated Burmese who value the fact that others will come and see them.

Human rights abuses reach their peak in Burma but from Malaysia to Cuba they exist in profusion in virtually every popular tourist destination in the developing world.

Then there is the valid point about where our money is going. We are not naive and, we are, inevitably, going to be giving cash to the Junta as nothing works without their fingers in the pie. However when you buy handicrafts from villagers and spend money in local markets and with local people you are putting money into the hands of those who are desperate. When a bank note worth 1¢ will buy a bowl of rice ones free spending of dollars is going to make a big difference and we are in no doubt that the best thing we can do is to take 80 people into the villages and buy every lacquered bowl, bit of carving, postcard or woven shawl that we can get our hands on.

In addition we will be helping the Burmese in the following ways:

The ship's doctor will be visiting the villages on the way and delivering whatever health care he can
Our academic faculty will include someone who can give further medical help to the Burmese and highlight ways in which delegates can bring equipments and books desperately needed locally
Orient Express have committed a specific amount from the cost of the boat charter to building a new community centre in a village in the Chindwin. To be handed over to the local monastery this centre will be built and maintained as a specific consequence of our trip
We shall ask you all to take newspapers periodicals books novels and magazines both medical and general to help fill the desperate need for such materials
We shall give a list of needed equipment and medicines
We shall highlight how you can direct as much of your spending money as possible into the local economy
Orient Express employ many hundreds of Burmese locals in maintaining their operations in Burma. That is hundreds of families all with a secure income.

The Burmese people are desperate for foreign contact, for foreigners to speak to them, understand their plight and support them. Please remember that your presence in Burma cannot but lead to some of your cash going to the Government, but most of your money, your concern, support and presence will give succour and financial security.