Education, language, and conflict in Myanmar's ethnic minority states

Abstract

AbstractTo what extent did the democratic environment in Myanmar allow ethnic minority groups to promote their language and culture? After the opening of the political regime in 2011, Myanmar's ethnic minority groups placed high hopes in securing new rights and powers to manage their own states and preserve their culture. While the state implemented new opportunities for education of ethnic languages and culture, I argue that these small improvements are dwarfed by the continued Burmanization of ethnic minorities, and the strength of the Bamar‐dominated state. Despite the reform of the educational curriculum, the gains made are relatively modest. More effective decentralization and inclusion of these issues when discussing more genuine federalism would help to improve ethnic groups' ability to maintain their language and culture. This article draws on data from a survey conducted in 2019, as well as interviews in Chin, Kachin, and Karen states between 2015 and 2019.