Technology and Chin Ethnic's future In Globalization

Technology and Chin Ethnic's future In Globalization

By Michael Thang

July 2012, Yangon, Kantkaw Education Centre

Please, imagine the feature of your surrounding in coming 100 years. I know it will be difficult for you to imagine, but some will be easy.

In another 100 years, let’s consider;

we won’t use telephone, vacuum cleaner; all kitchenware and paper;

 we won’t be old and will never die;

one ethnic group in Myanmar will extinct;

what do you think?  Is it possible or impossible? However when we look back to the world history, there were the things they can’t guest. For example, Christophe Columbus could not envisage that there will modern ship such as appear container ships, submarines and cruisers. What is more, even though some is possible, there may be the things you can’t accept, nevertheless, some will be happened example, human cloning. In this article, I would like to share you about my prediction dealing with the mention above.

I will focus on science and social issues in the article. As this is just my prediction, I don’t mean it totally will be happened.

Firstly I want to discuss a bout some science issue. Especially, I will focus on the future of nanotechnology.

In coming 100 years, I believe that we won’t use telephone, vacuum cleaner (may be all kitchenware) and paper. Why? Because of technology, every body knows the technology is developing fast and the new technologies are appearing day after day. In the future, it will be develop in amazement more than presence. In this case, why I can say like this?

Being the reader, I think that in order to catch this concept, we need to realize the basic knowledge of technology. Since, before I discuss specifically, I first will review basically the situation of present technology.

 In general, in the business of electronics, energy and medicine, the present technology is running with micro technology; micro technology is technology with features near one micrometer¹. Otherwise, it’s more exactly and fast.  Actually, this technology development led to the Information Revolution. Albert Franks defined Nanotechnology as "production with sizes and precision in the area of 0.1-100 nm".

In coming 50 year, our technology will widely base on nanotechnology. Generally, nanotechnology works with materials, devices, and other structures with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers² (Ref-www.crn.com) it is basically faster and more exact than micro technology. At present, it was not used broadly yet. However, it is using widely among researchers. (In biotechnology field, not only nanotechnology is used, but also synthetic technology_ synthetic produce life_ even is used. We will discuss widely in the part of immortal life).Many scientists said this technology may be able to create many new materials and devices vast application such as in medicine, electronics, biomaterials and energy production. Some governments have invested billions of dollars in this technology’ projects for future. For example the USA has invested 3.7 billion$, EU 1.2 billion $ and Japan 750 million $.

I think it may be complicated for you to understand this technology. I will give you simple example to see. Let’s assume, if Micro technology is thought as bicycle, nanotechnology will be motorcycle or car or jet (aero plane).

Now, I am going to share some of my prediction in science issue.

When we reach fourth wave or nanotechnology age; 

No Telephone

We definitely won’t use the telephone, mobile and iphone you are now using. How will we contact each other without electronic devices of communication? Your and fingers, the parts of your body will be your iphone or telephone. So, you can talk to your friend in other country with your finger. Why? Scientist discover electromagnetic³ wave in our bones. All communication such as internet, radio and telephone are running with this electromagnetic wave. If so there is no it, all communication through the world will totally stop.

Collapsing Paper Empire

Now, there are over 800 millions PC (personal computer) in the world. Seven of Eight people so have an average just an own computer. In another three decade, there will be internet user between 800 million and 1000 million (1 billion).

We will never need paper for all business or to record something. 

Falling down Printing Media

You won’t demand to buy journal, magazine, newspaper and other books. Because e-paper, e-book will instead of paper based-work. Now you can read all what you want to now in internet within short time. Why people chose digital? People can get all information in short time and it cheaper than paper. For example, 15 million people read blog on WordPree.com every day. In addition, there are many popular website else. So we call this is falling down printing media. Senior writer, Michael V.Copeland from CNN said that Someday you may be reading your newspaper on an e-paper device - a thin piece of plastic the size of a legal pad that can be taken to the beach or on the train. That day may be a lot closer than you think.

The students won’t request to have paper note book and also school library. Why? they will write their lecture notes with jus note/net-book(labtop) and Tablet. Your best library may be Google, Yahoo and Bing. What is more, you can attend your class on internet and even MA and PhD program. You can study the subjects you want to study on internet. Internet will be your school, university and library.

Electronic Digital Paying System

In Alvin Toffler’ Power Shift book, he stated that industrial age means the empire which was rule by paper. Other wise, in the second age, we call that our world is paper based world and also sign of through industrial age. All business sectors were control by paper money. However in third age, people use symbolic money such as credit card and smart card. These can used 6.5 million store, petrol station, supermarket and hotel through the world. In addition, after appear e-money, payments system base on internet so that paper won’t definitely use. That system is called Electronic Digital Paying System. It so killed completely paper payment system. This also one the parts which make collapse paper empire.

I call it e-paper based- world; paper-based world transform to e-paper based-world.

The End of Vacuum cleaner and Kitchenware

As the floor will always be clean, we will not to keep our house such as kitchenware/room, bed room and sitting room. Moreover we don’t demand to use vacuum cleaner so that there definitely won’t be. Why? Everything will be clean automatically or little machines which are made with nanotechnology will clean automatically (digital invention). But you probably won’t see these machine, because of these machines are very small.

In addition, there is so serious things else. You can get automatically what you want to eat. So we won’t relay heavily on food to cook. In term of science, it is same with the theory that atom was transforming to food directly or making systematically rearrangement atom. For example, bread; in reality there is no instant bread; it mean you can get apple directly, because you can pick it directly from the tree. But you can not get bread directly like apple. To get bread; we need mixed with wheat and a kind of yeast. This is the basic idea of making systematically atom. The foods you take such as ice cream, cheese, cake and cold drink are also make base on this theory.

This idea is not just idea; the scientists from California already made experiment on this idea. Unfortunately there are some mistakes in making rearrangement so that it became coal.

 

Anti-aging Medicine

Another one is we won’t upon on medicine to take care for health. Why? There will be billions of the little machines in our body (cell). These little machines will kill the billions of horrible germs and virus which was appeared cancer. These machines which can kill virus and germs is the idea of scientist Eric Drexler. He called this process as Nanotechnology.

In this part, I hope you can not understand these little machines. I will more explain simply.

The size (scale) of nanotechnology

Nanotechnology; divide one meter into the one billion parts-1,000,000,000; one thousand million. Just two parts of one billion is nanometer.

Size of the little machine

For example, divide one meter into one million parts. The two parts of one million is the size of Red Blood Cell. Bacteria are smaller than 10,000 size of Red Blood Cell. But virus is smaller than 100,000 size of Red Blood Cell. The little machines will work among this scale. As these little machines are so small, it can not see with our eyes. Although they are so small, they will work fast in amazement. They will run many lakhs of miles within just one second and then not only they are so fast, but also they will work more exactly and more effective.

Immortal Life

If someone will give you immortal life, do you want it? Some may reject, but some will accept. Many religious people for instance Christian will comment him or her as anti Christ or anti religion. Some scientist from Biotechnology field nearly gets the solution.(This is not same with human cloning you already know.)

They think being old as a kind of disease and solvable problem. They so think it as a disease which was treated. Why we all are old more and more? Basically, because it is steam cells⁴ was gradually diet. These cells were killed by horrible virus and bacteria⁵. Some medicine scientists believe that these little machines and bacteria which make with nanotechnology may kill that horrible virus and germs which make cells kill.

Can you accept or not? I don’t know what you will think. When NASA launched the first Apollo program mission to land on the moon—Apollo 11—in July 1969⁶,many people especially religious leader(Christian) comment against their program because they think that it is like opposing God. But nowadays nobody comment like this, it became as people even know how great the Lord.

 

Most of scientist estimate that my prediction from above in science issue will be happen in the middle of 21^st century. Do you think it is possible or not? When we look back to the past, when the airplane was started invent, the experts sworn that that would never fly in the sky. Moreover London Time Magazine confirmed like the telephone which was called as the modern invention would completely be just candy. You may think that these are just science novel or imagination. Nevertheless it is not just story and whatever you think, it is like we predict weather situation. Or will it be like the two examples from up above.

In second part, I will share my prediction concerning with social issue in Myanmar. I would like to focus on one issue. This is about Chin ethnic minority group in Myanmar. Especially, I then will state a bout the future of Chin. When we talk about this issue, it will be the case of ‘Will Chin extinct in the future or not?

 

 

Social Issue

In the article of Salai Ceu Bik Thawng (Author and GS-Chin National Party), ‘I don’t make Chin to vanish’, he stated that in A.D 1990, our prominent religious leader said ‘Chin will never disappear’. However after two decade, his words become suspicion because the social watchers apprise that there are many ways in order to vanish Chin. Since, I will mention the ways they may vanish.

One of the Lest Population in Myanmar

Chin is one of minority ethnic group in Myanmar. Population is 473,000(inside Chin State) and when we look back to Myanmar’ population, it is not even 1%. So there is one thing we have to think in this case. How can they defend themselves among 68% of Burma (majority) and 68% of other ethnic groups?, in the future. In addition 11% of Chin’ population is other race. If Sittwe project of Myanmar and India Government, although there will be more job opportunity in Chin, other race will enter in Chin State with many reasons. It is so horrible things and remembers Kachin; the big businesses in Kachin were controlled by Chinese.

Immigration 

One serious thing is immigration; total population of Chin outside Chin State (throughout the world is 1,100,000(about 1 million). The population inside Chin State is about 25% of total population outside Chin State. It shows that 60% of Chin people live outside Chin State. The rate of immigration gradually increases more and more. It is faster than the increasing rate of population. Moreover the rate of immigration may rise because of globalization. One of the heaviest impacts of globalization is immigration. If it is like that, nobody can say that they won’t disappear. According to the paper presentation of Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, One third(1/3) of Chin people migrate to abroad, in Chin State, one eight of men  is other race and there is one soldier when there are five ladies.

According to 2011 UNDP survey, Chin State is the poorest State in Myanmar. What is more, in the last result of Government, the poverty percentage of Myanmar are 26% and when we look State and Division’ poverty, the poverty percentage of Chin State is the highest percentage as 76% among another State and Division. It brings that Chin people will more migrate to survive and get better life to other place.

The Lowering Rate of using Native Language

What is the essence of Culture? It is native language which was spoken by a tribe. If a nation lost their native language, it means that tribe is disappearance. We can measure the last situation of a tribe concerning with a tribe will be disappear or not by how many people (that nation) speak their native language. In this case, I will measure it with language.

According to survey of 2010,SIL International(Ethnologue.com), there are about 110,000 Chin people who speak Chin native language among the whole Chin. This mentions that only one man out of ten people speaks native language. Day after day, the rate of Chin people who can speak their native language is gradually decreases. Even the people who live another place in Myanmar (outside Chin State), they can’t speak well, especially those who grow up in the town they migrate.

The first generation that were born in Yangon, they can speak little, but most of them can’t write and read. In the second generation, will be there who speak native language? It sure the situation will be worse than now. So even in Myanmar, the condition is bad, the situation of those who live in other country will worse. When look back to the world history, there are 145,000 languages in AD. 1500, but when we reach 21^st century, 6,703 language are surviving (16-21^st Century).Experts forecast that there will be only 2997 languages in 2025. I think that Chin language will be put the list of extinct.

Why will the languages extinct? There may be many reasons, but according to UHRC research, the reasons are Migration, Internet, Tourism, Internet and science literature (Ref;Lian Chawn, Author, Globalization and Culture; University of Haiwai’i Research Center,Pg.40). As migration, local languages influence native language. Common language of Internet is English, it more affect other languages. As tourism, we have to learn other languages any more. A lot of new words appear as the development of science. These new words make native languages to more mix.

In this case, one of the big problems is there is no common language in Chin. There are 34 Chin dialects languages (Ref;SIL International-Ethnologue.com).According to Salai CeuBikThawng’  paper presentation, about 20 Chin dialects are near extinct(some are already extinct); about 5 languages are vulnerable, and only 3 dia; (Hakha,Falam and Tedim) may survive. I however think that these three also will follow soon like another dialects languages.

If the boarder trade of Myanmar and Indian open and trade freely (the situation is sure, now), some of impact from above will affect heavily Chin. Can Chin people protect negative impacts themselves?

Government Policy

The government (Myanmar) doesn’t recognize minority ethnic language as official language until today. This is also a big virus to be extinct Chin language. Although CNP and AMDP proposed in the first Union Hluttaw (NayPyiDaw), this gender was rejected by Hluttaw. In addition the government policy is to build National Building. It means that they still want to build just one ethnicity/race and one State. But minority ethnic groups want to build State Building; different race, culture and religion. This policy is too horrible things to vanish Chin in the future.

At the beginning, they can keep their culture and literature, because they don’t use it the local culture. Nevertheless the second generation will use it the local culture because local culture will influence them. It is not easy to stand strongly as Chin. In the third generation, I think that we don’t need to predict. They will be totally extinct. One thing else is Chin has no national region. Concerning with this concept, Salai Ceu Bik Thawng said that ‘how they even establish Chin civil society, we have no national region like Judah and, our generation outside definitely won’t know who am I. As we don’t have common language, in the third generation, we will be extinct’.

When we summarize social issue, we can see that it will become in the third generations ( generally, one generation last 25 year and it is present generations. The second generation will be 2015-2040(another 25 years) and the third generation will be 2040-2065 years. Since, some social watcher forecast that it will be about the middle age of 21 century and some predict about in the end of 21^st century. At that time, there may be new question for Chin. It is ‘Who is Chin?’ and, if the people want to know about Chin, they will go to National Museum.

I don’t mean that Chin will totally extinct, it is just prediction. However the situation is so horrible and I see that the warning bell is ringing now for Chin. Actually, if we review, we can see that the main reason is the mainstream of economics. When it impact, it ensure that the impact of economics will definitely cause not only bad effects, but also good effects. So it is known as Globalization; it can be closed with many views such as economics, social and politics. (In this case, I would like to close globalization as culture’ effects because of economics.) I want to comment the present situation a bout dealing with ‘globalization and culture’

It makes the great world to be small village and it breaks limited countries’ boundaries. It is like that we all play football together on the playground. It is like that the round world changes the flat world. Since, in the book, ‘The World is Flat’, there are the words Thomas L. Friedman said his wife ‘Honey, the world is already flat’ so that he comment like that ‘The World is World’. The impact cause many kinds of shocks in the world. All cultures also are transferring to mix-culture so that some socialist predict that the serious conflict among different culture.

 

Some sociologist believes ‘Cultural Homogenization’; it is like all different cultures will mix in one pot_eg. American’ metaphor- Melting Pot. Since, it is commented as Americanization. Samuel P. Hungtinton forecast that war may happen by clashing the different cultures, in his book ‘The Clash of Civilization’. In generally, he prophesy that there will remain about the huge eight cultures and these cultures are western, Confucius, Japan, Islam(Musilm),Hindun,Orthodox and Latin American_Hispanic_(may be African culture). Nobody values his book ‘Clash of Civilizaiton’ before. Nevertheless, after 9/11 Attacks in American (Author-I see the main reason of  Rakhine-Rohingya case also connect with the concept of Samuel P. Huntington)  , most of social expert believe that it is happening steadily more and more. Some combine these two idea and they called Cocacola and Holy War. (Cocacola means Cultural Homogenization and Holy means Clash of Civilization).

It ensures that one of the huge effects of globalization is that culture gradually extinct more and more. One thing else is falling down identity power of the nation. Whatever, these things are the things we absolutely face. The main reason is globalization especially the huge wave of economics and what things lead to globalization or why the economics wave is stronger day after day? The main engine is technology especially the technologies in the third wave is so amazing. Every one knows surely that the technologies will develop fast more than now so that there will appear the things we can’t imagine and accept.

In conclusion, concerning with this article, what I would like to massage is the technologies is developing astoundingly and scientists are implementing their dream now. It is not just incredible story. They, already made a lot of experiment and, discover that there are many potential situations. How do you think? If people think that these are implausible, will it be like the experts criticized it, when the aero plane was invented the previous time? Or will it be like wrong criticism of London Time Magazine in invention of telephone. Actually, this show that technologies wave will be the huge challenges for Chin (including the whole Myanmar). At present, Myanmar is starting only preparation to follow globalization. So, it highlight that they need to try rapidly in order to improve the technologies’ sectors.

That Chin issue makes all ethnic groups (minority) in Myanmar to attention the future of them. Even now, they are starting face the big challenges and it also One horrible thing is they (also Myanmar) are in between India and China which are the most developing countries and also the fastest countries in population growth. If ASEAN Free Trade and India-Myanmar Trading grow and develop reality later in Myanmar, the impact will be so huge. There will be a lot of good effects and in another side; there will be many bad effects such as social conflict, religious conflict and culture conflict. For example, Rakhine –Rohingya case , when we think carefully, this case caused after Myanmar reformed ( there was already conflict between Rakhine and Rohingya the previous time). In the book, ‘Geopolitics’, author, Thaung Htaik mentioned population mainly. It draws attention to Myanmar government need to review its population policy. What it want point is they have to make ‘having many babies policy’.

 Remark: It's just prediction, not will totally.

Supplement

1. Micrometer: one millionth of a meter, or 10⁻⁶   meter.

2. Nanometers: one thousand millionth of a meter or 10^-9 meter.

3. Electromagnetic: X-rays, radio waves and light waves are all types of electromagnetic radiation ( Ref; Babylon dictionary)

4. Steam Cell: It produce the new cells our body need.

5. There is another reason of dying stem cell.

6. The first Apollo-11 mission on the commander is Neil Armstrong.

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Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary 8^th Edition