From Siam to Rohingya, does the name matter?

Languages is a crucial role in our everyday life. For example, in constructive ways, we use language to name ourselves and other which is flow our communication; however, in deconstructive term, when we decided not to name or call the name that other people are more prefer; such as you call the Native American as Negro, name can be a kind of stereotype. Also in Myanmar where the national census was hold since 1983; however, the use of language leads to sectarian tensions during the process. 

According to BBC News, “Burma census bans people registering as Rohingya” (2014) in order to count the number of Burmese people, people have to fill their ethnicity in the form; however, there are no such categories for Rohingya because the government officers are not allow Muslim Rohingya call themselves as Rohingya. In order to be recognized by the state, Bangali immigrants is more preferable than Rohingya.

This discrimination shows the concern of Myanmar government and also Buddhist nationalist on the exact population of Muslim Rohingya who had been recognized as the minority and the others. In recent years, the sectarian tensions has shown up many times as the conflict between two different ethnic and religious groups, Buddhist and Muslim; for example, in 2013, the riot of Buddhist 969 which is Buddhist Nationalist movement and was led by Buddhist monks in order to against Muslim for invading the country. This riot caused the death of 200 Muslim people and around 100,000 people are displaced (Buddhism and violence, 2014) The fear of to be outnumbered among the Buddhist majority has shown up as the attempt to not recognized the ethnic’s name – to destroy the sense of Muslim Rohinya’s roots by using language which means that the majority has created the atmosphere of otherness.  

In Thailand, we can see this kind of the use of language; for example, the debate between should we (Thais) call ourselves as Thai or Siam. Actually, Thais called themselves as Siam since 12th-century A.D. (history of Thailand, 2014); then, in 1939 ( just 75 years ago), the nationalist government decided to change the name from Siam to Thai (means free) in order to show the proud of free country, the country which has not been colonized (?) and to assimilate other ethnic group; such as Chinese, Mon, and so on into Thai. Because "Siam" represents the diversity of ethnic groups; for example, Siam was described as a kingdom where had a diversity of group of people - Thai, Mon, Viet, Kmer, and so on.

However, recently, a Thai well-known historian has criticized that "Thai- Thailand" leads to the ethnocentrism of Thais which also leads to conflicts with other shared-border countries; for example, conflict over Phra Vi Hear temple with Cambodia, and the feeling of Thais are superior than Laos, and suggests that we should change the name Thais to Siam in order to solve these problem. 

All of the above example show that language and name do matter, and I think we need times to trace back what lies behind the use of particular name or language. We should not take language for granted, because language is a container, the meaning that this container carry and why it is carried matter.

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Reference

Buddhism and violence (2014, March 22). In Wikipedia. Retrieved on 2014, April 3 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_violence

Burma census bans people registering as Rohingya. (2014, March 30). BBC News Asia. Retrieved on 2014, April 3 from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26807239

History of Thailand (2014, March 27). In Wikipedia. Retrieved on 2014, April 3 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Thailand