Story+3-Zin

Zin's Story

__ ・Information about Myanmar __

Republic of the Union of Myanmar



 * Capital City:** Naypyidaw
 * Languages:** Burmese, and others minority ethnic languages.
 * Area:** 676,578 km²
 * Population:** 48.8 million (IMF, 2008)
 * Ethnic groups:** Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%.
 * Religions:** Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%.

**Other Information**
- Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia between Thailand, Laos, China, Bangladesh, and India - Rich in precious stones, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. - Being the 40th largest country and 25th most populated. - It is famous as Golden Land, because of glittering golden religious buildings everywhere. - The country has been under military control since 1962.

**Resource**
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__ ・Information on the refugee situation there __

Data
(As at Januari 2013)
 * Refugees :** 415,343
 * Assylum Seekers :** 25,621
 * Internally Displaced Person :** 430,400

**Overview**
The greatest challenge Myanmar faces in the process of nation-today is integrating the ethnic minorities of the country in the mainstream. Myanmar’s diverse ethnic population is a result of the country’s strategic location, shared borders with China in the northeast, India in northwest, Bangladesh on West and Laos and Thailand on east. The result is Burmese have eight main ethnic groups with unique languages such as the Chin, Kachin, Karen, Kayah (Karenni), Mon, Rakhine, and Shan, and Rohingya.



**Political Background**
- In 1962, military leader General Ne Win staged a coup and took power, oppressed the people, the economy crumbled >> Large outflow of refugees - In 1988 Many revolts and peaceful protestsfor democracy >> Many were killed, and more left the country as refugees - In 2007, Saffron revolution, the government fuel prices, and protests led by Buddhist monks was crushed down >> More fled to neighbour countries as refugees - Conflict with ethnic groups, 60% of the land is ethnic states bordering Burma >> Many fled to Thailand, Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia to seek asylum or as refugees.

Refugees condition
Most of refugees from Burma resettled in the US for the third country. Refugees in Malaysia : 20,000 to 25,000 Chin refugees live in Malaysia, mostly young men. Myanmar’s ethnic conflict is the world’s longest running conflict. Regional groupings like ASEAN and BIMSTEC and external agencies like the UNHCR must take an initiative to assist Myanmar in resolving this crisis. A more proactive role by the government is needed, though, to ensure the success of these efforts. For the first time in four decades, the government in Myanmar has understood that a military solution is not the way to go in solving the ethnic issue. It is more of a problem of identity and autonomy and can only be solved by developmental and political initiatives and including the ethnic minorities in the mainstream.

Resouces
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__ ・Transcription of the Zin's Stroy __

media type="custom" key="23280512"

Hello, my name is Bik Nei Zin. I’m sixteen years old. I’m going to tell about my remembrance of Myanmar. I have many friends in Myanmar. In Myanmar, I was born in a small house, but it was tidy and I was very happy in that house. A few years, we moved to other house that was a little bigger than the first one. In front of my house, there was a big field. When I went home from school, there were lots of people playing football in that field. So, before I arrive home, I play in the field with my friends. In Myanmar, there were many stars at night, so after having our dinner, we walked around the field and lay on the grass, and looked the stars and calmed down with my friends. Sometimes my father told us a story. I was very happy listening to the story and playing with my friends. When I’m older, me and my family visited to the village where my mom born and visited my grandparents. I was very happy to visit there. Because before we arrived to the village, we can see the mountains and the farm. It was very beautiful. We ride bicycle to went there. When we arrived there my grandparents came and feed us. I had a big brother who stayed with my grandparents. I follow him when he went to the farms, and we played along the way to home. I was very happy in Myanmar and I miss the place where I lived and my grandparents, my relative and my friends. I hope they are fine and we will meet again in the future. Thank you very much. I hope you will enjoy my story.

Other Information
Zin came to Malaysia in 2010. She does not understand too much about why she must left Myanmar, but she said it was because of the soldier. She had studied at Asian School before she came to Dignity Learning Center. Zin's father passed away in 2007, but she lives happilly with her mother, older sister, and 2 younger sisters in Hang Tuah, Malaysia. She likes her school, her friends, also she is interested in math, drawing, and photography. However, she missed her hometown where she had already lived there for 13 years and studied until the 7th grade before she moved. Her first languange is Chin, the second one is Myanmar, and English as the third one. She hopes to go to United States, the third country, to study engineering.

__ ・Full Transcription of the interview (Zin's story) __

media type="custom" key="23396130" (Nana, Zin, Karla with big smile ;)

Zin (Z) Interviewer A (A) Interviewer B (B)

A :Hi, what is your name? Z : Hi, my name is Bik Nei Zing A : Where are you from? Z : I’m from Myanmar, and this is my 3rd year in Malaysia. A : Can you tell us about your story? Z : Oh, ya.. I just arrived from Myanmar with our family. **I have been in Malaysia since 2010.** A : **How old are you** ? Z : **Go into 16th** A : And your **family** are in Myanmar or Malaysia? Z : **Malaysia**.. A : Stay here? Z : Ya. **I also live with them.** A : Are you happy live in Malaysia? Z : Ya, ya. A : Do you want to go back to Myanmar? Z : Oh, **I hope to go to the 3rd country.** A : Is there any country that you want go to? Z : I am hoping to go to the third country, **I would like to go to United State.** A : Why? Z : **I want to study there.** A : What course that you interest in? Z : **Math.**I like Math A : So, you learn ini this learning centre about Math? Z : Ya. A : Next question, Nana? She is from Japan, and I am from Indonesia Z : Oh, okay B : Yes, I’m Nana. How do you feel when you moved out from your country, Myanmar? Z : **I miss Myanmar, I miss where I stayed.** Ya, I miss a lot. B : What things do you miss of Myanmar? Z : Hm..Ya, food, place. B : What the taste about Myanmar food? Is it similiar to Malaysian food? Z : Ya, similiar. Nasi lemak, we eat also nasi lemak, but not the curry one. And steam rice, potatoes in Myanmar. B : I think it’s more healthy than Malaysian. Z : Ya. A : So, **you are in Myanmar for 13 years**? Z : Yes. A : And have you been **had school in Myanmar**? Z : Yes, **until grade 7th**. B : How do you feel, this school, is it good? Z : Ya, good. **Before I come this school, I went to Asian school** and after that, I come to this school. B : Ya, there are some Myanmar friends. A : Have you ever taken to the interesting places in Malaysia? Z : Yes, like Sunway, Batu Caves. I have a camera class, some teacher take us to the place to take picture. I think there are from Taylor’s also. B : Oo..ya. A : Where do you **live in Malaysia**? Z : Mm..**Hang Tuah. Near Alor.** Jalan Alor B : Ah, Jalan Alor? So you can eat a lot of food in there, right? It’ s famous of local food and cheap. In Bukit Bintang. Z : Ya.. B : What is your favourite food in there? Z : I like pizza, ah I like all. B : So, Myanmar food is like spicy? Z : Ya, we like spicy. B : Oh, you guys love spicy. A : Indonesian food also spicy. A : What the interesting place in Myanmar? Z : I never been there, but I want to go Chaung Thar Beach. Many places, but I never been. A : Maybe someday you can go there. Z : Ya. A : You know some people in **US**? Z : Ya, **some of my friend been there, they tell us about some schools, some places.** A : Is there something that you know **why you must came to Malaysia**? Z : Not too much, but **most because of soldier. I don’t know about that too much.** A : Do you have brother or sister? Z : Yes, **I have one older sister, and two younger sisters.** A : Where are they? Z : My sister work in the restaurant in Malaysia, and 2 of my little sisters, 1 study in this school also, but not in my class, 1 study in Asia school. A : And your parents work in Malaysia? Z : **My father passed away 2007 in Myanmar, my mother works in Malaysia.** A : You happy with your family? Z : Yes. A : You love them? Z : Yes. B : What is your dream? Z : **I want to be engineer.** B : Wow. So you like Mathematics, right. Actually, I don’t like it. A : It is difficult, right? B : Yes. Why? Give me some reasons, why do you like it? Z : I think other subject difficult than Math. Science also difficult for me, but Math is okay. B : So, do you like study? Z : Ya. B : **What kind of engineering** do you like to be? Z : **Drawing.** B : So, you are good in drawing. Z : Mmm..Not really. B : But you like it. Z : Ya. B : That’s good! A : What is your hobby? Z : Swimming, watching movie, listening to the music A : What kind of music? Z : I like K-pop. A : Ooh. It’s very popular B : Which group? Or person? Z : I like..a lot. I like Lee Ming Ho B : Oowh, ya.. He’s famous. You listen to English version or Korean? Z : English. B : When did you **start to study English**? Z : **Started from 2010.** A : So, just in Malaysia you study English? Z : Ya. A : But, you are good in English, maybe you are better than us. B : Yes! Z : Thank you.. B : So, **you can speak English and Myanmar language**? Z : Yes, **and also Chin**. Myanmar also different. Ya, different culture. So, **I speak Chin, Myanmar, English a little bit.** That’s all. B : So, what else do you want study another languange? Z : Ya, i want to study Korean A : Japan? Z : Ya, Japan..I also want to study Malay, but I can not. It’s difficult. B : Ask her. Ask her. A : Malay is similiar with Bahasa. Z : Oo.. A : I think it is more difficult English than Malay.. Z : Ya, i can write but...cannot speak A : I hope you can reach your dream, if you study hard. Z : Thank you. Ya.. A : And you can study in Us. Z : Yes. B : Okay, last, give a big smile! Thank you! A : Thank you! Z : Your welcome.