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Is it Myanmar
or Burma?
The military
government allowed elections to be held in Burma in 1990. To the surprise
of the generals in charge, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won
over 80% of the vote. However, the military never allowed the elected
government to take power. After the election, the name of Burma was changed
to Myanmar and some government positions changed hands but the country
remained a military dictatorship. The name Myanmar also has ethnic overtones
implying Burmese superiority over the other ethnic groups so most ethnic
groups do not use this name if it can be avoided.
(Last
updated 3/27/07)
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