Difficult for ethnics to teach their languages: MNDF

IMNA
10 April 2008

Ethnics are finding it extremely difficult to teach their languages despite the Burmese regime's draft constitution providing for rights of ethnics in its charter, a Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF) member said at the 16th closing ceremony of Summery Mon Literature and Culture school.

Today over 6,000 Mon people joined the closing ceremony of Mon Summery School for more than 9,000 students in Mudon Township in Kalawthut village. Literature leader, Ajar Parlita and other senior abbots joined the ceremony.

Dr Min Kyi Winn, joint-secretary of the MNDF and also chairman of the Mon Literature and Culture Committee in Mudon Township, said that there are no schools and no rights to teach ethnic languages in Burma and that's why they must have the opportunity.

"We face problems if we implement teaching of ethnic languages because it is disallowed by the Burmese government," said Dr Min Kyi Winn.

According to the Burmese draft constitution, people are free to speak, practice literature, culture, language, religion, and tradition without affecting each other.

Due to lack of freedom, ethnics teach their languages in the Buddhist monasteries as summer schools.

Dr Min Kyi Winn said at the closing ceremony of the Mon summer school in Mudon Township Mon State that it depends on ethnics to teach ethnic languages in the long run.