Burmese Language in Burma

"In Myanmar, since it's so diverse, identity and belonging are quite contentious. So it can be used as a tool or as a weapon, to decide who belongs and who doesn't."

For a linguist like Katie Craig, language is inseparable from culture, which is inseparable from politics, as this passage clearly indicates. Katie studied the field of linguistics professionally before coming to Myanmar to help set up the Myanmar Indigenous Community Partners (MICP), which helps to preserve local languages. And as anyone who knows anything about Myanmar can attest, there are many, many local languages within the country's borders.

While her work is primarily with language, she was able to examine how power dynamics and identity were related to linguistics and language. Much has been written about the government's Burmanization policies, which have long promoted (and required) a Bamar-centric form of teaching history and language, and often a promotion of Burmese Buddhism with that as well, to diverse ethnic groups across the country. This is often done at the expense of local traditions, and languages, which brings with it a loss of community identification. Katie and the entire MICP group has more than had their work cut out for them in trying to support a wide array of different ethnic groups.

For those trying to have a better understanding of the diversity found throughout Myanmar, and the need to ensure that local traditions may continue to thrive within the wider emphasis on peace-building, there is much of value in this talk to contemplate!