Myanmar vs. Burma

Correspondent Mark Litke blogs:

In all my reporting on Burma, I have often pointed out that "Burma" is still the name of the country to those who legitimately won the 1990 election (which we covered in Burma). Note that all the opposition and exile groups use "Burma".

It was the junta that changed the name after Suu Kyi was arrested and accused of being under the influence of foreign powers (she was married to an Englishman). The junta ruled that keeping the name as Burma was an insult and proof that foreign powers wanted to dictate the country’s future.

In fact the military was intent on wiping out the past and creating a whole new reality, history, and power structure under a new name: Myanmar.

They claimed it had true nationalist roots.

In fact, this is exactly what the Khmer Rouge did when they changed Cambodia’s name to Kampuchea. Only those who wanted to gain favor with the regime called it Kampuchea. Today it is Cambodia again. I expect the same will be true of Burma and Rangoon if the military regime is ever unseated.