From: Ngwe Tun (ngwestar@gmail.com)
Date: Wed Mar 22 2006 - 10:12:33 CST
On 3/22/06, Philippe Verdy <verdy_p@wanadoo.fr> wrote:
>
> From: "Michael Everson" <everson@evertype.com>
> > The fact that no one in Myanmar has released a Unicode implementation
> > is fortunate really... there really isn't all that much *Unicode*
> > legacy data out there (almost all Burmese text is still represented
> > in a plethora of 8-bit solutions).
>
> The severe political context in Myanmar may explain such situation, but I
> doubt that there's no burmese people that fled outside of Myanmar (or live
> since generations outside of Burma) but know their own language and script
> and want to keep its culture active in their host country.
There is a lot of myanmar staying outside of Myanmar. Recently some of
myanmar language professor teaching burmese language in US and other
country. They do interest on burmese language localization. But we have lack
of communication with them.
The situation should then be comparable to the Tibetan script, even if Tibet
> is occupied by China since a half of century, or if the Dzongkha language
> that uses that script also suffers from political difficulties in Bhutan.
> Tibetan seems to have been more active only due to the international respect
> of its culture throughout Asia, notably in India, and the influence of its
> leading representant.
>
> It looks like that Myanmar does not really want a large set of independant
> authors, and restricts so much their activities that this does not give the
> chanceto respectable authors to get access to the Internet technology that
> would help developing this script. May be the so-called "Myanmar" script
> should be supported by a group of other surrounding countries and private
> organisations like SIL that seek to preserve the cultural inheritage.
Of course, I agreed that but some group activites are needed.
And there are certainly good asian linguistic departments throughout the
> world that have kept insteresting and respectable resources about the
> Burmese language and its script. So why not contacting the countries
> surrounding Myanmar to create a working group outside this country, and
> leave a door open to the Myanmar goveernement to join this independant
> initiative?
In our country, internet was opened in 2001. Before 2001, no body knows
burmese unicode exists in Unicode. We are waiting burmese implementation
from giant vendor like Microsoft, IBM and so forth. But till 2003, there is
no improvement in burmese unicode implementation. And We are opened as to
give resources, supporting docs and acquire to get burmese samples. We
always warmly welcome to support/colloborate our languages and script. As
you know, In Myanmar over 52 millions are living. 90% of myanmar speaks
Mother Tongue through out the country and living in neighbouring country.
BTW, Let me know why you are covering political issues mixed with language,
script and localization. We should need to have a computer which is
installed with Localized version of variety software. It's called bridging
digital divide to every people who can easily learn with mother language.
It's really needed for myanmar people. AFAK, Education, Health Care, Economy
and their lives will depends on internet/computing in near future. Of
course, It would be express with Myanmar version.
So, I assumed that Localization is long terms plans of getting democracy and
freedom for our people. If they mixed out with political issues and doesn't
work for burmese script, we will get digital divide. We would be *Lost of
the World* in near future. Can you share for us? Can you promote for us?
Thanks buddy.
And come and see myanmar. You would know more than I can say.
See you.
Ngwe Tun
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