Burmanization in Chinland
These days, Simon is a trained doctor who is one of the leading figures in the democracy movement in Chin state. In my recent podcast interview with him, we spoke quite a bit about the current revolution. However, before we got to the present situation, we talked about his childhood growing up in rural Chin state. In this excerpt, Simon recalls how painful it was to be forced by the Bamar government to learn strictly in Burmese language, as his native Chin tongue was prohibited from being used in class. For those interested to hear more about ethnic linguistics in Myanmar, listen to Katie Craig’s discussion of preserving local languages.
“We don’t have any freedom of literature in Myanmar.”
“Of course, I was a student in Myanmar. So, when I was in high school, all the school that we were taught, especially history, it was a really lie! We Chin should also learn about ourselves, our own history, that is what our ancients, our great grandparents, and what these heroes have done for our people. It should be in the book, but it was never written down, [not] in our course[s]. We always learn about something Bamar. Their kingdom. But they never play [give] a role for our [history]. We are taught by force to learn those things.
I still remember when I was in high school, when the teacher came [in] to school, we had to greet, often saying mingalabah saya-ma or mingalaba saya. Greeting the teacher in a very polite way, I felt that it was good. But in the Burmese versions we had to make our hands together, like the way how they worship to their gods [in Buddhism]. That is something we Chin people never did [in our Christian culture]. Sometimes we were offended. And I still remember when I was in high school, I even got punishment because of that.
When I was in Chin state, I was very young; I didn't go in school. In my school - I am Chin; so, I am supposed to learn also my own Chin language - but in the school we are not given [this]. This is not permitted. In our school, all we learn is Burmese [and] English. When I say ‘English,’ it is like a subject only. And [as for] our teachers, sometimes we do not even have Burmese people. Then how, if even our teacher who taught us is not of Burmese people - they are just our native Chin people - and then we are not good enough in Burmese language. There is hardship that I felt about that.
My language, Chin language, we only used to learn in Sunday school. I mean, at the church, every Sunday is a time that we are allowed to learn our own language. Our own literature, we don't have any freedom of literature in Myanmar.”