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Why Did Burma Become Myanmar ?
The word Burma comes from Bamar, which is a Burmese word. This word denotes Myanmar, and refers to the Bamar people who lived in the country, and comprised the major part of the population. The country was actually called Burma in English ever since the Myanmar became a British colony. |
When the military government took over the running of the country in the year 1989, it changed many of the names that it believed represented colonialism. One such name that was changed was the name of the country. The military renamed the country Myanmar, and it had to be officially used.
However, there were many in the country that did not believe that the military government was legitimate or that it had the legal right to change the name of the country and the various cities and towns. The ethnic minorities within Burma refused to adopt the new name as in the past the Bamar majority was referred to as Myanmar. And, the two words were for the Bamars and not the country.
However, today the local minorities are accepting the name Myanmar as the government has made an effort to officially ensure that Myanmar encompasses all the people of the country, while Bamar is meant just for the Bamars. However, when it comes to talking colloquially in the country, Myanmar and Bamar are used interchangeably.
Even the United Nations has accepted the new name of Burma and it was officially endorsed just 5 days after the country's name was changed. Nonetheless, there are still countries that officially recognized the name Burma and not Myanmar, and these include the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and France.
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