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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have only just heard of Myanmar?

308 replies

staceybeaker · 01/02/2021 19:44

Watching the news about the coup there and I thought it must be quite a small country but now I've looked it up it's really not. Obviously I am embarrassed about my own lack of geography knowledge. Has everyone else heard of it or known much about this country before?

OP posts:
Mingalabar · 01/02/2021 22:50

@Roussette Shwedagon is the most amazing place. Other worldly in my memory.

Changechangychange · 01/02/2021 22:59

@TrappedAndDepressed

22:27Changechangychange I'm not calling him an Irishman However, Guy Fawkes night is offensive to the Irish Catholics, his view on the English parliament is similar to those of the Irish that were persecuted
That it should be blown up, with the MPs inside, to facilitate a successful Spanish invasion? I don’t think that is a widely-held view amongst Irish Catholics, and you are steering very close to some very offensive stereotypes about Irish Catholics here Hmm

If India had any sense and / or self respect it would call itself Bharat

So Irish people are all terrorist sympathisers, and Indians have no self respect. Anybody else you feel like insulting?

raspberryk · 01/02/2021 22:59

Well it was news to me Grin

Goldieloxx · 01/02/2021 23:01

My brother went there, the people were amazing to him, they have suffered so terribly in the past (in part because of British colonialism, surprise,surprise) and now are again, it is very sad

ilovesooty · 01/02/2021 23:09

@TrappedAndDepressed

22:33Quaagars

Hans Berger or whatever was disagreeing

You aren't writing or referencing others coherently and that's compounded by not even being bothered to refer to people by their proper usernames.
Cadent · 01/02/2021 23:17

@Goldieloxx

My brother went there, the people were amazing to him, they have suffered so terribly in the past (in part because of British colonialism, surprise,surprise) and now are again, it is very sad
They aren't very amazing to the poor Rohingya.
TrappedAndDepressed · 01/02/2021 23:28

22:47Mingalabar

This is a touchy issue and one that will definitely get me thrown off MN.

Roussette · 01/02/2021 23:31

You cannot blame all 55million population of Myamnar for the dreadful things that happened to the Rohingya which undoubtedly is awful and a stain on its democracy.
We met lots of wonderful, gentle human beings when we were there

VestaTilley · 01/02/2021 23:31

What?? Is it because it used to be known as Burma?

It’s a pretty significant country OP, and I’m pretty sure it used to be a British colony, officially as part of “British India” I think.

Mousehole10 · 01/02/2021 23:36

I’ve heard of Myanmar but thought it was a fictional place. I had no idea until this thread it’s the same place as Burma, and really I’ve only heard of Burma because of Burmese pythons. I didn’t know Burma wasn’t called that anymore. Having just googled it I was only 1 when the name was changed, so should have known it by the new name.

TrappedAndDepressed · 01/02/2021 23:40

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ilovesooty · 01/02/2021 23:44

For goodness ' sake @TrappedAndDepressed. Your posts are almost incomprehensible. Not using the quote function, bolding quotes or doing something to make your posts possible to read is incredibly rude.

SunsetSenora · 01/02/2021 23:55

To be fair, most of the news about it is about Aung San Suu Kyi, and if you dont recognise the name you will probably have seen her on tv - she is very elegant.

TravellingTilbury · 02/02/2021 00:03

Sorry, I haven't read the whole thread yet, but I suggest checking out Simon Reeve's two-part documentary on Burma/Myanmar - really eye-opening. I think it is available on i-player.

TravellingTilbury · 02/02/2021 00:12

The Simon Reeve documentary does a good job (in my opinion, and I am no BBC lover but I do rate Simon Reeve's docs) of exploring all the different sides and complications to Burma's political situation; even the name - Myanmar - some people in Burma, still call it Burma.

I was quite surprised, even the political sensitivity, to see the news coverage was globally condemning the military coup, because I thought it was a lot more complicated than that. I understood that while Aung San Suu Kyi was a heroine to many, there were also others that felt betrayed I think - because of the ongoing genocide. I need to rewatch the programme so apologies if I have got bits wrong. Burma is a beautiful and fascinating place; hopefully there will be peace and unity there soon.

8obbingabout · 02/02/2021 00:18

It used to be known as Burma

TravellingTilbury · 02/02/2021 00:21

Episode 1: vimeo.com/269658904

(Great for anyone home schooling right now - we enjoy these documentaries as part of history/geography/politics home ed)

TravellingTilbury · 02/02/2021 00:23

Better link: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b3g4x6/episodes/player

TravellingTilbury · 02/02/2021 00:40

@TrappedAndDepressed

21:09Quaagars

What years did you go to school?
State school?
Potato famine was taught before year 10/11 it was on the curriculum in the 90's.

I've learnt all my history as an adult (and still got a lot to learn and many gaps to fill).

My 80s/90s secondary grammar schooling included 3 years of history and pretty much only covered: castles, Henry VIII and JFK conspiracy. It was a great school, but the history syllabus was dire. I learnt a little about the former British colonies through girl guides because of the Commonwealth link, however we weren't taught about Ireland, nor even the relationship between the United Kingdom and the British Isles for that matter. Speaking of country names, I've just remembered that when I was young, Ireland was referred to as Eire more than it is now, I mean, I understand why but I don't think my son would know what Eire referred to. I'll stop rambling.

orangenasturtium · 02/02/2021 00:41

It's always been called Myanma, they didn't want the English name so went back to what it was.

Just like Madras was always Chennai

It is far more complex than that. Before you berate people for their ignorance, you might want to educate yourself @TrappedAndDepressed. The US government still doesn't use the name Myanmar nor do some news organisations. Certainly 20 years ago (over a decade after the military junta changed the name to Myanmar), UK news organisations used Burma exclusively. You might want to try to understand why.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7013943.stm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Myanmar
www.usip.org/blog/2018/06/whats-name-burma-or-myanmar

SionnachRua · 02/02/2021 01:24

Speaking of country names, I've just remembered that when I was young, Ireland was referred to as Eire more than it is now, I mean, I understand why but I don't think my son would know what Eire referred to.

Referring to Ireland as Eire when speaking English is actually quite controversial (especially when it's a British person speaking about Eire). I wouldn't suggest that you do it - I know you understand why but that's just for anyone reading.

Ditto British Isles, that term isn't recognised by the Irish Government.

BusterGonad · 02/02/2021 01:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 02/02/2021 01:47

I'd heard of Myanmar, but didn't realise it was Burma. I've heard of the Rohingya massacres but couldn't have actually told you where they took place.

I was at school 1989-2000. Didn't learn about the Irish potato famine. I vaguely remember learning a bit about the British Empire but it either wasn't a lot, or I wasn't interested as I don't remember anything.

As always someone admitting they didn't know something has turned into "you're so uneducated an lazy. Why haven't you bothered to learn it yourself?"
Well firstly if we don't know we don't something, how are we supposed to know what to research?
And secondly, we all have different interests. Unless you know literally everything there is to know about everything, there will always be someone who knows more than you about something.

Incidentally my abusive ex used to tell me i was thick and come out with "oh bless you" in the most condescending voice possible when I "failed" his random quizzes about whatever he felt I should know. (Random stuff like who wrote "my heart will go on"). He didn't seem to see the irony in the fact that he didn't know the answers to things I was interested in (like when and why did WW2 start. Or who choreographed Sleeping Beauty)

TrappedAndDepressed · 02/02/2021 01:47

00:40TravellingTilbury

Yes, you have reminded me Ireland used to be commonly known as EIRE!
I think Erin in Ireland itself, wonder why it's now know as Ireland. What do the Irish call themselves? Is Irish the word given to them by the English? I'll have to look this up.

You're right, the relationship between Cornwall and England and how the Cornish feel, people don't even know about their neighbours.

TrappedAndDepressed · 02/02/2021 01:50

[quote orangenasturtium]It's always been called Myanma, they didn't want the English name so went back to what it was.

Just like Madras was always Chennai

It is far more complex than that. Before you berate people for their ignorance, you might want to educate yourself @TrappedAndDepressed. The US government still doesn't use the name Myanmar nor do some news organisations. Certainly 20 years ago (over a decade after the military junta changed the name to Myanmar), UK news organisations used Burma exclusively. You might want to try to understand why.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7013943.stm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Myanmar
www.usip.org/blog/2018/06/whats-name-burma-or-myanmar[/quote]
00:41orangenasturtium

Why don't you educate yourself?
I'm not going with your White Man western history, people in parts of India have been calling it that for years.