US to continue referring to Myanmar as Burma

WASHINGTON: The US has said that its use of the name " Myanmar" in a message marking the Asian nation's independence day does not reflect a change in American policy and was only a matter of diplomatic courtesy.

"It continues to be US Government policy to refer to the country as Burma, but...in certain settings, US Government officials refer to the country as Myanmar as a diplomatic courtesy," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said yesterday.

Her comments came after US Secretary of State John Kerry used "Myanmar" in a statement to commemorate the nation's January 4 independence day.

"Since I first visited your country in 1999 as a US Senator, I have cared deeply about the relationship between our two countries, and, given the commitment President Obama has made to a bold new start with Myanmar, I look forward to working with you to see those ties continue to grow," Kerry said in his message to the people of Myanmar last week.

The colonial name Burma was changed to Myanmar by the former ruling junta in 1989.

The US is one of the few countries in the world which still refers to Myanmar as Burma. Other countries to do use the colonial name are Britain and France. The United Nations recognises it as Myanmar.