The UK Foreign Office has asked British tour operators to stop arranging
holidays to Burma because of the ruling regime's record on human rights.

In a letter to ABTA, the Association of British Tour Agents, the UK’s
Foreign Office minister, said that there were “compelling reasons”
not to holiday in Burma.

He cited the use of forced labour by the Burmese Junta, who have been
used to help build some of Burma’s tourism infrastructure and that
some communities have been forcibly relocated to make way for tourism-related
developments.

Recently, the military regime stepped up its actions against democracy
groups in a campaign of violence and intimidation and has arrested the
democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League
for Democracy.

ABTA in its turn said that it left commercial and moral decisions on
holiday destinations to its members: “It's up to our members
to make that decision,” said an ABTA official. “It would be
different if the Foreign Office were advising people not to go to Burma
because it was dangerous.”

The Globetrotters e-news recently reported that award winning Kuoni,
has withdrawn from Burma following the lobbying of Burma Campaign UK.

Do you have a view? Would you travel to Burma, or would boycott it? Write
in and tell the Beetle your views: beetle@globetrotters.co.uk