Tourism
Should you stay or should you go?
There are few areas in the world where human rights are fully respected.
There are also few occasions when the nature of the suppression of human rights is such that a tourism boycott is justified.
However, Burma is a rare example where this is appropriate.
Some of the reasons are outlined here.
Relevant Links:
How Tourism benefits Burma’s Dictators
(PDF version)
Acrobat can be downloaded here
“I’m not going to Burma” Celebrities speak out against tourism to Burma.
| Sir Ian McKellen | Zoe Wanamaker |
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I’m not going to Burma
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Anna Friel: "The best role in the world wouldn’t get me to Burma." |
Tony Robinson: "We can make a difference. Please join us!" |
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Rt Hon Tony Blair MP, Former Prime Minister: Click here to read the Prime Minister’s full statement. |
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Sir Ian McKellen |
Zoe Wanamaker |
Christopher Lee |
Susan Sarandon |
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Maureen Lipman |
Iain Banks |
Jay Kay |
Joanna Lumley |
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Helen Mirren |
John O’Farrell |
Juliet Stevenson |
Mark Thomas |
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Sue Cook |
Richard Wilson |
Honor Blackman |
Fay Ripley |
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Charles Dance |
Sinead Cusack |
Jon Ronson |
Rhona Cameron |
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Esther Rantzen |
Tom Stoppard |
Andrew Sachs |
Margaret Atwood |
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Miriam Karlin |
Sandi Toksvig |
Glenda Jackson MP |
Glenys Kinnock MEP |
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Vera Baird MP |
John Bercow MP |
Angus Robertson MP, Scottish National Party |
Caroline Lucas MEP |
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Lord Archer of Sandwell |
Phillip Whitehead MEP |
Linda McAven MEP |
Stuart Windsor, Christian Solidarity Worldwide |
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Stuart Wheeler |
Full list of celebrity pledges
Monica Ali
Lord Archer of Sandwell
Jane Asher
Margaret Atwood
Vera Baird MP:
"It would be wrong to go to Burma and rest in hotels built by forced labour in spaces cleared by forcing locals out of their homes. No-one should do it."
Iain Banks:
“Defeat the dictators – have fun somewhere else!”
John Bercow MP
Honor Blackman
Rt Hon Tony Blair MP, Prime Minister:
Click here to read thePrime Minister’s full statement.
Brian Blessed
Rhona Cameron
Michael Cashman MEP
Christian Solidarity Worldwide:
National Director Stuart Windsor said: "CSW firmly and unreservedly supports the tourism boycott, and we urge all our supporters not to go on holiday to Burma until democracy is restored and human rights are respected."
Julie Christie
Robbie Coltrane
Sue Cook
Ronnie Corbett
Richard Corbett MEP
Baroness Cox:
“I hope this campaign will also bring pressure on the SPDC to stop gross human rights violations of ethnic nationals such as the Karen, Karenni, Shan, Chin and Kachin peoples.”
Sinead Cusack:
“The regime in Burma is a brutal unjust one and I have no desire to support it in any way.”
Charles Dance:
“We should all be following Aung San Suu Kyi’s example!”
Lord Faulkner
Anna Friel:
“You have my total support. The best role in the world wouldn’t get me to Burma.”
Zac Goldsmith
Antony Gormley
Sankha Guha:
“No-one should think about visiting Burma as a tourist until it has a legitimate government elected by its people.”
Michael Howard MP:
“I am very happy to support your campaign and pledge not to visit Burma on holiday until it is a democracy.”
Nicholas Hytner
Glenda Jackson MP
Miriam Karlin
Jay Kay
Charles Kennedy MP
Glenys Kinnock MEP
Christopher Lee
Maureen Lipman:
“It is enough that Aung San Suu Kyi has asked us not to promote tourism there. The regime has the worst human rights record – tourism there is seeing what the military allow you to see. Don’t go.”
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London
Caroline Lucas MEP:
“By pledging not to visit Burma until it’s a democracy, we can send a very clear message that Burma’s brutal military dictatorship is unacceptable and help to cut the lifeline that keeps the regime in power.”
Iain Luke MP
Joanna Lumley:
“I’ll visit beautiful Burma when Aung San Suu Kyi says so.”
Cherie Lunghi
Roger Lyons
Lee Mack
Art Malik:
“I would find it difficult to holiday in a country that does not embrace democracy.”
Linda McAvan MEP
Arlene McCarthy MEP:
“I look forward to the day that democracy returns to Burma and until that day I will not lend my support via tourism to a corrupt and degenerate dictatorship.”
Ian McEwan
Ian McKellen
Helen Mirren
"Don’t do it!"
Fondation Danielle Mitterand
Graham Norton
John O’Farrell
Nicholas Parsons
Philip Pullman
Esther Rantzen
Fay Ripley
Angus Robertson, SNP
Tony Robinson: “We can help make a difference. Please join us!”
Jon Ronson
Andrew Sachs
Susan Sarandon
Prunella Scales
Dr Bob Spink MP
Juliet Stevenson
Catherine Stihler MEP:
“We have to do everything we can to bring democracy to Burma.”
Tom Stoppard
Mark Thomas
Gary Titley MEP
Sandi Toksvig
Joanna Trollope
Minette Walters
Zoe Wanamaker
Sarah Waters
Timothy West
Vivienne Westwood:
“There is one thing everybody can do for us and our children and our planet: fight for human rights and justice before the law.”
Stuart Wheeler
Phillip Whitehead MEP:
“No one should give aid and comfort to a repressive regime which keeps democratically elected leaders under permanent arrest.”
Richard Wilson
Simon Woodroffe
Susanna York









































