Why is Myanmar still called Burma by the United States?

Neipitav, Ayopandung.com – While all political attention is on Myanmar, the United States (United States) is still adamant about using the word Burma for that country, even after the military coup.

This inevitably raises the question, why? What is the fundamental difference between Burma and Myanmar, and what is the word between Indonesia and Nusantara?

The answer to that question is very complex and different about Indonesia-Nusantara. Because, for Myanmar, almost everything, including language, is political. For many generations, when the Burmese ethnic group was in the majority, the country was called Burma.

However, in 1989, a year after the ruling regime brutally suppressed pro-democracy groups, military leaders abruptly changed its name to Myanmar. At the time, Burma was becoming an international “lowest caste” country and needed a way to improve its image.

They claim that in the hope of gaining some international legitimacy, they will push back the name given to them during the colonial period and seek to promote ethnic unity. Officials at the time said the old names had alienated many minorities in the country.

That’s it, in his own country, that name change doesn’t change anything. In Burmese, “Myanmar” is the official version of “Burma”. Country name changed to English only. This is linguistic magic, but some people are fooled. Most parts of the world have refused to use the name Myanmar and have taken a stand against the regime.

A decade ago, the country underwent a semi-democratic transition. The military retains vast political power, but opposition leaders are released from prison, including home arrests, and elections are allowed. Pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi became the country’s citizen leader.

Over the years, many countries and the media finally began to use the official name of the country. As repression subsided and international opposition to the military waned, “Myanmar” became more and more common. Domestically, opposition leaders made it clear that this was no longer the case.

Unlike most countries in the world, the US government still officially uses “Burma”, although Washington has softened its position with the events of President Barack Obama’s state visit in 2012.

At the time, Obama used the terms “Burma” and “Myanmar” in his speech. An adviser to the Myanmar president said this was a very positive development and was considered by the Myanmar government.

However, Washington’s response to the plot is designed to highlight old criticisms. US Secretary of State Anthony Blingen and President Joe Biden have firmly avoided the country’s official name.

“The United States has been lifting sanctions against Burma for the past decade on the basis of progress towards democracy. We must immediately review our sanctions to reverse that progress,” Biden said in a statement.

This news is the result of a collaboration between the IoT Media Network Republika.co.id.

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