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It's only relatively recently that travelers could visit Myanmar (legally). For a very long time it was very much like North Korea - a hermit kingdom ruled by

by nemo 12y ago

It's only relatively recently that travelers could visit Myanmar (legally). For a very long time it was very much like North Korea - a hermit kingdom ruled by a brutal military junta under international sanctions and completely dependent on China.

mark_up 12y ago
Did you actually confirm that by going there? I ask because what you describe is pretty much how the international media described Fiji in the aftermath of the 2006 coup. Meanwhile it was business as usual in Fiji, with tens of thousands of tourists enjoying their holidays without obstruction, and citizens working and partying just as they were doing prior. When it comes to describing regimes/countries that don't fit the Western democratic ideal, you simply can't trust the international media to give you a fair picture of life on the ground.
peteretep 12y ago
> It's only relatively recently that travelers could visit > Myanmar (legally) That is simply incorrect.
- nemo 12y ago
  Yes, you're right. I was generalizing about Westerners, rather than all travel. I had been told that while in Thailand years ago, but apparently there were some (complicated) ways for Westerners to get visas in the past.
  - peteretep 12y ago
    It's not even really true about Westerners
dnial02 12y ago
Only if you're Westerner. South East Asian can enter Myanmar freely, but Myanmar is the only country that doesn't have free visa for other ASEAN country.
- seanmcdirmid 12y ago
  Americans never had a problem with entering Myanmar. All you needed was a visa from the embassy in Beijing (you could probably get one at the consulate in Kunming also).