BBC placed on dirty list for ‘propping up’ Burma junta

The BBC is to be named in a “dirty list” of companies accused of helping to prop up Burma’s military rulers.

BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, will be criticised for promoting tourism to the country, despite pleas from Burma’s pro-democracy movement for holidaymakers to stay away.

The broadcaster has become embroiled in the row following its acquisition of a majority stake in Lonely Planet, which publishes a travel guide to Burma. Critics claim that the guide helps the junta to achieve its goal of luring more western tourists to fill its coffers.

Opponents of General Than Shwe’s dictatorship also claim that forced labour has been used to build facilities such as new hotels and an international airport at Mandalay.

The annual blacklist of companies accused of aiding or helping to fund the junta will be published on June 3 by the Burma Campaign UK, a London-based pressure group.

BBC Worldwide will be the highest-profile new entry. It will join about 150 other companies with business interests in Burma, including Total and Chevron, the oil giants.

Superdrug and 3 Mobile are also on the list because Hutchison Whampoa, which owns both companies, has links to Rangoon.

“Tourism provides a financial lifeline to the regime and the BBC should not be supporting it,” said Johnny Chatterton, the group’s campaigns officer.

Politicians and rival media organisations accused BBC Worldwide last year of “empire building” after it reportedly paid £75m for a 75% stake in Lonely Planet. The deal caused controversy because it appeared to have little to do with the BBC’s broadcasting remit.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese pro-democracy leader and a Nobel peace prize winner, has previously called for tourists to boycott the country. Rough Guides, another travel publisher, has refused to print a book about Burma.

BBC Worldwide said: “Lonely Planet believes its decision to publish a guidebook to Burma does not represent support or otherwise for the current regime. It provides information and lets readers decide for themselves.”

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