03.09.2006
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Editorial: The Death of Multiculturalism
_ by Dr. Tayza
Multiculturalism is dying all over the world.
Increased international migrations around the world since the end of communist/socialist era should have resulted in an ideal and complete multicultural metropolitan world. But as soon as the cold-war had ended the international community instantly ceased being a world of ideological conflicts, and gradually evolved into a pragmatic world of realpolitiks. And strong nationalisms are resurging around the world.
During the cold-war, human-rights issues were pushed forward by democratic world to high-light the lack of human-rights in communist countries. Nowadays, with communist threat long gone, human-rights is no longer a top priority; it is no longer regarded by many democratic countries as important as their national security and national interests. And, resurgent nationalisms and anti-immigration sentiments among voters in these countries lead to their pragmatic politicians' calls for less multiculturalism but stronger integration of migrants into the culture of host countries and even to revoke international human-rights conventions if required.
Just very recently in Finland homes of refugees from Burma were attacked by racist mobs. Finland will this month host the sixth ASEM summit where Burma’s notorious military generals are allowed to attend to make business and energy deals with European counter-part.
A very intolerant and pragmatic world we are living in these days!
But we should not forget that there still exists something called Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In article 27 of that declaration, it is clearly expressed _ “In those States in which ethnic or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, or to use their own language.”
While multiculturalism is dying all over the world, how it is doing in Burma? But there we have, in fact, no need to question if multiculturalism is dying or thriving, because it has never existed in Burma.
In Burma there are many ethnic minority groups with their own traditional language and culture. Even inside an ethnic minority group there usually are many different sub-groups with their own dialects. But never in the history of Burma are these ethnic groups allowed to practice their own culture and languages freely.
In schools in ethnic minority areas of Burma, military regime is clamping down on teaching of ethnic languages in school. In some areas which are assumed to be strong holds of ethnic resistance fighters, anyone who dare to speak his/her own ethnic language in front of Burmese regime’s soldiers are beaten up thoroughly. Ethnic minority people are even prohibited from celebrating their own Ethnic National Days.
In Burma, military regime regards any ethnic person, who talks too much about promoting ethnic culture, as a dangerous separatist who will cause splits in the Burmese-dominant Union. So ethnic politicians who want to maintain their ethnic identity and preserve their cultural roots are put under close surveillance by military intelligence. Such ethnic politicians become liable to be detained at any time. And they run a risk of being put on summary trial for treason charges and given sentences for life imprisonment.
As it is, while multiculturalism is non-existent in military-ruled Burma, it is also gradually dying out in many democratic countries, where it used to be thriving previously, due to attacks from all sides by resurgent nationalisms, rising anti-immigration sentiments and ardent asylum-seeker-haters.
Comments
Feraya said _
It is true that although there are many tolerant people in this world, national interest and national security have become top priority in even countries like UK and US. The immigration officers at Philadelphia airport was suspicious of me and questioned me about my citizenship when I travelled there for a holiday and the one at Bristol Airport asked me whether I became a UK citizen through marriage to my present English husband when in fact I got my citizenship long before I married my first English husband! I feel that they would not have questioned me at all if I had been a westerner.
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