On initial consideration, the issue of tourism in Burma seems extremely clear: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi says don't go; so don't go. She is the democratically elected leader of Burma and has asked tourists to stay away: what more needs to be said?

In our view, a lot more. It is fundamental to our approach to Burma that complicated issues such as tourism aren't viewed in black and white terms. There can never be one simple solution to any of the problems surrounding Burma, and we encourage people to explore the issues for themselves and form their own view. In this way we become a multitude of voices for Burma, all seeking the same end and proposing new and exciting ways forward in the fight for democracy. By accepting the standard boycott view on tourism in Burma without questioning its rationale, we may miss an important opportunity to help the Burmese people.

It is true that in 1995 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, speaking in the context of the junta's promotion of 1996 as 'Visit Myanmar Year', argued that it was too soon for visitors to come "pouring in" to Burma. Her words, and the efforts of organisations across the developed word, had a strong effect: Visit Myanmar Year was, by most accounts, a failure in terms of attracting large numbers of tourists to the country. In 1999, Suu Kyi again reiterated that tourists should not come to Burma; however, she did also concede that in terms of 'alternative tourism', "visitors to the country can be useful, depending on what they do, or how they go about it".

It is this possibility which we seek to explore at Voices for Burma. The following pages give only a very brief overview of the main issues surrounding tourism in Burma and our interpretation of the situation. Use them as a starting point for your own research and opinion forming, and have your say in the forum.