By Helen Smith

On 24 October a number of parliamentarians spoke in a debate at Westminster on the need to further isolate the Burmese military regime, which has maintained an oppressive dictatorship since 1962. A day later, UK prime minister Tony Blair reaffirmed his intention to discuss Burma at the UN Security Council and look into ways in which investment in Burma could be stopped.

Burma is the only place Blair encourages British people not to visit on political grounds, warning that tourists should think about whether they are oppressing people by going there. The tourist boycott was initiated by non-governmental organisations, such as Burma Campaign UK and Tourism Concern, after Burma’s military junta announced the “Year of the Tourist” in 1996, hoping to boost revenues from tourism after the country first opened up to tourists in 1988.

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