We will update this page as we start to recieve your questions. You can contact us at info@redbandforburma.com.
Q: Where are our bands made?
A: Our bands are manufactured in Bangkok Thailand by a small family run business who specialise in making silicone products. We have been out to the workshop ourselves many times in the course of our project. The working conditions there are very good and, at a guess, the workmen are all over 25.
We understand that people may think of Thailand as having bad working conditions and even using child labour. I have to say I haven't seen anything like this in Bangkok, and we have had complete control over every stage of the production of the bands, so we know that there are no issues with our manufacturer.
We're glad now that we did go with a smaller manufacturer, recommended to us by a friend. I'm hoping to take some pictures of the workshops and post some pictures on this page shortly!
Q: Should we say Burma or Myanmar ?
A: On our site we say Burma, but many will call the country Myanmar. Both are correct, depending on your viewpoint. Here is the backround...
The first settlers from India called their home Brah ma ("God of the Hindu"). This ethnic group, however, only included the people living in Central Burma (where the major cities of Yangon and Mandalay are located). The country's name eventually became the easier to pronounce Bah ma, and the British later changed it suit their own tongues, calling their new colony; Burma. But this Burman ethnic group comprises only about half the population of the country. The rest of the people are members of Shan, Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Wa, and many other minority groups.
Myanmar is derived from the word Myaungma, which dates back several hundred years, predating even bahma .The name of the country was officially changed from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. The name Myanmar has been accepted by the United Nations, however many Western countries still refer to the country at Burma, believing that because the current government was not elected the name change, it was not legitimate.
The Burmese language is spoken throughout the nation, but there are 53 million people living in Myanmar and many different minority languages are also spoken. In the Burmese language most people refer to their country as Myan ma. The word Burma is sometimes used when they speak English.
The country's largest city is called Yangon instead of Rangoon simply because that's how it is pronounced (in most dialects of the Burmese language their is no "R" sound). The British changed the name of the city also, calling it Rangoon.
There are dozens (it is estimated there could be more than 100) of other minority groups in the country. The word Myanmar, some say, is more inclusive than Burma, taking into account all of these groups. Most of the Burmese people have no problems saying Myanmar instead of Burma. But a lot of minority groups such as Shan, Mon, Kachin and Karen would never call themselves "Burmese," preferring their own ethnic identity.
So, now you have the background. Whether you choose to say Burma or Myanmar, we hope you will help us support the people of this beautiful country.
Wear a red band and show the world your support for the people of Burma.
All net profits go to registered charity Burma Issues, helping awareness of the situation in Burma to be raised worldwide.
You can now place your order on our site.