Isn't Burma now called Myanmar?

[question everything]

Watched a clip of the SOUA that was posted here and I caught Bush mentioning Burma.

[Nutmegger]

1. Yes, Myanmar

What do you expect from a C student?

[question everything]

4. But his speech writers should be better, no? (nt)

[Renew Deal]

9. The US doesn't recognize the name Myanmar

since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bm.html

[Nutmegger]

18. Oh interesting

thanks for the info.

[paulk]

2. yes

but it's still referred to as Burma by many

even people in SE Asia

[swimboy]

3. Yes but he thinks Africa is a country and Louisiana is a city.

[Obamarama]

5. The man can't pronounce nuclear correctly.

You expect him to nail Myanmar??

[rogerashton]

6. However,

Burma Shave is not called Myanmar Shave.

[On the Road]

12. The King of Siam, However,

should now be referred to as "the human-animal hybrid from Myanmar."

[meganmonkey]

7. Many Burmese people still call it Burma

and consider the current gov't, which calls it Myanmar, illegitimate.

So in deference to the people there, I think Burma is the appropriate name, personally.

From wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma

In 1989, the military junta officially changed the English version of its name from Burma to Myanmar (along with changes in the English versions of many place names in the country, such as its former capital city, from Rangoon to Yangon). The official name of the country in the Burmese language, Myanmar, did not change, however. The renaming proved to be politically controversial, seen by some as being less inclusive of minorities, and linguistically unscholarly. Acceptance of the name change in the English speaking world has been slow, with many people still using the name Burma to refer to the country. Major news organisations like the BBC still refer to it as Burma. Some question the military junta's ability to "officially" change the name in English in the first place.

Also, I recommend reading about Aung San Su Kyi, a major bad-ass woman there...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi

[question everything]

10. Yes, this is the question. If the international community

recognizes this country as Myanmar, just as the former Ceylon is Sri Lanka, whose role is it to call it by it former name?

Do we have diplomatic relations with it? If yes, then it should be called Myanmar, unless this, too, was a message that the White House is trying to send.

No, I am sure that Bush himself would have no idea what I am talking about.

[Obamarama]

8. What's Istanbul was once Constantinople.....

What's your point, caller? :-)

[DelawareValleyDem]

11. Yes, which inspired a small series of jokes

on one episode of Seinfeld.

[npincus]

13. it's TOO HARD to pronounce!

[MadHound]

14. When he talked about Burma last night, I promised myself

To look up the natural resources the Burma holds. This is what I found<http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2001/bmmyb01.pdf> Gold, gas and gemstones, yep, that's why we're going to Burma.

[Poiuyt]

15. Bush/Cheney campaign gear was made in Burma/Myanmar

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0319-03.htm

Published on Friday, March 19, 2004 by the Long Island, NY Newsday

Bush Campaign Gear Made in Burma
His campaign store sells a pullover from nation whose products he has banned from being sold in the U.S.
by Lauren Weber


The official merchandise Web site for President George W. Bush's re-election campaign has sold clothing made in Burma, whose goods were banned by Bush from the U.S. last year to punish its military dictatorship.

The merchandise sold on www.georgewbushstore.com includes a $49.95 fleece pullover, embroidered with the Bush-Cheney '04 logo and bearing a label stating it was made in Burma, now Myanmar. The jacket was sent to Newsday as part of an order that included a shirt made in Mexico and a hat not bearing a country-of-origin label.

[question everything]

16. Wonderful! (nt)

[Jara sang]

17. CIA world factbook- Burma

conventional long form: Union of Burma

conventional short form: Burma

local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)

local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw

former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bm.html#Govt