myanmar/burma
so i just found out that the institute for shipboard education/semester at sea has cancelled all future voyages into burma. and my feelings about this are exceptionally conflicted.
for those of you who don't know anything about burma, it's been under a military regime since the early 90s. long story short, the military regime bleeds the burmese people dry economically and in the past couple of years, they've taken to killing minorities in a gratuitous manner that should be termed as genocide but has yet to be legally deemed so.
tourism in burma is allowed and encouraged, but the military regime makes sure that all appearances are kept up for tourists. any burmese person overheard discussing the political atmosphere of the country is likely to be killed.
at the same time, the burmese people live and strive off of the money they make from tourism--its just about the only money that is coming directly to them. tourists are encouraged to do business with the people on the street, and not with any place that is associated with the military regime. the co-founder of lonely planet said as much in an interview with npr, and she would fucking know.
archbishop desmond tutu was on the spring 07 trip and apparently he refused to go to burma. after his refusal, a bunch of students followed suit and started a petition against going to burma.
this was one of the countries that i was most looking forward to on the trip. apparently, the burmese people are the most kind and interesting people that anyone has ever encountered. and yes, what is going on in the country is horrible, but it isn't going to be stopped unless people are informed of and encouraged to help stop it. part of that education is being able to percieve the situation first-hand. at the same time, what is going on in myanmar right now is so beyond wrong. and encouraging the military regime in any way just perpetuates the situation.
ugh.
i don't want to go to stupid malaysia.
for those of you who don't know anything about burma, it's been under a military regime since the early 90s. long story short, the military regime bleeds the burmese people dry economically and in the past couple of years, they've taken to killing minorities in a gratuitous manner that should be termed as genocide but has yet to be legally deemed so.
tourism in burma is allowed and encouraged, but the military regime makes sure that all appearances are kept up for tourists. any burmese person overheard discussing the political atmosphere of the country is likely to be killed.
at the same time, the burmese people live and strive off of the money they make from tourism--its just about the only money that is coming directly to them. tourists are encouraged to do business with the people on the street, and not with any place that is associated with the military regime. the co-founder of lonely planet said as much in an interview with npr, and she would fucking know.
archbishop desmond tutu was on the spring 07 trip and apparently he refused to go to burma. after his refusal, a bunch of students followed suit and started a petition against going to burma.
this was one of the countries that i was most looking forward to on the trip. apparently, the burmese people are the most kind and interesting people that anyone has ever encountered. and yes, what is going on in the country is horrible, but it isn't going to be stopped unless people are informed of and encouraged to help stop it. part of that education is being able to percieve the situation first-hand. at the same time, what is going on in myanmar right now is so beyond wrong. and encouraging the military regime in any way just perpetuates the situation.
ugh.
i don't want to go to stupid malaysia.