Myanmar. To go or not to go

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Myanmar is ruled by an oppresive military regime. In 1996 they organized the "visit Myanmar year" using forced labor of teens to rebuild some touristic sites. Human-rights groups, and specially Aung San Suu Kyi (Nobel Peace Prize, 1991 and NLD general secretary, won the elections with 82 percent of the votes but never governed. Today is on her 3rd domiciliary arrest since 1989.) urged foreigners not to visit Myanmar believing than tourism legitimises and provides finantial income to the existing government.
However, and after thinking a lot about it, we decided to go and we don't regret it. We actually recommend people to go, to see, to talk to them, to spend. They really need it. Putting faces to history is the best way to understand that reality and talking to the ones that want to talk is like opening them an small window to the world. And they are the nicest people on the world. We tried avoiding goverment run businesses and spread the money as much as possible.
To read more about the propaganda of Myanmar go to www.myanmar.com ("information sheet" under "the truth".) More abot the movement for democracy at www.amnistiainternacional.org or www.burmacapaign.org.uk or www.burmaproject.org, www.freeburmacoalition.org, www.voicesofburma.org and www.burmalibrary.org
We are reading "Burmese Days" G. Orwell. To read more about Aug San Suu Kyi "The voice of hope" interviews with Alan Clements, 1997 or "Free from fear and other articles" and "Letters from Burma."