{"id":679,"date":"2014-11-18T22:30:14","date_gmt":"2014-11-18T22:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eng.moemaka.net\/?p=679"},"modified":"2014-11-18T22:30:14","modified_gmt":"2014-11-18T22:30:14","slug":"khin-maung-saw-burma-or-myanmar-burmese-or-burman-rangoon-or-yangon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2014\/11\/khin-maung-saw-burma-or-myanmar-burmese-or-burman-rangoon-or-yangon\/","title":{"rendered":"Khin Maung Saw &#8211; Burma or Myanmar? Burmese or Burman? Rangoon or Yangon?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/eng.moemaka.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/map_burma.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-680\" src=\"http:\/\/eng.moemaka.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/map_burma-244x300.png\" alt=\"map_burma\" width=\"244\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/map_burma-244x300.png 244w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/map_burma-260x319.png 260w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/map_burma-160x196.png 160w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/map_burma.png 301w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Khin Maung Saw<\/strong><strong> &#8211; <\/strong> <strong>Burma or Myanmar? Burmese or Burman? Rangoon or Yangon?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Introduction:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In May 1989 the present ruling military junta called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) reintroduced back the indigenous name &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; for Burma and requested the United Nations and other World Bodies to call their country &#8220;Myanmar&#8221;. Because of that some people became confused, some raised the following complaints:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The military junta changed the name of the country from her original name &#8220;Burma&#8221; to the new name &#8220;Myanmar&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>The name &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; does not represent the whole territory of Burma.<\/li>\n<li>It is a Burmanized word and therefore it is a violation of the rights of the indigenous minorities by Burmanization.<\/li>\n<li>The term &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; cannot represent all ethnic groups in Burma.<\/li>\n<li>The word &#8220;Burmese&#8221; represents all citizens of Burma, and the word &#8220;Burman&#8221; is only for the <em>Bamas<\/em>, the biggest ethnic group in Burma.<\/li>\n<li>The government is burmanizing the whole union by changing cities&#8217; names.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These complaints were often discussed in the newspapers, internet discussion groups, e-mails, journals and books. In this paper the present author will try to find out whether these complaints will meet all available authentic historical facts or not and will carefully scrutinize the roots of the evolution of these complaints.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Burmese or Burman?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Actually the words &#8220;Burmese&#8221; and &#8220;Burman&#8221; are the same. It represents only the most dominant ethnic group, the <em>Bamas<\/em>, about 65% to 70% of the total population of Burma. The present author sincerely believes that the names &#8220;Burmese&#8221; and &#8220;Burman&#8221; evolved because of the &#8220;Divide and Rule&#8221; policy of the British. The British authorities divided the territories of Burma into two major parts and invented the two different names by calling &#8220;Burma Proper&#8221; and &#8220;Frontier Hill Areas of Burma&#8221;. In the mean time they invented the two different names for the people of Burma.\u00a0\u00a0 Instead of calling them the Burmese, the Karens, the Shans, the Chins etc., they introduced the term &#8220;the Burmans&#8221; for the <em>Bamas<\/em> , the majority ethnic group and named all other ethnic groups &#8220;the Burmese&#8221;. However, some American Baptists who stayed in Burma, especially in the &#8220;Frontier Hill Areas of Burma&#8221; for the Christianization of ethnic minorities, did not follow this definition. Instead they reversed the definition by 180 degrees by naming the <em>Bamas<\/em>, the ethnic majority, &#8220;the Burmese&#8221;, and their term &#8220;the Burmans&#8221; was for the people of Burma. From that time on the problem of &#8220;the Burmese&#8221; and &#8220;the Burman&#8221; evolved.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, these British Colonial Authorities&#8217; and American Baptist Missions&#8217; definitions of &#8220;the Burmese&#8221; and &#8220;the Burman&#8221; were and are never accepted by the people of Burma. If one was to ask a Karen or a Shan or Chin or even a Tavoyan (an ethnic group in southern Burma speaking a Burmese dialect), &#8220;Are you a Burmese or a Burman?&#8221; his or her answer will no doubt be, &#8220;I&#8217;m neither a Burmese nor a Burman. I&#8217;m a Karen\/Shan\/Chin\/Tavoyan, but I&#8217;m a citizen of Burma&#8221; etc. Even under colonial rule as well as in post-independent era these definitions were neither popular nor accepted by the people of Burma. But, anyway, because of those above mentioned fabricated definitions some people<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a> still confuse between those two words although they were and are identical.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>III. Burma or Myanmar?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Actually, the words &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; and &#8220;Burma&#8221; are like &#8220;Deutschland&#8221; and &#8220;Germany&#8221;, &#8220;Suomi&#8221; and &#8220;Finland&#8221; or &#8220;Espa\u00f1ia&#8221; and &#8220;Spain&#8221;. Throughout the successive periods of the pre-colonial era and even under the colonial rule the Burmese called their country, themselves and their language <em>Myanmar<\/em>. It is like the way the Japanese call themselves <em>Nippon<\/em> and the Hungarians call themselves <em>Magyar<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The holiest River for the Hindus was and is Ganges. In the ancient times, the Hindu people of the Subcontinent named the place at the east of their another big river as \u201cBrahma Desa\u201d meaning \u201cthe Land of Brahma\u201d and that big river as &#8216;Brahma Puttra\u201d meaning &#8216;The son of Brahma\u201d. That Brahma Desa was the place which is now Burma. Going far to the east inside Brahma Desa, there is another big river, even can be bigger than &#8216;Brahma Puttra&#8217;, it is the Irrawaddy, the biggest river of Burma nowadays. The name is the corruption of the Pali or Sanskrit word \u2018Indra Vati\u2019 which can roughly be translated as \u2018the Ruling Place of God Indra.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That Hindi word \u201cBrahma Desa\u201d was adapted by the Portuguese later in the 15<sup>th<\/sup> Century A.D and called that country \u201cBirmania\u201d. It was adopted by the French as \u201cBirmanie\u201d and became the German word \u2018Birma\u2019. The British called \u2018Brahma\u2019 with their own pronunciation \u2018Burma\u2019. On the other hand, the first ever recorded European who visited Burma, Marco Polo, mentioned the country as \u2018the kingdom of Mien\u2019. Marco Polo was in China before he visited Burma. The Burmese called their own land Myanmar and the Chinese named this country \u201dMien Tien\u201d and the people &#8216;Mien&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Burmese (Myanmars) traditionally believed that they were the descendants of the four superior gods, the four &#8220;<em>Brahmas<\/em>&#8221; who came down from the abode of &#8220;<em>Brahmas<\/em>&#8220;. Two of whom became women and the other two became men, and settled in the basin of the Irrawaddy River. Because of that traditional belief they themselves pronounced <em>Bama<\/em> in coloquial, the corruption of <em>Brahma<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These <em>Myanmars<\/em> or Bamas established their empire with the capital city of Pagan (Bagan in Burmese pronunciation) in the central Burma plains. The word Pagan is believe to be corrupted form of the Pali word &#8220;Pyugarma&#8221; meaning the village of the Pyus. Some historains believe the word Pagan is the deviated from &#8220;Pyugarma&#8211; Pugarma&#8211; Pugam&#8211; Pagan&#8221;. This theory is very possible because the Burmese spelling of Pagan is\u1015\u102f\u1002\u1036 (PUGAM). When the Burmese king Aniruda (Anawrahta) conquered the rival Mon kingdoms of Suvanna Bhummi (Thaton) and Hamsawadi (Pegu), almost all of the modern territories of Burma belonged to the Pagan (Bagan) Empire which was named &#8220;the first Burmese Empire&#8221; by some of the modern historians.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Starting from the 11th. Century the Burmese (Burman) who called themselves <em>Myanmar <\/em>became the most dominant ethnic group in Burma. Their predecessors in the Irrawaddy basin, the Pyus have already been assimilated into the Burmese society. That was the reason why old <em>Myanmars<\/em> were often named as &#8220;Pyus&#8221; by their cousins.<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Chinese called their southern neighbors, these <em>Myanmars <\/em>(Burmese or Burman) \u201d<em>Mien\u201d<\/em> and their country \u201c<em>Mien Tien\u201d<\/em>. These <em>Myanmars <\/em>from Pagan area were called <em>Pangatha<\/em> (<em>Bagantha<\/em>) meaning the people of Pagan (Bagan) by the other Myanmar-dialect speaking people like Tavoyans (Daweitha) and Merguian (Beiktha). The Mons called these Myanmars <em>Mirma<\/em>. Later, these <em>Myanmars<\/em> in the central plains were named the &#8220;<em>Bamas<\/em>&#8221; by their cousins.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why the country and people are called &#8220;Phama&#8221; by the Thais, \u201cPhumea\u201d by the Khmers and &#8220;Barama&#8221; by the Indians (the people from the Subcontinent). When the Portuguese came to Burma via India they called it in their own pronunciation &#8220;Birmania&#8221;, hence the French word &#8220;Birmanie&#8221;, the German word &#8220;Birma&#8221; and the English word &#8220;Burma&#8221;, all are derivations of that Indo-Portuguese version. The first European who wrote about Burma, Marco Polo, who came via China and not via India, on the other hand, recorded the country as &#8220;Mien&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Here I would like to cite some sources:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(1) Yule, Henry , Colonel and Burnell, A. C., Hobson-Jobson, (First published 1886), Calcutta, reprinted 1990, p. 131.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Burma, Burmah <\/strong>(with <strong>Burmese<\/strong> &amp;c.) n.p. The name by which we designate the ancient kingdom and nation occupying the central basin of the Irawaddi River. &#8220;British Burma&#8221; is constituted of the provinces conquered from that kingdom in the two wars of 1824-26 and 1852-53, viz. (in the first Arakan, Martaban and Tenasserim, and (in the second) Pegu. [ Upper Burma and the Shan States were annexed after the third war of 1885.]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The name is taken from Mran-ma, the national name of the Burmese People, which they themselves generally pronounce <em>Bam-ma<\/em>, unless when speaking formally and emphatically. Sir Arthur Phayre considers that this name was in all probability adopted by the Mongoloid tribes of the Upper Irrawadi, on the conversion to Buddhism by missionaries from Gangetic India, and is identical with that (<em>Bram-ma<\/em>) by which the first and holy inhabitants of the world are styled in the (Pali) Buddhist Scriptures. <em>Brama-desa <\/em> was the term applied to the country by a Singhalese monk returning thence to Ceylon, in conversation with one of the present writers. It is however the view of Bishop Bigandet and of Prof. Forchhammer, supported by considerable arguments, that <em>Mran<\/em>, <em>Myan<\/em>, or <em>Myen<\/em> was the original name of the Burmese people, and is traceable in the names given to them by their neighbors; <em>e<\/em>.<em>g<\/em>. by the Chinese <em>Mien<\/em> and (in Marco Polo); by the Kakhyens<a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\">[3]<\/a> , <em>Myen <\/em>or <em>Mren<\/em> ; by Shans, <em>Man <\/em>; by Sgaw Karens, <em>Payo<\/em> ; by Pgaw<a href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\">[4]<\/a> Karens, <em>Payan<\/em> ; by Paloungs, Paran, &amp;c. (Forchhammer argues further that the original name was Ran or Yan, with <em>m<\/em>&#8216;, <em>ma<\/em>, or <em>pa<\/em> as a pronominal accent). Prof. Forchhammer considers that Mran-<em>ma<\/em> (with this honorific suffix) does not date beyond the 14th century. [In J. R. A. Soc. 1894, p. 152 <em>seqq<\/em>.], Mr. St. John suggests that the word Myamma is derived from myan, &#8216;swift&#8217;, and ma, &#8216;strong&#8217;, and was taken as a soubriquet by the people at some early date, perhaps in the time of Anawrahta, A.D. 1150.]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(2) \u101e\u102d\u1015\u1078\u1036\u1005\u102d\u102f\u1038\u101b\u1004\u1039\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1037\u101a\u106a\u1039\u1031\u1000\u103a\u1038\u1019\u1088\u101e\u1019\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1038\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1046\u1048\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1045\u1046 &#8211; \u1045\u1049 (Theippan Soe Yin, History of the Burmese Culture, Rangoon, 1968, pp. 56-59)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u101f\u1030\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1031\u101d\u102b\u101f\u102c\u101b\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1015\u1011\u1019\u1026\u1038\u1005\u103c\u102c \u1021\u1031\u1005\u102c\u1006\u1036\u102f\u1038 \u101e\u1000\u1060\u101b\u102c\u1007\u1039 \u1044\u1045\u1042 (\u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1041\u1041\u1049\u1040) \u1015\u102f\u1002\u1036\u107f\u1019\u102d\u1033\u1095 \u1031\u1010\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1002\u1030\u1014\u102e \u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1005\u102c\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1005\u1010\u1004\u1039 \u1031\u1010\u103c\u1095\u101b\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u1011\u102d\u102f\u101e\u1000\u1060\u101b\u102c\u1007\u1039\u1011\u1000\u1039 \u1021\u108f\u103d\u1005\u1039 \u1049\u1040 \u1001\u1014\u1039\u1094 \u1031\u1005\u102c\u1031\u101e\u102c \u1000\u103a\u1014\u1039\u1005\u1005\u1039\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u104f \u1014\u1014\u1039\u1038\u1010\u100a\u1039\u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1005\u102c (\u1041\u1041\u1040\u1042 \u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e) \u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1019\u102d\u101b\u1019\u102c \u101f\u1030\u104d\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1038\u1011\u102c\u1038\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f\u1031\u1010\u103c\u1095\u101b\u104f\u104b \u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1041\u1043\u1044\u1042 \u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1031\u101b\u1038\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1038\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1037 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1005\u102c\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u107f\u1019\u1036\u1019\u102c \u101f\u1030\u104d\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1038\u1011\u102c\u1038\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1021\u1031\u1005\u102c\u1006\u1036\u102f\u1038 \u1031\u1010\u103c\u1095\u101b\u104f\u104b \u1011\u102d\u102f\u1031\u1014\u102c\u1000\u1039 \u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u104a \u107f\u1019\u1036\u1019\u102c\u104a \u101e\u102d\u102f\u1095\u1019\u101f\u102f\u1010\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1019\u107c\u102c \u101f\u1030\u104d\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1038\u101c\u102c\u107e\u1000\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1010\u103c\u1095\u101b\u103d\u102d\u101b\u103b\u1015\u1014\u1039<\/p>\n<p>\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Translation:<\/strong> &#8220;The Tounguni Inscription finished in B.E. 492 (A.D. 1190) in Pagan (Bagan) was the earliest inscription in which the word <em>Myanmar<\/em> was found. In Kyansittha&#8217;s Palace Inscription, which was approximately 90 years older than the above mentioned inscription and written in the Mon language (1102 A.D) the word <em>Mirma<\/em> was used. The orthography &#8220;<em>Myamar<\/em>&#8221; could be found in one stone inscription from A.D 1342 written in the Burmese language. In later inscriptions in the Burmese Language all three orthographic forms <em>Myanmar<\/em>, <em>Myamar<\/em> and <em>Myammar<\/em> were applied.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1010\u101b\u102f\u1010\u1039\u101b\u102c\u1007\u101d\u1004\u1039\u1019\u103d\u1010\u1039\u1010\u1019\u1039\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1021\u101c\u102d\u102f\u1021\u102c\u1038\u103b\u1016\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u1031\u101b\u103d\u1038\u101c\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1031\u101c\u107f\u1015\u102e\u1038\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1001\u102b\u1000 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102f\u102d\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1005\u102c\u1015\u102d\u102f\u1038 \u101f\u102f \u1031\u1001\u105a\u1006\u102d\u102f\u107e\u1000 \u104d \u1010\u101b\u102f\u1010\u1039 \u101f\u1014\u1039\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u101c\u1000\u1039\u1011\u1000\u1039 (\u1018\u102e\u1005\u102e \u1042\u1040\u1042 &#8211; \u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1042\u1046\u1043) \u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1018\u1014\u1039 \u101f\u102f \u1031\u1001\u105a\u1006\u102d\u102f\u101c\u103a\u1000\u1039 \u1010\u101b\u102f\u1010\u1039 \u1010\u1014\u1039\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u101c\u1000\u1039\u1011\u1000\u1039 ( \u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1046\u1041\u1048 &#8211; \u1049\u1040\u1047) \u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1019\u103d\u102c \u1015\u102d\u1031\u101a\u102c (\u1015\u103a\u1034) \u101f\u102f \u1031\u1001\u105a\u1006\u102d\u102f\u107e\u1000\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b\u00a0\u00a0 \u1006\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u101c\u1000\u1039\u1011\u1000\u1039 ( \u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1049\u1046\u1040 &#8211; ) \u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1019\u102d\u101a\u1004\u1039 \u101f\u102f \u1031\u1001\u105a\u1006\u102d\u102f\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u101f\u102f \u101e\u102d\u101b\u103d\u102d\u101b\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u1011\u102d\u102f\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u101c\u1000\u1039\u1011\u1000\u1039\u1019\u103d \u1019\u102d\u101a\u1004\u1039\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u1010\u101b\u102f\u1010\u1039\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u00a0\u00a0 \u1006\u1000\u1039\u1006\u1036\u101e\u103c\u102c\u1038\u101c\u102c\u1019\u1088\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1005\u1010\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1015\u1033\u101c\u102f\u1015\u1039\u107e\u1000\u101e\u100a\u1039\u101f\u102f\u1006\u102d\u102f\u104f\u104b \u1019\u102d\u101a\u1004\u1039\u1006\u102d\u102f \u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1019\u100a\u1039\u1019\u103d\u102c \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1006\u102d\u102f \u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1019\u100a\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f\u1021\u1016\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1006\u103c\u1010\u1039\u104d \u1031\u1001\u105a\u1006\u102d\u102f\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1019\u103d\u1010\u1039\u103b\u1001\u1004\u1039\u1038\u103b\u1016\u1005\u1039\u101c\u102d\u1019\u1039\u1037\u1019\u100a\u1039\u101f\u102f \u101e\u102f\u1031\u1010\u101e\u102e\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038 \u1000\u101a\u1030\u1006\u107e\u1000 \u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u1010\u1014\u100a\u1039\u1038\u1021\u102c\u1038\u103b\u1016\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1006\u102d\u102f\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1039 \u1010\u101b\u102f\u1010\u1039\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u1000 \u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1046\u1041\u1048 \u2013 \u1049\u1040\u1047 \u1021\u1011\u102d\u00a0\u00a0 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102f\u102d\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1015\u103a\u1034 \u101f\u1030\u104d\u101e\u102c \u1021\u101e\u102d\u1021\u1019\u103d\u1010\u1039\u103b\u1015\u1033\u1001\u1032\u1037\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b\u00a0\u00a0 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u101f\u1030\u104d \u1011\u1004\u1039\u1031\u1015\u105a\u103b\u1001\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101b\u103d\u102d\u101f\u1014\u1039\u1019\u1010\u1030\u1031\u101e\u1038\u1031\u1015\u104b \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1021\u101e\u102d\u1021 \u1019\u103d\u1010\u1039\u103b\u1015\u1033\u101c\u102c\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1019\u103d\u102c \u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1049\u1046\u1040 \u1001\u102f\u108f\u103d\u1005\u1039\u1001\u1014\u1039\u1094\u1000\u1019\u103d\u1021\u1005\u103b\u1015\u1033\u101e\u100a\u1039\u101f\u102f\u101a\u1030\u1006\u101b\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1037\u1031\u101b\u103d\u1038\u1031\u101f\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u1019\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1038 \u1021\u1006\u102d\u102f \u1021\u101b\u101c\u100a\u1039\u1038 \u1015\u102f\u1002\u1036\u1000\u102d\u102f\u101e\u1000\u1060\u101b\u102c\u1007\u1039 \u1042\u1041\u1041 (\u1031\u1021\u1012\u102e \u1048\u1044\u1049) \u1001\u102f\u108f\u103d\u1005\u1039\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1010\u100a\u1039\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1006\u102d\u102f\u1011\u102c\u1038\u101e\u103b\u1016\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u101a\u102f\u1010\u1071\u102d\u101b\u103d\u102d\u101e\u100a\u1039\u101f\u102f \u1006\u102d\u102f\u101b\u1031\u1015 \u1019\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Translation:<\/strong> According to the Chinese Chronicles, in the ancient times they used the term <em>Chao Po<\/em> for the country which is now Burma. During the &#8220;Han Dynasty&#8221; (B.C.202 &#8211; A.D. 263) the name used for &#8220;Burma&#8221; was <em>Ban<\/em>. &#8220;Burma&#8221; was mentioned as <em>Piao<\/em> (Pyu) during the &#8220;Tang Dynasty&#8221; (A.D. 618 &#8211; 907) . In the &#8220;Sung Dynasty&#8221; (established A.D 960) they applied the term <em>Mien<\/em>. According to those records the<em> Miens<\/em> had very good trade and other relationships with the Chinese. Some scholars believed that the word <em>Mien<\/em> must be the short form of <em>Myanmar<\/em>. In other words, the Chinese recorded only Pyus in Burma until A.D 907 which meant that the Myanmars or Burmese were unknown to them until that date. Only starting from A.D 960 the Chinese began recognizing the Myanmars or the Burmese. The Burmese Chronicles also stated that Pagan (Bagan) was established in B.E 211 (849 A.D.). Therefore, the statement of the Chinese Chronicles was very reasonable.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1015\u102f\u1002\u1036\u1031\u1001\u1010\u1039\u104a \u1021\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101d\u1031\u1001\u1010\u1039\u104a \u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u1038\u1031\u1018\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1031\u1001\u1010\u1039\u104c \u1031\u101b\u1038\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1038\u107e\u1000\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1037 \u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1005\u102c\u1021\u102c\u1038\u101c\u1036\u102f\u1038\u104c \u1015\u1004\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u101f\u1030\u1031\u101e\u102c \u1021\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1021\u101e\u102c\u1038\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1010\u103c\u1095\u101b\u107f\u1015\u102e\u1038 \u1021\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101d\u1031\u1001\u1010\u1039\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u1038\u1031\u1018\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1031\u1001\u1010\u1039\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1031\u101b\u1038\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1038\u107e\u1000 \u101e\u100a\u1039\u1037 \u1021\u1014\u100a\u1039\u1038\u1004\u101a\u1039\u1019\u103d\u103a\u1031\u101e\u102c \u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u104c\u101e\u102c \u107f\u1019\u1036\u1019\u102c\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1019\u107c\u102c \u101f\u1030\u1031\u101e\u102c \u1021\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1021\u101e\u102c\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1010\u103c\u1095\u101b\u103d\u102d\u101b\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u101e\u102d\u102f\u1094\u103b\u1016\u1005\u1039\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1031\u107e\u1000\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c \u101f\u1030\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1031\u1001\u105a\u1021\u1031\u101d\u105a\u101e\u100a\u1039\u101e\u102c \u1015\u102f\u1012\u1039\u101b\u1004\u1039\u1038\u103b\u1016\u1005\u1039\u1031\u1015\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Translation:<\/strong> In most of the stone inscriptions written during the Pagan, Ava and Konbaung Eras, the orthography <em>Myanmar<\/em> was mainly used. The application of the other orthographic versions of <em>Myamar<\/em> and <em>Myammar <\/em> was very rare and could be found only in very few inscriptions written during the Ava and Konbaung Dynasties. Therefore the orthographic form <em>Myanmar<\/em> is the original and correct one.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1021\u1001\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1095\u1015\u100a\u102c\u101b\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1000 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1006\u102d\u102f\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039 \u1015\u102f\u1012\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u101c\u103a\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1006\u1014\u1039\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u1006\u102d\u102f\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1014\u1000\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f\u101a\u1030\u107f\u1015\u102e\u1038\u104a \u1019\u102c \u1015\u102f\u1012\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u101c\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1000\u1032\u104a \u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u1019\u102c\u1038\u1006\u102d\u102f\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1014\u1000\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f\u1031\u1000\u102c\u1000\u1039\u104d \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u101f\u1030\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u101c\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1005\u103c\u102c\u101c\u103a\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u101e\u1030 \u101f\u1030\u104d \u1021\u1013\u102d\u1015\u1078\u102b\u101a\u1039 \u1031\u1015\u1038\u1031\u101c\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u1031\u101b\u103d\u1038\u1000\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u1021\u101c\u103c\u1014\u1039\u101c\u103a\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1005\u103c\u102c \u101c\u1088\u1015\u1039\u101b\u103d\u102c\u1038\u101e\u103c\u102c\u1038\u101c\u102c\u101c\u102f\u1015\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1015\u1033\u1000\u103a\u1004\u1039\u1037\u101e\u1030\u1031\u1010\u103c \u103b\u1016\u1005\u1039\u107e\u1000 \u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u1011\u102d\u102f\u1031\u1014\u102c\u1000\u1039 \u1021\u101c\u103c\u1014\u1039\u101c\u103a\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1005\u103c\u102c\u1015\u1004\u1039 \u1010\u102d\u102f\u1038\u1010\u1000\u1039\u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u1015\u103c\u102c\u1038\u1001\u1032\u1037\u101e\u100a\u1039\u101f\u102f \u1021\u1014\u1000\u1039\u1021\u1013\u102d\u1015\u1078\u102b\u101a\u1039\u1016\u103c\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1006\u102d\u102f\u107e\u1000\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Translation: <\/strong>Some scholars interpreted that the word &#8220;<em>Myanmar<\/em>&#8221; came from the words &#8220;<em>Myan<\/em>&#8221; meaning: quick, fast and &#8220;<em>Mar<\/em>&#8221; meaning: extreme, huge, gigantic and therefore the word &#8220;<em>Myanmar<\/em>&#8221; means the extreme quick person. They verified their explanation by saying that the old &#8220;<em>Myanmars<\/em>&#8221; (Burmese) were fast and energetic. As a result, they became very quickly the most dominant ethnic group in the country which is now Burma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1021\u1001\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1095\u101e\u102f\u1031\u1010\u101e\u102e\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1000\u1019\u1030 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u1031\u101b\u103d\u1038\u1021\u1001\u102b\u1000 \u1021\u101c\u103c\u1014\u1039\u101c\u103a\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1005\u103c\u102c \u101c\u1088\u1015\u1039\u101b\u103d\u102c\u1038\u101e\u103c\u102c\u1038\u101c\u102c\u101c\u102f\u1015\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1031\u1006\u102c\u1004\u1039 \u101b\u103c\u1000\u1039\u1031\u101c\u1037\u101b\u103d\u102d\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1019\u103d\u102c \u103b\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1000\u102d\u102f\u1005\u102e\u1038\u1031\u101c\u1037\u101b\u103d\u102d\u103b\u1001\u1004\u1039\u1038\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1005\u102e\u1038\u1021\u1010\u1010\u1039\u104c\u1000\u103c\u107d\u1019\u1039\u1038\u1000\u103a\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1001\u1004\u1039\u1038\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1005\u102e\u1038\u104d \u101c\u1088\u1015\u1039\u101b\u103d\u102c\u1038\u101e\u103c\u102c\u1038\u101c\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1000\u1039 \u1001\u102d\u102f\u1000\u1039\u1031\u101c\u1037\u101b\u103d\u102d\u103b\u1001\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1031\u107e\u1000\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u101f\u102f\u1031\u1001\u105a\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u101f\u102f\u101a\u1030\u1006\u107e\u1000\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039 \u1015\u102f\u1012\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u103b\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038 \u101f\u1030\u104d \u1021\u1014\u1000\u1039 \u101a\u1030\u1006\u101c\u102d\u102f\u107e\u1000\u104f\u104b \u1019\u102c \u1015\u102f\u1012\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u1019\u102c\u1038\u101c\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1000\u1032\u1031\u101e\u102c\u101f\u102f\u101a\u1030\u1006\u101c\u103a\u1000\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u104f\u1021\u1014\u1000\u1039\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1005\u102e\u1038\u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038 \u101f\u102f \u1031\u1015\u105a\u1011\u103c\u1000\u1039 \u101c\u102c\u1031\u101c\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Translation:<\/strong> Some scholars considered that the reason for the quick mobilizing of the old &#8220;<em>Myanmars<\/em>&#8221; was because of their expertise in horse riding and they were always together with their horses. In their opinion the origin of the word &#8220;<em>Myan<\/em>&#8221; was &#8220;<em>Myin<\/em>&#8221; meaning: horse, and &#8220;<em>Ma<\/em>&#8221; means &#8220;extreme&#8221; and therefore the term &#8220;<em>Myanmar<\/em>&#8221; should be interpreted as &#8220;good horse rider&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(3) Myo Min, Old Burma, Rangoon, 1948, p. 2.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In writing about the Kingdom of Mien (i.e., Myan-ma) Marco Polo made no claim to have visited the country itself, though he seemed to have got as far south as the western part of Yun-nan. His description of the battle of Nga-Saung-gyan, which marked the beginning of the disruption of the Pagan Empire in the reign of King Narathihapate is wonderfully vivid and accurate. Marco Polo called it a memorable battle by which the Grand (Kublai) Khan effected the conquest of the Kingdom of <strong>Mien<\/strong> and Bengala, apparently because some outlying eastern parts of Bengal were parts of the Burmese Empire then.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, the statement of the present military government that the word &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; was the original name for &#8220;Burma&#8221; is correct. At the same time it is also not wrong when one accuses that it is an act of Burmanization.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Does <em>Myanmar<\/em> represent all ethnic groups in Burma?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The definition or Statement: &#8220;Myanmar represents all citizens of Burma&#8221; is a new concept. The earliest sources I found was during the Burmese Socialists Programme Party&#8217;s Era (1974-88). The following are some sources:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(1) \u103b\u1015\u100a\u1039\u1031\u1011\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1005\u102f\u1006\u102d\u102f\u101b\u103d\u101a\u1039\u101c\u1005\u1039\u101e\u1019\u107c\u1010 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u104a \u1015\u100a\u102c\u1031\u101b\u1038\u101d\u1014\u1039\u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u100c\u102c\u1014\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1005\u102c\u1021\u1016\u103c\u1032\u1095\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1021\u1018\u102d \u1013\u102c\u1014\u1039 \u1021\u1000\u103a\u106a\u1039\u1038\u1001\u103a\u1033\u1015\u1039\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1047\u1049\u104a \u1021\u1010\u103c\u1032 \u1043\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1041\u1049\u1048\u104b The Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, the Ministry of Education, the Burmese Language Commission, the Burmese-Burmese Dictionary, Rangoon, 1979, vol. III, p.198.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c &#8211; \u1014 \/ \u1019\u103a\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c \/ \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u108f\u103d\u1005\u1039\u1000\u102c\u101c\u107e\u1000\u102c\u101b\u103d\u100a\u1039\u1005\u103c\u102c \u1021\u1005\u106a\u1039\u1021\u1006\u1000\u1039 \u1015\u103a\u1036\u1095\u108f\u103d\u1036\u1095\u1005\u103c\u102c \u1021\u1010\u1030\u1010\u1000\u103c \u1021\u1031\u103b\u1001\u1005\u102d\u102f\u1000\u1039\u1031\u1014\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1031\u101e\u102c \u1010\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101b\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u102c\u1038\u101c\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1038 \u104b (Rough translation: Myanmar &#8211;<strong>n<\/strong> \/mjanmar\/ All ethnic groups who were the natives of Burma.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As a contradiction one can see also in page 99 of the same book, same volume:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1017\u1019\u102c &#8211; \u1014 \/ \u1017\u1019\u102c \/ \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c \u101f\u1030\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1005\u1000\u102c\u1038\u101c\u1036\u102f\u1038\u1000\u102d\u102f \u101b\u103c\u1010\u1039\u1006\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1001\u105a\u1031\u101d\u105a\u101b\u102c\u104c \u1011\u103c\u1000\u1039\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u101e\u1036\u104b\u00a0\u00a0 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c &#8211; \u1014\u104a \u101c\u100a\u1039\u1038\u101b\u1088\u104b (Rough translation: Bamar &#8211;<strong>n<\/strong> \/Bama\/ The colloquial usage of the word Myanmar. See also Myanmar <strong>n<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p>(2) The Myanmar-English Dictionary, the Department of Myanmar Language Commission, Yangon,1993 , page 311<\/p>\n<p>\u1017\u1019\u102c \/<em>bamar<\/em>\/ <strong>n 1<\/strong> Bamar: Burmese; Burman. <strong>2<\/strong> Same as \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c &#8230;..etc.<\/p>\n<p>But in page 373 of that dictionary the new definition of &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; can also be seen: \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c \u00a0 \/ mjanma \/ <strong>n 1<\/strong> the people of Myanmar. <strong>2 (a) <\/strong>Same as bma<strong> n; <\/strong>Bamar<strong>; (b) <\/strong>(no longer current) Burmese; Burman.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Apart of the above mentioned sources I failed to find any standard literature which provides an explanation of the word &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; as &#8220;People of Burma (Myanmar)&#8221;.\u00a0\u00a0 On the other hand, there are enough literature and sources which state that the word <em>Myanmar<\/em> means the ethnic group, the <em>Bama<\/em>, or the &#8220;Burmese&#8221; and their language only. The following are some sources:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(1) \u1017\u102d\u102f\u101c\u1039\u1039\u1018\u101b\u103d\u1004\u1039\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c \u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u101e\u1019\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1038\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1045\u1040\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1046\u1048\u104b (Bo Ba Shin, The History of the Union of Burma, Rangoon, 1950, p. 68)<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u1000\u103a\u1014\u1039\u1005\u1005\u1039\u101e\u102c\u1038\u104f\u1005\u100a\u1039\u1038\u101c\u1036\u102f\u1038\u1031\u101b\u1038\u101d\u102b\u1012\u104a \u1011\u102d\u102f\u1021\u1001\u102b\u1000 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1021\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1015\u102b\u1021\u101b\u102c\u1031\u101b\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1006\u1036\u102f\u1038\u1031\u101e\u102c \u1021\u1013\u102d\u1000\u101c\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1038\u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038 \u1042 \u1019\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1038\u1019\u103d\u102c \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u101c\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1038\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u103b\u1016\u1005\u1039\u107e\u1000\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rough translation:<\/strong> The Organization Policy of King Kyansittha: At that time there were two most dominant ethnic groups in Burma namely the <strong>Myanmars<\/strong> and the <strong>Mons<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It was also written in page 49:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u1031\u1014\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u101b\u102c\u1031\u1012\u101e\u104f \u1031\u103b\u1019\u102c\u1000\u1039\u101a\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1038\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1010\u1031\u1000\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1038\u107f\u1019\u102d\u1033\u1095\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1017\u101f\u102d\u102f\u103b\u1015\u1033\u1031\u101e\u102c \u101e\u1000\u1039\u101c\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1038\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1095\u104f \u1014\u101a\u1039\u101b\u103d\u102d\u104f\u104b \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1037\u1031\u1012\u101e\u104f\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1018\u1000\u1039\u104c \u1005\u1031\u1000\u102c (\u1000\u101b\u1004\u1039)\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u1005\u102d\u102f\u1038\u101c\u103a\u1000\u1039\u101b\u103d\u102d\u104f\u104b \u1005\u1005\u1039\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1038\u103b\u1019\u1005\u1039\u101d\u103d\u1019\u1039\u1038\u104c\u1000\u102c\u1038 \u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u101c\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u104a \u104e\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1021\u108f\u103c\u101a\u1039\u1010\u1030\u101e\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038 \u1031\u1014\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u101c\u103a\u1000\u1039\u101b\u103d\u102d\u104f\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rough translation: <\/strong> At the north of the place where <strong>Myanmars <\/strong>lived there was the city of Tagaung, the centre of the <strong>Thets (Saks)<\/strong>. At the south of the area of <strong>Myanmar<\/strong>s it was overwhelmingly resided by the <strong>Sgaw<\/strong> (<strong>Karens<\/strong>). In the Sittaung River basin there were <strong>Mons<\/strong> and other ethnic groups related to them.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(2) \u1026\u1038\u1031\u1016\u1031\u1019\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1010\u1004\u1039\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1005\u102c\u1031\u1015\u101e\u1019\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1038\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1046\u1045\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1041\u104b (U Pe Maung Tin, History of Burmese Literature, Rangoon, 1965, p. 1.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1011\u102d\u102f\u1094\u1031\u107e\u1000\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u1011\u102d\u102f\u1031\u1001\u1010\u1039\u1000 \u1015\u103a\u1034\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c\u104a \u1015\u102b\u1020\u102d\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u1000\u102d\u102f \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1021\u1010\u1030\u101e\u1036\u102f\u1038\u1001\u1032\u1037\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1019\u103d\u102c \u1011\u1004\u1039\u101b\u103d\u102c\u1038\u1031\u1015\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rough translation:<\/strong> Therefore it is probably safe to say that at that time (during the Pagan Dynasty) the <strong>Pyu<\/strong> language, the Pali language and <strong>Mon<\/strong> languages were also used simultaneously with the <strong>Myanmar<\/strong> (Burmese) language.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(3) \u1031\u1019\u107f\u1019\u102d\u1033\u1095\u1019\u102d\u102f\u1038\u107e\u1000\u100a\u1039\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1005\u102c\u1031\u1015\u101e\u1019\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u1005\u1039\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1046\u1048\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1041\u1048\u104b (Maymyo Moe Kyi, A New History of the Burmese Literature, Rangoon, 1968, p. 18)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1005\u102c\u1011\u103c\u1004\u1039\u107f\u1015\u102e\u1038\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1037 \u1041\u1041 \u101b\u102c\u1005\u102f\u1019\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1019\u102e\u1000 \u1019\u103d\u1010\u1039\u1010\u1019\u1039\u1038\u1010\u1004\u1039\u1005\u101b\u102c\u101b\u103d\u102d\u1001\u1032\u1037\u101c\u103d\u103a\u1004\u1039 \u1015\u102b\u1020\u102d\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c\u104a \u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c \u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u103b\u1016\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1031\u101b\u1038\u101e\u100a\u1039\u101f\u102f\u00a0\u00a0 \u1019\u103d\u1010\u1039\u101a\u1030\u101b\u1019\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rough translation:<\/strong> Before they have invented their own scripts in the 11th century, the <strong>Myanmars<\/strong> had recorded their inscriptions either in Pali or in <strong>Mon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(4) \u1026\u1038\u101e\u102d\u1014\u1039\u1038\u101f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u103b\u1015\u100a\u1039\u1031\u1011\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1005\u102f\u101e\u1019\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1019\u103d\u1010\u1039\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1045\u1047\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1043\u1045\u104b (U Thein Han, A Brief History of the Union, Rangoon, 1957, p. 35<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1014\u1014\u1039\u1031\u1001\u103a\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1005\u1005\u1039\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1010\u1094\u102d\u102f \u1031\u107e\u1000\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u1015\u103a\u1034\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u1000\u1005\u106a\u1039\u1037\u1000\u101c\u103a\u102c\u1038\u103b\u1016\u1005\u1039\u1031\u1014\u107e\u1000\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1001\u102d\u102f\u1000\u1039\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039\u00a0\u00a0 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u101f\u102f\u1031\u1001\u105a\u1031\u101e\u102c \u101c\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1021\u108f\u103c\u101a\u1039\u101d\u1004\u1039\u1010\u102f\u1094\u102d\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u101e\u1036\u101c\u103c\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1019\u1005\u1039\u1031\u107e\u1000\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1000\u102d\u102f\u101c\u102d\u102f\u1000\u1039\u104d \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1036\u1014\u101a\u1039\u1031\u103b\u1019\u1021\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u101d\u1004\u1039\u101c\u102c \u107e\u1000\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rough translation: <\/strong>While the <strong>Mons<\/strong> and the <strong>Pyus<\/strong> became weak because of the invasion of the soldiers from the kingdom of Nan Chao, the ethnic group of <strong>Myanmars<\/strong> and the other ethnic groups related to the <strong>Myanmars<\/strong> emmigrated to Burma along the Salween River.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(5) \u1031\u1019\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1011\u1004\u1039\u104f\u1021\u1019\u103d\u102c\u1005\u102c\u104a \u1026\u1038\u1010\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1010\u100a\u1039\u1038\u103b\u1016\u1010\u1039\u1031\u101e\u102c \u1026\u1038\u1015\u102f\u100a\u104f \u101c\u1000\u1039\u1031\u101b\u103c\u1038\u1005\u106a\u1039 \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u104a (\u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1016\u1036\u102f\u1038)\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1046\u1048\u104b (Comments of Maung Htin, &#8220;Selected Works of U Ponnya&#8221; (back cover), edited by U Tin Myint, Rangoon 1968)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1026\u1038\u1015\u102f\u100a\u104f\u1005\u102c\u1010\u102f\u1094\u102d\u101e\u100a\u1039\u101c\u1030\u1095\u1018\u101d\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1019\u103d\u1014\u1039\u1031\u1011\u102c\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1015\u101e\u1000\u1032\u1037\u101e\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u103b\u1015\u108f\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u103b\u1001\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1031\u107e\u1000\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u1026\u1038\u1015\u102f\u100a\u104f\u1005\u102c\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1010\u1094\u102d\u102f \u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u101e\u102c \u1006\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1019\u101f\u102f\u1010\u1039\u104b \u1001\u103a\u1004\u1039\u1038\u104a \u1000\u1001\u103a\u1004\u1039\u104a \u1000\u101b\u1004\u1039\u104a \u1000\u101a\u102c\u1038\u104a \u101b\u103d\u1019\u1039\u1038\u104a \u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u104a \u101b\u1001\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039 \u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u101e\u102c\u1006\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1019\u101f\u102f\u1010\u1039\u104a\u101c\u1030\u1095\u1031\u101c\u102c\u1000 \u1010\u101b\u1015\u1039\u101c\u1036\u102f\u1038\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u101c\u100a\u1039\u1038 \u1006\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u1031\u1015\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rough translation:<\/strong> Since U Ponnya&#8217;s works are like the mirror of the life of human beings, his works do not belong only to the <strong>Myanmars<\/strong>, <strong>Chins<\/strong>, <strong>Kachins<\/strong>, <strong>Karens<\/strong>, <strong>Kayahs<\/strong>, <strong>Shans<\/strong>, <strong>Mons<\/strong>, <strong>Rakhines (Arakanese)<a href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\"><strong>[5]<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>etc. but also for all human beings.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In any case, the present author does not share the view of the definition &#8220;<em>Myanmar<\/em> represents all ethnic groups of Burma&#8221;. Here I am obligated to stress three important points:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(1) The traditional Burmese saying of the division of the 101 races or ethnic groups on the world stated \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u101e\u1010\u1071\u104a \u1019\u103c\u1014\u1039\u1031\u101c\u1038\u101d \u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u1000\u102f\u101c\u102c\u1038 \u1046\u1040\u104a \u101b\u103d\u1019\u1039\u1038 \u1043\u1040\u104b which can be roughly translated as &#8220;there are seven groups of <em>Myanmars<\/em>, four groups of Mons, 60 groups of Indians (or Westerners) and 30 groups of Shans&#8221;. So only the seven Myanmar-dialect speaking peoples like the Arakanese (Rakhines), the Tavoyans (Daweithas), Merguians (Beikthas), Inthas, Danus, Yaws etc., and not the other ethnic groups like the Karens, Shans, Mons, Kachins, Chins etc. belong to the main ethnic group of &#8220;Myanmar&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(2) Not only the Burmese, but also the other Myanmar(Burmese)-dialects speaking peoples used the word &#8220;Myanmar or Mranmar&#8221; for themselves too. The Arakanese (Rakhines) used to call themselves \u1019\u101b\u1019\u102c &#8220;Mramar&#8221; until the &#8220;Mrauk-U Dynasty (A.D. 1430-1784). Under these &#8220;Mramars&#8221; they are subdivided into (a) \u101b\u1001\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u101e\u102c\u1038 &#8220;Rakhaing-tha&#8221; meaning the people of &#8220;Rakhaing&#8221; who were the people living in the capital city \u101b\u1001\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039\u107f\u1019\u102d\u1033\u1095 &#8220;Rakhaing-Mro&#8221; or \u1013\u100a\u101d\u1010\u102e <em>Dhanyawadi<\/em> ( \u1031\u103b\u1019\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1026\u1038 Mrauk-U), (b) \u101b\u1019\u1039\u1038\u107f\u1017\u1032\u101e\u102c\u1038 &#8220;Rambree-tha&#8221; meaning the people of \u101b\u1019\u1039\u1038\u107f\u1017\u1032 \u1000\u103c\u107d\u1014\u1039\u1038 Ramree Island or \u101b\u102c\u1019\u102c\u101d\u1010\u102e <em>Rammarwadi<\/em>, (c) \u101e\u1036\u1010\u103c\u1032\u101e\u102c\u1038 &#8220;Thandwe-tha&#8221; meaning people of \u101e\u1036\u1010\u103c\u1032 Thandwe (Sandoway) or \u1012\u103c\u102b\u101b\u102c\u101d\u1010\u102e <em>Dwarawadi<\/em>, the second city then and it&#8217;s province, (d) \u1019\u1014\u1039\u1031\u1021\u102c\u1004\u1039\u101e\u102c\u1038 &#8220;Man-Aung-tha meaning the people of \u1019\u1014\u1039\u1031\u1021\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1000\u103c\u107d\u1014\u1039\u1038 &#8220;Man-Aung&#8221; (Cheduba) Island, or \u1031\u1019\u1003\u101d\u1010\u102e <em>Megawadi<\/em> (e) \u1021\u1031\u1014\u102c\u1000\u1039\u101e\u102c\u1038 &#8220;Anauk-tha&#8221; literal meaning Westerners or &#8220;our compatriots in the west&#8221; in which they mentioned the Rakhaing (Arakanese) who lived in the western part of the Arakanese Kingdom which now became Chittagong District in Bangladesh,<a href=\"#_ftn6\" name=\"_ftnref6\">[6]<\/a> (f) \u1021\u1031\u101b\u103d\u1095\u101e\u102c\u1038 Ashay-tha meaning the Easterners or &#8220;our compatriots in the east&#8221; which included the \u1017\u1019\u102c <em>Bama<\/em> or the Burmese and \u1011\u102c\u1038\u101d\u101a\u1039\u101e\u102c\u1038 Dawei-tha (literally: the people of Tavoy, but here they mean for all people of Tenasserim Province). The \u1017\u1019\u102c <em>Bama<\/em> were sub-divided into \u1015\u102f\u1002\u1036\u101e\u102c\u1038 Pagan-tha (the people of Pagan), \u1021\u101d\u101e\u102c\u1038 Awa-tha (the people of Ava), \u103b\u1015\u100a\u1039\u101e\u102c\u1038 Pre-tha (the people of Prome or Pyay), \u1031\u1010\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1004\u1030\u101e\u102c\u1038 Toungoo-tha (the people of Toungoo). Here are some sources:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(a) \u101b\u1001\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039 \u1006\u101b\u102c\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u104a \u1013\u100a\u101d\u1010\u102e\u1021\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u1015\u1036\u102f\u104a \u103b\u1019\u1014\u1039\u1019\u102c\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1021\u1031\u101b\u1038\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u1015\u1036\u102f\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1046\u1047\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1047\u1046\u104b<\/p>\n<p>(Rakhaing Sayadaw, Dhanyawadi A-yedaw-bon, in Myanmar Minmyar A-yedaw-bon, (Original writing in 18th century), Rangoon (reprinted 1967, p. 76)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1021\u101b\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u103b\u1019\u1010\u1039\u104a \u1019\u101b\u1019\u102c\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1000\u102f\u101c\u102c\u1038\u101e\u100a\u1039 \u101c\u1030\u103b\u1001\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u102c\u1010\u1030\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104a \u1005\u102d\u1010\u1039\u1001\u103a\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1019\u1010\u1030\u1015\u102b\u104b \u1019\u101b\u1019\u102c\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u1019\u102d\u101b\u102f\u102d\u1038\u1016\u101c\u102c \u1021\u101a\u1030 \u1021\u1000\u103a\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u1019\u103d\u102c \u1018\u102f\u101b\u102c\u1038 \u1010\u101b\u102c\u1038 \u101e\u1036\u1003\u102c \u1024\u101e\u1036\u102f\u1038\u1015\u102b\u1038\u101b\u1010\u1014\u102c\u103b\u1019\u1010\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1005\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1011\u102d\u1019\u1039\u1038\u1019\u103d\u101e\u102c \u101e\u102c\u101e\u1014\u102c\u1010\u100a\u1039\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b \u101a\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u102d\u102f\u1094\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1010\u101b\u102c\u1038\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037 \u1000\u102f\u101c\u102c\u1038\u1021\u101a\u1030\u1019\u1010\u1030\u1031\u1001\u103a\u104b \u1013\u102c\u1010\u1039\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u1031\u1019\u103c\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1021\u106a\u1065\u1065\u101c\u102e \u101c\u1000\u1039\u1021\u102f\u1015\u1039\u1001\u103a\u102e\u1019\u102d\u103b\u1004\u102c\u1038\u1021\u1036\u1037\u104a \u101c\u1000\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f\u103b\u1016\u1010\u1039\u1015\u1005\u1039\u1031\u1005\u104a \u101a\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u102d\u102f\u1094 \u1000\u102f\u101c\u102c\u1038\u1018\u102f\u101b\u102c\u1038\u1021\u1019\u103d\u102c\u1000\u103a\u1019\u1039\u1038\u1002\u1036\u101b\u103d\u102d\u101e\u100a\u1039\u1006\u102d\u102f\u104d\u1021\u101a\u1030\u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u1031\u1014\u101e\u1030\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038 \u103b\u1016\u1005\u1039\u1015\u102b\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rough translation:<\/strong> &#8220;Your Majesty, we, the <em>Mramars<a href=\"#_ftn7\" name=\"_ftnref7\"><strong>[7]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> and they, the <em>Kalas <\/em>(here Bengali Muslims) are same only in one fact that both races are human beings but we are very different in mentality. We, <em>Mramars<\/em> traditionally believe in &#8220;the three gems&#8221; namely Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, but they don&#8217;t have this kind of faith. They said: It was written in their scriptures that if one worshiped the statues and relics, his (or her) hand should be cut off. It were the wish of their god&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(b) \u1019\u101f\u102c\u1015\u100a\u102c\u1031\u1000\u103a\u102c\u1039\u1031\u101c\u103d\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1011\u1036\u102f\u1038\u104a \u101f\u1036\u101e\u102c\u101d\u1010\u102e\u1015\u1036\u102f\u108f\u103d\u102d\u1015\u1039\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1000\u1039\u104a \u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1046\u1044\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1045\u1044\u104b (Maha Pyinyagyaw Shaukhton, Hanthawaddy Press, Rangoon, 1964, p. 54.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u101b\u102f\u1036\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1000\u102f\u102d\u101a\u1039\u1010\u102d\u102f\u1004\u1039 \u101c\u1000\u1039\u1031\u1006\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1015\u100f\u1070\u102c\u1021\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038 \u101e\u1031\u1018\u1064\u102c \u1041\u1040\u1040 \u108f\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1037\u101c\u102c\u1031\u101b\u102c\u1000\u1039\u1006\u1000\u1039\u101e\u107f\u1015\u102e\u1038\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1039 \u1019\u101b\u1019\u102c\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u101e\u1004\u1039\u104d \u1031\u103b\u1001\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u101b\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039 \u1000\u103c\u107d\u1014\u1039\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u1001\u1036\u1015\u102b\u1019\u100a\u1039\u1031\u101c\u103d\u103a\u102c\u1000\u1039\u107f\u1015\u102e\u1038 \u101b\u102f\u1036\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u102c\u1038\u1021\u101c\u1010\u1039 \u101b\u103d\u102c\u1021\u101c\u1004\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1005\u101e\u1036\u102f\u1038\u101b\u1014\u1039 \u1000\u103c\u107d\u1014\u1039 \u1041\u1040\u1040\u1040 \u1031\u1015\u1038\u1021\u1015\u1039\u1011\u102c\u1038\u1001\u1032\u1037\u107f\u1015\u102e\u1038\u1019\u103d \u101b\u102f\u1036\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038 \u103b\u1015\u1014\u1039\u1031\u101c\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b\u00a0\u00a0 \u103b\u1015\u100a\u1039\u1037\u101b\u103d\u1004\u1039\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u1000\u101c\u100a\u1039\u1038 \u101b\u102f\u1036\u1019\u1004\u1039\u1038\u101e\u102c\u1038\u101b\u103d\u102c\u1021\u101c\u1004\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1005\u102c\u1038\u1031\u1000\u103a\u1038 \u1000\u102f\u101c\u102c\u1038\u101b\u103c\u102c \u1031\u1002\u102b\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1015\u101c\u1085\u1004\u1039\u1000\u102d\u102f \u1031\u1015\u1038\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u1019\u1030\u103b\u1015\u102e\u1038\u1019\u103d \u1021\u1019\u1010\u1039\u1080\u1000\u102e\u1038\u101e\u102d\u102f\u1094\u1021\u1015\u1039\u1031\u1010\u102c\u1039\u1019\u1030\u104d \u1019\u101b\u1019\u102c\u1018\u102c\u101e\u102c\u1021\u1000\u1061\u101b\u102c \u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1000\u102d\u102f \u101e\u1004\u1039\u1031\u1015\u1038\u1031\u1005\u101e\u100a\u1039\u104b<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Translation:<\/strong> The Sultan of Roang came personally with 100 ships, presented the tributes and promised to be loyal and to become a tributary state (of Arakan). He left his second son, Prince Shah Ali together with 1000 subjects to study <em>Mramar <\/em>language and its literature. The royal monarch (King Min Phalaung of Arakan) rewarded the Roang prince, Shah Ali with the <em>Kala<\/em> (Bengali) village called Gaw-taw-palin. The minister (Maha Pyinyagyaw) was assigned to teach them <em>Mramar<\/em> language.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(3) In the past the Mons, the Shans, the Karens etc. never used to mention themselves as &#8220;Myanmars&#8221; and one can&#8217;t make an illusion that they will mention it in the future. The Mons call the Burmese &#8220;Mirma&#8221; and the Shans (Tais) call the Burmese &#8220;Man&#8221; which are their versions of &#8220;Myanmar&#8221;. In other words, in the understanding of the other ethnic groups in Burma who do not use Myanmar-dialects, the terminology &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; means only for the &#8220;Burmese&#8221; and not even for the Rakhines and Tavoyans.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I believe that the former BSPP government as well as the present military government (SLORC) wanted to invent a new political definition, in imitation of the terms either &#8220;Thai&#8221; for all citizens of Thailand or &#8220;Indian&#8221; for all citizens of India regardless of their ethnic groups, and in this way they hoped to replace the terms &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; and &#8220;Bamar&#8221; for the confused terms the &#8220;Burmese&#8221; and the &#8220;Burmans&#8221;. It is too early to say whether this desire will be successful or not, we have to wait and see. In the past, the Burmese government during the Japanese occupation, the so-called independent government headed by Dr. Ba Maw, attempted to introduce the term &#8220;Maha-Bama&#8221; (Greater Burmese) for all ethnic groups of Burma but their attempt failed.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Rangoon or Yangon?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>According to the pagoda legend of the famous Shwe Dagon Pagoda the town was called &#8220;Okkalapa&#8221; during the time of lord Buddha. Since lower Burma was traditionally subjected to the Mon kings the town was, no doubt, a Mon town. The Mons called it &#8220;Tigum&#8221; and the Karens called it &#8220;Tergu&#8221;. The Burmese called the town with their own pronunciation &#8220;Dagon&#8221; until the conquest of the town by the Burmese king Alaung Phaya <em>alias <\/em>U Aung Zeya in 1754. Alaung Phaya changed the name to\u101b\u1014\u1039\u1000\u102f\u1014\u1039 &#8220;Yangon&#8221; meaning &#8220;all enemies are gone&#8221;. Since that time that habour town was known as &#8220;Yangon&#8221;. Though the literal pronunciation of the Burmese script \u101b is &#8220;Ra&#8221; the Burmese normally do not enunciate the &#8220;Ra&#8221; but only the sound &#8220;Ya&#8221;, same as in the preceding script \u101a &#8220;ya&#8221;, unless the script \u101b was written in the original Pali texts where they do have to pronounce &#8220;Ra&#8221;. Therefore the town is always pronounced &#8220;Yangon&#8221; although it is written as &#8220;Rangon&#8221;. The Arakanese who really enunciate the script \u101b &#8220;Ra&#8221;, on the other hand, always call the city &#8220;Ran-gon&#8221;. The British in India who used to have contact only with the Arakanese as &#8220;native speakers&#8221; of the Burmese language called the city &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; in their own version of the Arakanese pronunciation &#8220;Ran-gon&#8221;. Later when Burma was annexed by the British they made &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; the capital of Burma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It is very funny that the Burmese (including the present author though he is an Arakanese) always pronounce their city &#8220;Yangon&#8221; whenever they speak in Burmese, however, they automatically switch to &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; whenever they speak in English.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Colonel Henry Yule wrote in &#8220;Hobson-Jobson&#8221; (first published 1886):<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rangoon<\/strong>, n.p. Burm. <em>Ran-gun<a href=\"#_ftn8\" name=\"_ftnref8\"><strong>[8]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> , said to mean &#8216; War-end&#8217;; the chief town and port of Pegu. The great Pagoda in its immediate neighbourhood had long been famous under the name of <strong>Dagon <\/strong>(q.v.), but there was no town in modern times till Rangoon was founded by Alompra<a href=\"#_ftn9\" name=\"_ftnref9\">[9]<\/a> during his conquest of Pegu, in 1755. The name probably had some kind of international assonance to <em>Da-gun<\/em>, whilst it &#8220;proclaimed his forecast of the immediate destruction of his enemies&#8221;. Occupied by the British forces in May 1824, and again, taken by storm, in 1852, Rangoon has since the latter date been the capital, first of the British province of Pegu, and latterly of British Burma. It is now a flourishing port with a population of 134,176 (1881); [in 1891 180,324].<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the light of the above explanations we can see clearly that &#8220;Yangon&#8221; is not the Burmanization of &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; instead &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; was the Anglicized term based on the Arakanese pronunciation of the correct word &#8220;Yangon&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the transcription or transliteration of the Anglicized pronunciation of name of other towns are changed back to their original pronunciation. The following are some examples:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Original name<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Former transcription<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>New transcription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1031\u100a\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1010\u1036\u102f\u1038 (Nyaungdon)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Yandoon<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Nyaungdon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1011\u102c\u1038\u101d\u101a\u1039 (Dawei)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Tavoy<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Dawei<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u101e\u1036\u1010\u103c\u1032\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(Thandwe)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Sandoway<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Thandwe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1031\u1019\u102c\u1039\u101c\u107f\u1019\u102d\u1033\u1004\u1039 (Mawlamyaing)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Moulmein<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Mawlamyaing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u101e\u102c\u101a\u102c\u101d\u1010\u102e (Thayawadi)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Tharrawaddy<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Thayawadi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u103b\u1015\u100a\u1039 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(Pye)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Prome<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Pye<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, not only the SLORC but also U Nu&#8217;s Government and even the &#8220;Independent Government&#8221; under the Japanese occupation headed by Dr. Ba Maw either changed or renamed back to the original name of some cities and streets which were either in foreign names or their original names were changed by the British Colonial Government to honour some British aristocrats and colonial officers. The only difference between the act of U Nu&#8217;s Government and the SLORC is: Although U Nu&#8217;s Government changed or renamed the cities and streets formally, that government was never strict in the usage either in colloquial or even in official media, so it was not so noticible like the changes done by the SLORC because the SLORC strickly reinforced the new names. Apart of that, U Nu&#8217;s Government was a democratically free-elected government, hence, nobody raised complaints. The following are two types of examples of the names which were changed or renamed under U Nu&#8217;s Era. Type A; the new names were totally accepted both in colloquial and official usages and type B; the names were officially changed, unfortunately, however, the colonial name remained either in colloquial usage or in the English language used in Burma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Type A:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Original name<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Nameunder\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>British Rule<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Post-Independence Era<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1000\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1000\u1061\u1019\u102e (Kyaikhami) <em>Mon<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Amherst<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kyaikkhami<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1031\u103b\u1019\u1011\u1032\u00a0\u00a0 (Mye-hte) <em>Burmese<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Alan<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Aunglan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1031\u1000\u102c\u1037\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1004\u1039 (Kho Song) <em>Thai <\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Victoria Point<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Kaw Thaung<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1015\u1030\u1010\u102c\u1021\u102d\u102f\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (Puta-o) <em>Kachin<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Fort Hertz<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Pu Ta O<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u103b\u1015\u1004\u1039\u1026\u1038\u101c\u103c\u1004\u1039 (Pyin-u-lwin) <em>Shan<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">May Myo (May City)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Pyin U Lwin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1015\u1014\u1039\u1038\u1006\u102d\u102f\u1038\u1010\u1014\u1039\u1038\u101c\u1019\u1039\u1038(Pansodan Street) <em>Burmese<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Phayre Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Pansodan Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">B.A.A Stadium<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Aung San Stadium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">U.B.A.A Stadium<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Ba Htoo Stadium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Queen Victoria Park<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Maha Bandoola Park<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Dufferin Hospital\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Central Women Hospital<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Dalhousie Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Maha Bandoola Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Montgomery Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">General Aung San Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Fraser Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Anawratha Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Sparks Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Bo Aung Gyaw Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Type B:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Colonial Name<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>New Name<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Colloquial\/Foreigners Slang<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">Scott Market<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Bogyoke Aung San Market<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Bogyoke Market\/Scott Market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">Godwin Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Lanmadaw Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Gawdwin-Lan\/Godwin Road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">Campbell Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Ngatatkyi Pagoda Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Kinbai-lan\/Campbell Rd.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">Moguhl Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Shwebontha Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Mago-lan\/Moguhl Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Names changed by Dr. Ba Maw&#8217;s Govt: during Second World War:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(Source: Ludu U Hla \u101e\u1010\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u102c\u1038\u1031\u103b\u1015\u102c\u103b\u1015\u1010\u1032\u1037 \u1005\u1005\u1039\u1021\u1010\u103c\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1017\u1019\u102c\u103b\u1015\u100a\u1039 \u1010\u1010\u102d\u101a\u1010\u103c\u1032\u104a \u1019\u108f\u1074\u1031\u101c\u1038\u104a \u1041\u1049\u1046\u1048\u104a \u1005\u102c\u1019\u103a\u1000\u1039\u108f\u103d\u102c \u1042\u1049\u1040 &#8211; \u1042\u1049\u1043\u00a0\u00a0 \u104b &#8220;Burma during the War, as written in news papers&#8221;, vol: 3, Mandalay, 1968, pp.290-293)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Group A. (Names also accepted by U Nu&#8217;s Govt: in 1948)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Original name<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>Name under\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>British Rule<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\"><strong>New Name<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u1000\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1000\u1061\u1019\u102e (Kyaikhami) <em>Mon<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Amherst<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kyaikkhami<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1031\u103b\u1019\u1011\u1032 (Mye-hte) <em>Burmese<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Alan<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Mye-hte\/Aunglan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1031\u1000\u102c\u1037\u1031\u101e\u102c\u1004\u1039 (Kho Song) <em>Thai <\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Victoria Point<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Kaw Thaung<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u101e\u1036\u1010\u103c\u1032 (Thandwe) <em>Arakanese<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Sandoway<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Thandwe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u103b\u1015\u1004\u1039\u1026\u1038\u101c\u103c\u1004\u1039(Pyin-u-lwin) <em>Shan<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">May Myo (May City)<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Pyin U Lwin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\">\u1015\u1014\u1039\u1038\u1006\u102d\u102f\u1038\u1010\u1014\u1039\u1038\u101c\u1019\u1039\u1038 (Pansodan Street) <em>Burmese<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Phayre Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Pansodan Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Stockade Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Theinbyu Road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Morton Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Lanthit Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Godwin Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Lanmadaw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Campbell Road\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ngahtatkyi Pagoda Rd.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Dalhousie Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Maha Bandoola Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Thompson Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Botahtaung Pagoda Rd.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Fraser Street<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Anawratha Street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"224\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Golden Valley Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"224\">Shwetaungyar Rd.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Group B (Names not accepted by U Nu&#8217;s Govt: in 1948)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"336\"><strong>British name<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"336\"><strong>Changed name<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"336\">Scott Market<\/td>\n<td width=\"336\">Yan Naing Market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"336\">Montgomery Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"336\">Yan Naing Road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"336\">Windermere Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"336\">Bodigon Road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"336\">Goodliffe Road<\/td>\n<td width=\"336\">Lutlatye Road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Analysis of the Complaints:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If we carefully scrutinize all available authentic historical facts we have to admit that &#8220;Burma&#8221; and &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; are identical, &#8220;Yangon&#8221; is the correct word and &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; is only the anglicized form. Even though some people are still complaining! How come? The answer is clear! This military junta (SLORC) had a very bad image and reputation in the internal as well as in the international media. They came to power through a blood shed &#8220;coup&#8221; and an image which worsened after the 1990 elections when they refused to surrender power to the winning party. International pressure, too, grew and became harsher and reached its peak because the opposition leader and the winner of 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Burma&#8217;s national hero Gen. Aung San was put into house arrest since July1989. The SLORC stubbornly refused to release her from house arrest. Only in July 1995 they released her unexpectedly and unconditionally. It has been accused that there were military abuses and human rights violations of the SLORC against civilians and ethnic minorities. These news were vehemently denied by the SLORC. Anyway, international media maintains that these myths were true. As a result, many people became very antagonistic towards the SLORC. What ever the SLORC does, whether it is correct or not, is wrong for them.\u00a0\u00a0 This is the destiny of the SLORC.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Had the free elected Burmese government under U Nu changed those names in 1948, just after independence, it would have been no problem for every one. Even the Revolutionary Council could have changed the names in 1962. Nobody would have argued against it because at that time Gen. Ne Win and his followers had a good reputation and were trusted by the people. However, both governments failed to do so. The SLORC changed the names at a very critical moment. No wonder those complaints evolved!!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When one compares between the two neighbors, Thailand and Burma, Thailand never became a colony unlike Burma. Though Thailand too, has many ethnic groups, and both countries share most of the ethnic minorities, in Thailand neither minority problems evolved clearly like in Burma nor those minorities&#8217; rights issue was and is amplified and disseminated by the foreigners.\u00a0\u00a0 Therefore, it can not be ruled out that the main cause of those problems can be either the &#8220;side effect&#8221; of the colonialism or one of the results of the &#8220;Divide and Rule&#8221; policy of the British<a href=\"#_ftn10\" name=\"_ftnref10\">[10]<\/a> .<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Another possible reason is: Thailand has a ruling monarch. In Thailand everybody is supposed to be the subject of H. R. M the Thai king and everybody, including the ruling generals, has to obey his royal oders. Burma, unfortunately, has no longer a monarch, and therefore there is nobody &#8220;he who has a divine right and he who should be respected and obeyed&#8221;. Therefore some minor problems can be enlarged by some foreigners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the meantime the Burmanization of the SLORC is also going too far and sometimes it really violates the rights of the minorities. Actually, it is nothing wrong if they introduce the transcription for the correct Burmese pronunciation only to the pure Burmese towns. China had done similar action such as Peking to Beijing, India has changed Bombay to Mumbai etc. Unfortunately, however, the SLORC has also changed the transcription not only to the pure Burmese towns, but also for the name of the non-Burmese towns of the ethnic minorities into Burmanized pronunciation. The following are some examples:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"168\">Name in Burmese<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Former transcription<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Original Pronunciation<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">New transcription<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"168\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u101e\u102e\u1031\u1015\u102b\u00a0\u00a0 (Thibaw)<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hsipaw<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hsipaw <em>Shan<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Thibaw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"168\">\u1015\u102f\u101e\u102d\u1014\u1039 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(Pathein)<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Bassein<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Passein <em>Mon<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Pathein<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"168\">\u1010\u102e\u1038\u1010\u102d\u1014\u1039\u00a0\u00a0 (Tee Dain)<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Tiddim<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Tiddim <em>Chin<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Tee Dain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"168\">\u1000\u103a\u102d\u1033\u1004\u1039\u1038\u1010\u1036\u102f (Kyaington)<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Kengtung<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Kentun <em>Shan<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Kyaington<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"168\">\u1031\u100a\u102c\u1004\u1039\u1031\u101b\u108a<\/p>\n<p>(Nyaungshwe)<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Yaungmwe<\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Yaunmwe <em>Shan<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"168\">Nyaungshwe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the above mentioned cases the SLORC deserves to get critics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>VII. Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion I like to point out the main parts of my paper:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(1) &#8220;Burma&#8221; and &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; are identical. It is like Deutschland and Germany. Therefore &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; represents the entire territory of &#8220;Burma&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(2) The words &#8220;the Burmese&#8221; and &#8220;the Burman&#8221; both mean the majority ethnic group, the <em>Bamas<\/em>. Neither the word &#8220;the Burmese&#8221; nor &#8220;the Burman&#8221; represents other ethnic groups apart of <em>Bamas<\/em>. The words &#8220;the Burmese&#8221; and &#8220;the Burman&#8221; were created by the foreigners unnecessarily.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(3) The definition &#8220;the term Myanmar represents all citizens of Myanmar (Burma)&#8221; is a new definition created during the BSPP Era. Most probably it is an attempt to attain national unity. It is too early to say whether this &#8220;attempt&#8221; will be successful or not. One has to wait and see. However, the present author personally doubts whether this &#8220;attempt&#8221; will be successful.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(4) &#8220;Yangon&#8221; is the real word for the city and is the correct pronunciation in the Burmese language. &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; is only the British version of &#8220;Yangon&#8221; by adapting the pronunciation in the Rakhine (Arakanese) dialect. The Arakanese pronunciation of that city is &#8220;Ran-gon&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(5) Any way, in this essay I took the liberty to use the word &#8220;Burma&#8221; instead of &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; for the country, the Burmese (Burman) for the <em>Bamas<\/em>, the biggest ethnic group, and &#8220;Burmese&#8221; for the language though Myanma is the real and correct words in the native language. Also other &#8220;anglicized&#8221; words like &#8220;Rangoon&#8221; instead of the correct word &#8220;Yangon&#8221; are used because these words are internationally known and established.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(6) The complaints and arguments evolved because the changes were done by the government whose reputation is very bad in the internal and international media.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(7) In the meantime the Burmanization of the SLORC is also going too far and sometimes it really violates the rights of the minorities and this kind of act should be condemned.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See and compare Maung Win Shein, <em>Economic, Social and Political Changes in Burma (1886-1940)<\/em>, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, 1987, p. 13, where it was written: &#8220;Burmese&#8221; or &#8220;Burmans&#8221; were used for the citizens of Burma. Before independence, generally the term &#8220;Burmese&#8221; was used in referring to the dominant ethnic group and &#8220;Burman&#8221; was used in referring to all citizens of Burma, but after independence, the practice was reversed. Therefore at present, oficially the term &#8220;Burmese&#8221; is used in referring to all citizens of Burma and the term &#8220;Burman&#8221; is used in referring to the ethnic group&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The present author does not share this view because Sir James George Scott <em>alias<\/em> Shway Yoe used the term &#8220;Burman&#8221; in referring only to the largest ethnic group the <em>Bamas<\/em> in his famous book with the title &#8220;The Burman&#8221;(first published in 1882).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Till now, the Karens called the Burmese &#8220;Pio&#8221;. In the early days the Arakanese used to call the Burmese &#8220;Pru&#8221; (Pyu). Later they named the Burmese &#8220;Ashay-tha&#8221; meaning the Easterners. The Arakanese Chronicles stated &#8220;The king of Prus (Pyus) came together with 90000 Pru (Pyu) soldiers &#8220;. In that way they recorded the Burmese king Aniruda&#8217;s (Anawrahta&#8217;s) invasion of the Northern Arakan. See also U Ba Than, History of Burma (in Burmese), reprinted 1966, p. 57.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kachins?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Po-Karens? Pegu-Karens?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\">[5]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There are two variations of the spelling, namely Rakhaing or Rakhine. The Arakanese favour the spelling Rakhaing, however, the official spelling use by the Burmese Government is Rakhine. Therefore both terms are used in this paper.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref6\" name=\"_ftn6\">[6]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Till now the Arakanese or Rakhines living in Chittagong District in Bangladesh and Tripura in India are named Anauk-tha by the Arakanese or Rakhines living in the Rakhine State (Arakan) of Burma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref7\" name=\"_ftn7\">[7]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Here the word &#8220;Mramars&#8221; means mainly the Arakanese (Rakhines).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref8\" name=\"_ftn8\">[8]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Either Arakanese pronunciation or literal pronunciation in Burmese.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref9\" name=\"_ftn9\">[9]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Either Arakanese pronunciation or literal pronunciation in Burmese of King Alaungphaya.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref10\" name=\"_ftn10\">[10]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 During the era of the Burmese kings, though there weresome minority problems too, these were not as big as after the post-colonial era. Most princes and chieftains of the minorities had no objection to become the subject of the Burmese kings. The only two ethnic groups who were not subjected to the Burmese kings until the middle of the 18th century were the Mons and the Arakanese because they used to have their own kingdoms. Even the British who emphasizes the importance of the minority rights in Burma in the post-colonial era and especially in the post-independence era, never thought about the minority rights before they occupied Burma. There were documents that the British viceroy in India wanted to sign a border treaty with the Burmese king of Ava, Bodaw U Waing, at the beginning of the 19th century by recognizing all modern territories of Burma plus some tributary states of the then Burmese empire. The British crushed the Arakanese rebels who fought against the Burmese king and stationed on the British soil. The British authorities captured them and surrendered them to the then Burmese Royal Army. All of them were either killed or tortured!!<\/p>\n<p>When the British occupied Burma they totally ignored the rights of the Mons and the Arakanese. Nor they took into consideration that these two peoples used to have their own kingdoms. Ironically, Mon and Arakanese territories were administered under &#8220;Burma Proper&#8221;.\u00a0\u00a0 However, other territories ruled by princes and chieftains, who were subjected to the Burmese kings were put under &#8220;Frontier Areas of Burma&#8221;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Khin Maung Saw &#8211; Burma or Myanmar? Burmese or Burman? Rangoon or Yangon? \u00a0 Introduction: \u00a0 In May 1989 the present ruling military junta called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) reintroduced back the indigenous name &#8220;Myanmar&#8221; for&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2014\/11\/khin-maung-saw-burma-or-myanmar-burmese-or-burman-rangoon-or-yangon\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[29],"tags":[77],"class_list":["post-679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-the-records","tag-khin-maung-saw"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/map_burma.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3RDLm-aX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=679"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":681,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions\/681"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}