Professor warns Karen of the danger of losing its language to Burmese

Speaking at ceremony held in Rangoon to honour retired Karen university teachers, professor Saw Si Thet Paw, told the large gathering that Karen people were in danger of losing their ability to speak their native languages.

Speaking to Karen News, Professor Saw Si Thet Paw said.

“When I started at the school, Karen people from Insein and Kyit Myin Taing townships in Rangoon still spoke their Karen languages such as Sagaw Karen and Pwo Karen, but not now – they just speak Burmese. Our ancestors said that if we lose our language, our ethnicity will also be lost – we need to be aware of this.”

Professor Saw Si Thet Paw said that parents have responsibility to teach their children to value and to speak Karen languages.

The ceremony began by saluting the Karen national flag. Professor Saw Si Thet Paw from the Geology Department of Rangoon University speaking at the opening ceremony said that young Karen people from urban areas are not speaking their mother language and are only speaking Burmese. He warned that this should not be happening.