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Birma, Burma, or Myanmar - what name or names do you use?

I use ....

  • Birma

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • Burma

    Votes: 6 50.0%
  • Myanmar

    Votes: 5 41.7%
  • Republic of the Union of Myanmar

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • others

    Votes: 3 25.0%

  • Total voters
    12

Rumpel

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Birma, Burma, or Myanmar - what name or names do you use?
 
@ Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw

I am sure many of you use: Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw :cool:

Because that is the name that that country calls itself officially. :)
 
I use Birma or Burma.
But never ever Myanmar.
 
I use Birma or Burma.
But never ever Myanmar.

Well then you're never ever right.
Ceylon or Sri Lanka?
Rhodesia or Zimbabwe?
Soviet Union or Russia?
Siam or Thailand?
 
Some info:

In June 2014, the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, continued a long-running discussion on the manner in which Australian officials would refer to the Southeast Asian nation. While Burma was the formal title used by the Australian government, the Labor government revised the national name to the Union of Myanmar in 2012.

However, the matter has resurfaced, as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) reverted to the former title under Abbott's leadership in late 2013. A reason for the change has not appeared in the media, but, as of June 2014, the Abbott government's policy advises officials to switch between Burma and Myanmar, in accordance with the circumstances at hand.


In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".

Names of Myanmar - Wikipedia
 
Those who say "Myanmar" support a military dictatorship.
 
Burma. It's where my father fought in WWII. I have his discharge papers and they called it Burma.
 
Well then you're never ever right.
Ceylon or Sri Lanka?
Rhodesia or Zimbabwe?
Soviet Union or Russia?
Siam or Thailand?

And you can't go back to Constantinople...



Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way
 
Well then you're never ever right.
Ceylon or Sri Lanka?
Rhodesia or Zimbabwe?
Soviet Union or Russia?
Siam or Thailand?

Rhodesia
Ceylon
Russian Empire
Saim
South-West Africa
Upper Volta
Arabia
Persia
Abyssinia
Belgian Congo

all good heritage names.
 
And you can't go back to Constantinople...



Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way


I guess Byzantium is out of the question then.
 
Rhodesia
Ceylon
Russian Empire
Saim
South-West Africa
Upper Volta
Arabia
Persia
Abyssinia
Belgian Congo

all good heritage names.

Mostly colonial names, imposed from Europe. Like the artificial borders that were decided around European conference tables and have caused a lot of the disorder in that continent. The Belgian Congo, for example, was the personal property of the king of Belgium as was everyone who lived there.
 
Who the hell cares?

Who the hell beaks off about a subject they don't care about? Just ****ing move on to a subject you have an opinion about, ferchristsakes.
 
Mostly colonial names, imposed from Europe. Like the artificial borders that were decided around European conference tables and have caused a lot of the disorder in that continent. The Belgian Congo, for example, was the personal property of the king of Belgium as was everyone who lived there.

None the less, they all heritage names from either historical recognition by civilized others as a people or their first recognition as a political jurisdiction. Those who have changed their names (sometimes more than once) often do so NOT because they were a historic polity, but because they want to sanitize their past - e.g. the Congo becoming Zaire. Of course once that name is besmirched by torture, killings, and a one-party dictatorship they found it necessary to swap yet again for another name...this time returning to using "Congo" in their second rename.

It's all very laughable, and I don't participate in playing those linguistic fads. Rhodesia was the first political entity as a country, so that's that. Same for Belgian Congo (although "the Congo" is perfectly acceptable historically) and Upper Volta.

If it is the white Europeans that first organized a region as a political jurisdiction, that's that.
 
None the less, they all heritage names from either historical recognition by civilized others as a people or their first recognition as a political jurisdiction. Those who have changed their names (sometimes more than once) often do so NOT because they were a historic polity, but because they want to sanitize their past - e.g. the Congo becoming Zaire. Of course once that name is besmirched by torture, killings, and a one-party dictatorship they found it necessary to swap yet again for another name...this time returning to using "Congo" in their second rename.

It's all very laughable, and I don't participate in playing those linguistic fads. Rhodesia was the first political entity as a country, so that's that. Same for Belgian Congo (although "the Congo" is perfectly acceptable historically) and Upper Volta.

If it is the white Europeans that first organized a region as a political jurisdiction, that's that.

Why do you assume that Rhodesia was the first name for that region? Do you not think the indigenous people had names for their homelands? What's a natural boundary? The height of land, themiddle of the river, where these people acknowledge that going further is going into those peoples homeland, those are natural boundaries. Not lines drawn across maps thousands of miles away.
 
Well then you're never ever right.
Ceylon or Sri Lanka?
Rhodesia or Zimbabwe?
Soviet Union or Russia?
Siam or Thailand?

You can't say that because it depends on the context. When you are talking about the Burma Line you would be correct to use Burma because Myanmar did not exist yet. And, obviously, in this scenario, he would be right... Lol. Or if he is American or British but I will explain that one in a minute.

Anyways, I hear what you are saying, but it is up to the people what they call it now. And I am saying that being fully aware that the official name is now Myanmar and not Burma. At least that is what the government in Myanmar projects. However, both the UK & the US have not recognized the name change and therefore both Brits and Americans are correct when they refer to Burma as well. Not sure how many countries have recognized the name change. Similar issues arise with the capital. Several countries have not recognized the new capital... Here in Thailand we have a lot of Burmese people. And why do many of us refer to them as Burmese people but we do call the country Myanmar. Strange and even wrong, but just the way it is for now.

Now I do understand that countries are not always recognized. But it baffles me as to why people do not recognize the names that countries give to places in their own country. Why would anyone bother? And really, what is the point of recognizing or refusing to recognize a name change. Very strange...
Joey
 
2 out of 4 voters say: Burma
 
However, both the UK & the US have not recognized the name change and therefore both Brits and Americans are correct when they refer to Burma as well.


Yes, the name Burma is just as correct as this "Myanmar".
Maybe even more correct! :)
 
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