NEWS - Myanmar tourism chiefs brush

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Myanmar tourism chiefs brush aside rights concern, predict bright future

       Tue 15 Sep 98 - 11:12 GMT 

       BANGKOK, Sept 15 (AFP) - Myanmar tourism authorities and
operators Tuesday brushed aside concerns about human rights and
       political turmoil in the isolated military-run state and
predicted their industry had a bright future.

       "I see it as a very positive destination," said Detlef Meisslein,
general manager of Yangon's luxury 356-room Sedona Hotel, during a
       short break from his sales pitch at the Myanmar Travel Show in
Bangkok.

       Although plainly frustrated and uncomfortable with the junta's
image as one of the world's most oppressive regimes, the German
       national said he was sure Myanmar would emerge as one of the
world's premium travel destinations.

       "The perception of Myanmar is a problem," he told AFP.

       "It will take time, but once they settle the political situation
it is a very positive destination. It has more potential than Thailand."

       The travel show opened here Monday and coincided with a renewed
call by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's main
       opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party in Yangon
for the junta to convene a parliament.

       The NLD-led opposition won 1990 polls in a landslide, but the
military has refused to hand over power and rejected repeated calls for
       parliament to be convened.

       More than 700 party members have been detained in recent weeks,
according to the NLD, as it vowed to convene parliament by the
       end of September.

       Yangon this month also experienced the biggest student
demonstrations in nearly two years when thousands gathered outside
       campuses in the capital.

       Overseas criticism of the arrests and the junta's human rights
record has been fierce. The United States said last week it "deplores
       in the strongest of terms" the detentions, while Britain said it
"wholly condemns" the arrests.

       London also urged its EU partners to discourage tourism, trade
and investment in Myanmar.

       Germany condemned "the fresh wave of repression and intimidation"
by the junta, while Japan called for the detainees to be freed.

       The tourism promotion here showcased displays for hotels, resorts
and unspoiled historic sites.

       But international tourist arrivals at the official Yangon entry
point last year amounted to less than 200,000, making Myanmar one of
       the least visited countries in Southeast Asia, according to
government figures.

       Income generated from those visitors ammounted to just shy of 33
million dollars, a marginal increase on the 30 million dollars
       generated in the 1996-1997 financial year.

       By comparison, neighbouring Thailand's highly developed tourism
industry generated 219.4 billion baht (5.36 billion dollars) in 1996
       from more than seven million tourists.

       Regular headline-grabbing confrontations between the ruling
military and non-violent resistance, in addition to an economic
       crisis-driven slowdown in the regional travel business, has made
the task of selling Myanmar more difficult.

       "Always the opposition exaggerate, saying all tourism income is
going to the government," said ministry of hotels and tourism
       director-general Khin Maung Latt at the tourism promotion. 

       "They concentrate only on our mistakes, always oppose the
government."

       Nyunt Nyunt Than, the ministry's director of tourism promotion,
manning the ministry's booth at the show, said fears about visiting
       Myanmar were unfounded.

       "Tourism is not concerned with politics," she added, in response
to questions about the impact of the junta's heavy-handed
       suppression of all political opposition. 

       "If the situation is stable people can come and see the beautiful
landscape. There are no demonstrations in the streets. Trouble
       makers are only a few percent and confined to campuses."