Languages of Burma/Myanmar

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Individual Documents

Topic: Kachin State, Rawang, ethnic issues, manau, Kachin, language, culture, conflict
Sub-title: A dispute over how to name the Kachin State Day Manau Festival in Myitkyina has revealed fissures in Kachin’s multi-ethnic society.
Topic: Kachin State, Rawang, ethnic issues, manau, Kachin, language, culture, conflict
Description: "AS A CHILD, Khang would eagerly look forward to Kachin State Day on January 10 and the accompanying manau dancing in the state capital, Myitkyina. This year, that feeling all but disappeared, said Khang, now aged 26. “I feel like Kachin State Day is just for show. The celebration doesn’t come from the bottom of our heart,” said Khang, who is from the Rawang ethnic group in Kachin. “We Kachin are lacking harmony… It’s like there is something between us, that we are not all the same.” The festival planned for January 5-12 this year was to be the first Kachin State Day celebration initiated by Kachin society, rather than the government, since conflict resumed between the Kachin Independence Army and the Tatmadaw in 2011. The event, commemorated with traditional dancing around the six pillars that stand in Myitkyina’s Kachin National Manau Park, is known popularly as the Manau Festival. Discord leading up to this year’s Kachin State Day event, however – including a cancellation and last-minute resumption – dampened the spirits of many Kachin. The dispute, which stemmed from disagreement over what to call Kachin State Day in Jinghpaw, the Kachin lingua franca, touched a nerve within Kachin’s diverse society and prompted a broader debate about Kachin identity and who gets to define it. Anthropologist of Kachin society Mr Laur Kiik describes Kachin as a multi-ethnic nation, integrating people from six or more ethnic groups to widely varying degrees. Debate over the names and boundaries of a Kachin identity, he said, has existed for decades; and Kachin State Day manau festivals have previously brought these debates out into the open. Though the Myanmar government recognises 12 Kachin “sub-groups”, the Kachin National Association of Tradition and Culture, or Wunpawng Myusha Htunghking Hpung Ginjaw (known by the clipped acronym WHG), represents six linguistically distinct groups – Jinghpaw, Lachid, Lhaovo, Lisu, Rawang and Zaiwa..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-01-14
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "The book contents are vowels, consonants, words relating to human being, house, fished, name of vegetables, arum plants, words relating to grass and plants, name of flowers, Ahom year, the days, the months, and appendices..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Kham Koo Website
1964-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : PDF
Size: 67.04 MB
Local URL:
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Description: "Ahom belongs to the same sub-group of the Tai language as Khamti and Shan. Both of them are now live languages, while the Ahom is defunct one. it seems that the Ahoms maintained their own language for some time after the conquest of Assam....The Ahom alphabet is related to those of Khamti, Shan and Burmese. This book included Ahom Alphabets, consonants, Tones, Verbs, Adverbs, and other vocabularies Ahom - English..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Kham Koo Website
1920-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : PDF
Size: 94.58 MB
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Sub-title: The Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) and Yangon-based Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) this year launched the “Respecting Myanmar Culture in the Workplace” guide book...
Description: "Drawn by prominent Myanmar cartoonist Aw Pi Kyeh, the cartoons cover topics such as eating and drinking, dress code, greetings and body language and are designed to highlight the importance of listening to and learning from local people, to help prevent conflict and contribute to commercial success. “Respect for Myanmar’s many cultures is an important part of promoting equality, combating discrimination and creating a respectful workplace,” said MCRB director Vicky Bowman. “Minor cultural misunderstandings by foreign company employees can escalate into wider grievances – including with local communities – which can ultimately jeopardise investments. They can also contribute to a less motivated and unproductive workplace,” she added. The publication seeks to help foreign managers and executives understand Myanmar culture and avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings with local communities. It was authored by the MCRB, in partnership with DICA - which is under the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations (MIFER) - and with input from other ministries. “Responsible investment is respectful investment,” MIFER Minister U Thaung Tun said, referring to the launch of the guidebook. “Respect for diverse cultures and traditions will undoubtedly contribute to the wider goals of our government, including sustainable peace.” The cartoons primarily focus on building mutual respect and understanding, rather than legal requirements. But the guide makes clear that investors should ensure that they are familiar with Myanmar workplace laws, such as labour, health and safety and environmental protection regulations..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-10-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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