CNI News
26 May 2025
Ethnic issues cannot be resolved because historical errors are being taught in education curricula, U Sai Htay Aung, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) National Development Party, told CNI News that.
Military and political observers have pointed out that the teaching of historical errors in primary, middle, and high schools in Myanmar and the teaching that the country is protected only by Bamar heroes undermines national unity.
Myanmar's education system is teaching personality cult to young people more than to love their country, U Sai Htay Aung, chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party, told CNI News.
“In the past, when they fought, if the Shan won, the Shan ruled; if the Burmese won, the Burmese ruled; if the Mon won, the Mon ruled. When the Rakhine won, the Rakhine came to rule. The lessons focusing on only the three Bamar heroes are taught in basic education schools, erasing these historical facts, so the rest of the ethnic groups began to feel that they were not involved in building this country. Our last Shan Ni king, Tho Han Bwa, was written in history as one of heresy and our entire ethnic group was put in the historical record so that it could not be avoided. I mean, these are very bad historical records. Because of such curricula, the Bamar have become a great nationality and have become less considerate of other ethnic groups. I would like to say that the problem starts there," he said.
While seeing armed groups, government, and military leaders
A political analyst told CNI Nws that the Bamar have never had Chauvinism, that there are concerns that if the ethnic groups are given the right to rule, they will secede, that there is no great ethnic group and in fact those who discriminate racially are only ethnic groups.
“We, Bamar people, are not discriminating against ethnic groups. If the Burmese go to the Kokang region, the Kokang forces say that Bamar people cannot enter their region. And they say that holding National Verification Card is illegal in their region. This is racial discrimination. All ethnic armed groups are dictators. They are also talking about federalism to gain power. To be honest, ethnic armed groups are taking advantage of the government's weakness in administration, politics, and military. They are the ones who are discriminating racially. They are the ones who do not believe in democracy,” he said.
Preparations have been made to hold an inter-ethnic singing, dancing, and music competition.
In Myanmar, non-Bamar ethnic groups are weak in designating the Bamar as an ethnic group while The Bamar people also use the term "ethnic" to refer to non-Bamar people and consider them to be low grade people.
Although Myanmar was founded by a diverse group of people, the history curriculum mostly teaches only about Anawrahta, Bayintnaung, Alaungpaya, and General Aung San, while teaching the histories of other ethnic groups who have served the country is very weak.
Therefore, discussions are underway in Myanmar to adopt a multicultural policy in the education curriculum and educate future generations.
