# Aung San Suu Kyi is looking like such a disappointment **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 17, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839 "2017-11-17T03:12:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/61 "2021-02-03T19:18:18Z")
That’s very possible. I usually take the position that if you’re a civilian leader with very little actual power and a military faction is carrying out a genocide in your name, you shouldn’t give it legitimacy - you should either publicly come out against it or abdicate and flee. Regardless of democratic progress you’re hoping to be able to make in your country, taking a unified stance against genocide is something everyone should do. It’s related to how Hitler used the lack of an international response to the Armenian Genocide to justify why Germany wouldn’t get punished for the Holocaust. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/62 "2021-02-05T00:26:07Z")
If people are going to be discussing Aung San Suu Kyi, they could at least take a bare modicum of time, and get the name of her country right. The correct name is Burma. Anybody who uses any other name is linguistically kowtowing to dictators. > For generations, the country was called Burma, after the dominant Burman ethnic group. But in 1989, one year after the ruling junta brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising, military leaders suddenly changed its name to Myanmar. > **[Myanmar, Burma and why the different names matter](https://apnews.com/article/myanmar-burma-different-names-explained-8af64e33cf89c565b074eec9cbe22b72)** > > Why are there two names for one country? The answer is complicated because when it comes to Myanmar, pretty much everything is political. Including language. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/63 "2021-02-05T00:57:49Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > If people are going to be discussing Aung San Suu Kyi, they could at least take a bare modicum of time, and get the name of her country right. The correct name is Burma. Anybody who uses any other name is linguistically kowtowing to dictators. Per your own link: _In the Burmese language, “Myanmar” is simply the more formal version of “Burma.” The country’s name was changed only in English._ So in other words, the article’s title is misleading. They are the same thing. Unless I’m missing something. It would be like someone refusing to call the USA “America”, and insisting it be called “The United States”. As an American I wouldn’t care, they’re all valid. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/64 "2021-02-05T15:12:12Z")
Wait, I thought the full name of the country was Myanmar Alsoknownasburma. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/65 "2021-02-05T20:36:59Z")
FWIW, the White House calls it Burma: > **[Statement by White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki on Burma | The White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/31/statement-by-white-house-spokesperson-jen-psaki-on-burma/)** > > The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country’s democratic transition, including the arrest ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/66 "2021-02-05T22:58:09Z")
I know nothing about Burmese politics, but am I wrong to be concerned about a democracy, even a deeply flawed and fragile one, being overturned by cries of “rigged election” so soon after Trump pulled his big stunt? Is there any evidence that the election was rigged or compromised in any way, or is this just going to be the new geopolitical norm? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/67 "2021-02-05T23:12:43Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Is there any evidence that the election was rigged or compromised in any way, or is this just going to be the new geopolitical norm? No evidence the election is rigged, but a bit more background on Burmese politics would be useful here. Also, claims of rigged elections (whether or not such rigging has occurred) is a pretty common feature of elections around the world, so this is hardly a new or uncommon norm. It is uncommon in Western governments but not as uncommon elsewhere. They never really had a fully functional democracy to begin with. They were taking steps towards that direction but didn’t quite get there. The country has been ruled by its military almost exclusively until 10 years ago when they finally allowed a fairly limited democracy after decades of sanctions and international outcry. And even then, the military held onto a large portion of power, including the power to essentially veto anything it didn’t like. They also figured that no single political party would get popular enough to be even a modest threat. They were wrong about this in the last election and decided they needed to take action to avoid any possible threat. It’s basically a big mess over there. If you are a fan of liberal, Western democracy, there’s almost nothing to like. While it’s possible the democratic state they had could have moved in that direction, it did not appear likely - the civilian government was totally complicit in the ethnic cleansing. So, it came down to wondering which was the lesser evil. Those from more Western democracies are more or less on the side of democracy, even if flawed. I guess I still come down on that side mostly, but there aren’t any outright good guys in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/68 "2021-02-28T16:19:49Z")
Kudos to their gutsy UN ambassador: > **[Myanmar security forces open fire on peaceful protesters in deadliest day...](https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/27/asia/myanmar-un-ambassador-fired-intl-hnk/index.html)** > > Images showed bodies lying in pools of blood on the streets, the injured frantically carried away with bullet wounds peppering their limbs, and protesters huddled behind makeshift shields and barricades, as Myanmar's security forces Sunday launched... ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/69 "2021-02-28T19:48:22Z")
The road to democracy is long and painful But that road is worth traveling. Myanmar Save ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/70 "2021-03-05T14:03:38Z")
> **[Increasing evidence that Myanmar's military forces are shooting to kill as...](https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/05/asia/myanmar-military-shoot-to-kill-intl-hnk/index.html)** > > Zin Ko Ko Zaw, 22, killed by a bullet to the head. Ma "Angel" Kyal Sin, 19, fatally shot in the head. Nay Myo Aung, 16, killed by a bullet that pierced his lung. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/71 "2021-03-05T15:52:52Z")
It’s the Tiananmen response. The problem now is that the stakes are raised: killing people is something that won’t be forgotten and there will be those who want justice for years to come. The military leadership is fully cognizant of this, which is why, from their vantage point, they have to stay in power using any means necessary, including mass slaughter. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/72 "2021-03-05T20:18:46Z")
The military was already still in power as the military-written and -implemented constitution ensureed such a thing. What the current issue seems to be is the particular military person at the top wanted to stay at the top. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/73 "2021-03-05T20:49:26Z")
If Trump were in office do you think he’d have congratulated Myanmar on their successful coup? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/74 "2021-03-12T18:02:54Z")
I wouldn’t have been terribly surprised if he had. He’s always had an affinity for military strongmen. > **[Streets of blood in Myanmar town as UN fears 'crimes against humanity' | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/11/asia/myanmar-crimes-against-humanity-intl-hnk/index.html)** > > Bloodshed continues in Myanmar after another violent day Thursday saw at least 12 people killed by the ruling junta, according to a watchdog group, prompting a top UN official to say the crackdown on peaceful protests is "likely meeting the legal... ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/75 "2021-03-15T00:28:07Z")
I’ll always remember the [8888 Uprising](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8888_Uprising) in August and September of 1988. I was living in northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province at the time, which borders Myanmar’s Shan State. Lots of Myanmar nationals came over the border. (I think they were still calling the country Burma at the time.) The temples seemed full of them, many bearing horrible scars, but if you asked them, they insisted they were just visiting. (Mae Hong Son is Shan-majority, with ethnic Thais in the minority.) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/76 "2021-03-18T20:12:29Z")
Also of relevance to your post is that Mae Hong Son borders on Burma’s Shan State. The Shan language is related to Thai. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839/77 "2021-03-21T04:12:17Z")
The Thai term for Shan is _Thai Yai_, literally “Big Thai.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-looking-like-such-a-disappointment/801839.md?page=3)