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LETTER : A letter to the Editor wri



Subject: LETTER : A letter to the Editor written by a travel writer Mr. Nicholas Greenwood

SOURCE:  Information  Sheet No. B-1157 (I) 22nd November 1999
           MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE , YANGON

Special Feature

This office is presenting a letter to the Editor written by a travel 
writer Mr. Nicholas Greenwood to the Independent on Sunday of London 
for your information.

RIGHT NOW BOOKS (BURMA)
36c Sisters Ave
London SW11 5SQ

21st November 1999

The Editor
Independent on Sunday
1 Canada Square
Canary Wharf 
London M14 5DL
Fax No: 0171 293 2043 (2 pages)
---------------------------------------------

Dear Sir,

As the UK's Burma (Myanmar) travel specialist, I have
always found it ironic that your newspaper is called
the "Independent (on Sunday)", when it is well known
amongst media folk, that, with regard to the
Government of Burma (Myanmar), you are anything but
(independent). Your views and opinions on this matter
are well known for being wholly biased.

In this connexion, you are only too keen to publish
Patricia Barnett's letter ("Ethical  Holiday") today,
even though Ms. Barnett is quite incapable of getting
even the most basic of facts correct about Burma.
Frankly it astonishes me that someone holding the
responsible position  she does in Tourism Concern can
write "Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected
leader of the country", when Ms. Suu Kyi has never
been elected in any capacity whatsoever. If Ms.
Barnett is not even aware of this most fundamental of
facts, it also follows that everything else she has to
say on a country about which she has practically no
first-hand experience can be taken with an exceedingly
large pinch of salt. 

As then first  Westerner for over 30 years to have
gained access to all areas of the country, and the
veteran of a mere 23 trips in the past decade, I can
tell Ms. Barnett (and your readers) that the only
person I have ever met in all my travels who opposes
tourism is Ms. Suu Kyi herself--the remainder of the
population is 100 % in favour of tourism and
completely against, Ms. Suu Kyi's views on this
subject. Thus Ms. Barnett is way off target when she
asks "who are we to put our opinions and needs above
those of the people of Burma?" What she should have
stated was "why should we kowtow to one unelected
woman as opposed to heeding the wishes of 99.9% of the
population?"

Lastly in your , where once again you attack Burma, it
would appear that your writers are as ignorant about
the country as Ms. Barnett. Under the heading "BEST
MONUMENT", there can be no doubt whatsoever that the
Shwedagon Pagoda should have been listed--to fail to
do so not only displays total ignorance about the
country, but it is also an insult to the Burmese
people (and other Buddhists worldwide), for whom the
Shwedagon is not only the country's most sacred site,
but also by a long way the country's "BEST MONUMENT".

Yours Sincerely

Sd
Nicholas Greenwood
TRAVEL WRITER & TOUR CONSULTANT (BURMA)
********************************************

Mg Myanmar
A Myanmar citizen who loves Myanmar

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