Efter næsten 60 år kan burmeserne atter skylle en cola ned – verdens bedst kendte varemærke og et slags symbol på “kapitalismen” er arriveret i det før så lukkede og isolerede asiatiske land efter lettelsen af sanktionerne fra omverdenen.
Coca-Cola says it sells 1,8 billion servings of the drink every day the world over. But for the last six decades, none has been in Burma, BBC online reports Tuesday.
That is because of US trade sanctions on the military junta which ruled the country from 1962 to 2011. Those sanctions were suspended a few months ago, as the country began to move towards democratic reforms.
Coca-Cola’s entry into any country is a powerful symbol, says Tom Standage, author of A History of the World in Six Glasses.
“The moment Coca-Cola starts shipping is the moment you can say there might be real change going on here,” he says. “Coca-Cola is the nearest thing to capitalism in a bottle.”
Coca-Cola’s rival PepsiCo has also announced plans to resume sales in Burma.
Only two countries where Coca-Cola is not officially bought or sold – Cuba and North Korea.
Coca-Cola says if any drinks are being sold in these countries, they are coming in via “unauthorised third parties”
Both Cuba and North Korea are under long-term US trade embargoes (Cuba since 1962 and North Korea since 1950).
