YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsNews  Myanmar or Burma? Debate
over nation's name persists  Despite its obscurity abroad, the
term Myanmar will probably prevail over Burma in the tug of
words over the Southeast Asian nation's name.  December 24,
2012|By Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times   • President Obama
tours the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, also known as
Burma, last month. Some diplomats still use Myanmar with
government officials and Burma with foreigners, a path Obama
followed during his six-hour visit. President Obama tours the
Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, also known… (Carolyn Kaster
/ Associated…)   Over the years, that tug of words became highly
politicized.   Now that Myanmar is opening up to the world,
easing media restrictions and freeing more political prisoners,
the linguistic and political battle lines are blurring. And just
as the world eventually accepted Zimbabwe for Rhodesia and
Burkina Faso for Upper Volta, Myanmar will probably gain the
upper hand despite the blank stares t