ABSTRACT
On June 18, 1989, the martial law government of Burma declared that the country’s official name (in English) would henceforth be Myanmar. Officially, the move attempted to separate the country from its colonial past and to internationalize a locally used name ostensibly more inclusive of the country’s non-Burmese minorities. Critics viewed the name change as little more than a ploy by the military junta to legitimize its repressive rule. Respecting the wishes of persecuted opposition groups within the country, many foreign governments, news organizations, and international scholars rejected the name change and continued to refer to the country as Burma. Many international organizations and non-Western governments adopted the country’s new name, but the usage of either carried with it political overtones. 1
