Burma: Ethnic Diversity, Conflict and Change

"A recent photographic exhibition in Stockholm Sweden shed light on their plight and the consequences their people face when daring to speak out for justice and human rights."

Officially , there are 135 ethnic groups in Burma, with nearly as many languages among them.  But the government and military is dominated by the largest ethnic group—the Burman.

Photographer and Burma minorities expert Richard K Diran is in Stockholm with his  photo exhibition called The Vanishing Tribes of Burma, which started out as a book.

”When the book was published in 1997 many of these tribes were on the threshold of vanishing, but hadn’t yet vanished. Now in 2014 many of the customs and traditions of these people have truly vanished entirely.”

There are a number of reasons for this, says Richard K Diran

”Everybody wants to join the fabric of the world. And it’s a lot easier wearing store bought clothes than it is weaving your own cloth. Another reason is of course in the remote areas, the” black areas” as they are known there was a lot of rebel activity and people just didn’t have time to preserve their cultures when they’re dodging bullets.”

While a number of ethnic groups have thinned out due to war and emigration, many

People from ethnic minorities have moved to the capital Yangon.

Many have joined forces with the pro-democracy movement, to push, not only for their rights as a minority group, but for both human rights and a new more democratic constitution.

The photo exhibition in Sweden included a forum on human rights led by two former political prisoners.

Zin Mauaung came from eastern Shan state to Yangon to study, and soon became an pro-democracy activist. A year later she was arrested.

”I was sent to the prison in 1998, September. After 11 years I was released.”

Nine of those years were spent in solitary confinement.

Finally set free, her rights as a citizen were restricted.

”As an ex-political prisoner all of the university do not allow the ex-political prisoner to have formal education. We’re just allowed to attend the distance university.”

That road closed, Zin’s efforts now are focused on raising awareness among women about their rights. 

She works together with Pho Tet a young author who has started women tea groups in Yangon. 

These tea group  gatherings have become an informal  meeting place for women to discuss politics, without raising eyebrows.

”Some admire our organisation, but it was a little bit scary. Especially husband and boyfriend,  and they don’t want to send their women to our organisation. In the future I think they must change.”

Zin Mauaung believes a key to united the country and its diverse ethnic groups, lies in language.

” If we can change the education system and develop ethnic language as a subject in the education system, that would be helpful to reach national reconciliation and to help us understand each other more.”

After 30 years studying and photographing more than 100 ethnic groups in Burma  Richard K Diran says that national reconciliation between the different ethnic groups is the key to Burma’s future.

”How the Burmese government reacts to all these different groups and either weaves them into the tapestry of the nation or excludes them. That’s going to depend on their success or failure in the future.”

• Burma
• ethnic
• photographic exhibition
• Richard K Diran
• Ric Wasserman