There have been many crises that have presented themself globally, some have become much more public compared to others, especially with the presence of Covid, which we’ve seen through racial injustices and civil and political unrest among many. Myanmar, Thailand’s neighbor to the North, has gone through an economic recession, an overthrown government, and other challenges. Many who could afford it have left the country and immigrated elsewhere, whether it be through work visas or reaching out through education. Some of our very own ISB students illustrate these significant life changes. As the future of Myanmar becomes uncertain, and Myanmar as a country is not very well known throughout the world, the question of where future generations want to settle themselves becomes increasingly important. What do prospective Burmese ISB students wish or plan on doing after the uncertainty of development throughout the country?
(Image) Myanmar Economics Bank (Branch 3) in downtown Yangon
10th grader Angelina Yang said that even before the current situation in Myanmar, she had already planned or desired to work outside of the country, preferring an English-speaking or more familiar country rather than Myanmar. In her interview, she had said:
“I would never consider that place home but the people in there my home.”
In the selected sample size, 8 out of 10 interviewees had said they’d rather immigrate to a new country when they grow older, and 4 out of 10 said they did not consider traveling to Myanmar on holidays either unless for family emergencies.
As this cannot be emphasized enough, this comes from selected sample size and does not represent all Burmese students and Myanmar as a general population, but from Burmese ISB students who’ve been able to voice their opinion.
For instance, to the question of why he would not prefer to settle himself in Myanmar in the future, 10th grader Phone Kyaw, who was raised in countries that were not Myanmar for the majority of his life answered he would not prefer to move to Myanmar for a career because he “lived outside of Myanmar for half of [his] life so [he’s] not accustomed to the culture there that much.”
While most interviewees were within the high school section of ISB, those from middle school and elementary had also shared their own personal opinions. Yu Wai Mon from 7th grade had rated her understanding of the current political events in Myanmar on a scale from 1 to 10, a 10, which is higher than most high school students rated themselves. However, in contrast to the many who planned on eventually leaving Myanmar, one 4th grader here at ISB was adamant in saying he did not intend on ever leaving Myanmar, and had only come in which his parents had made the ultimate decision to move him and his older sister to Thailand. While one could argue that as a 4th grader, he might not be able to grasp the severity of the contemporary state of affairs completely, this invites the question,
"Do our goals in life project who we are as people? What we strive for? What we perceive? How does that alter our decisions and mindsets, and how does it alter the views, morals, and ethics that we, therefore, live by."
As the future of Myanmar becomes uncertain, the question of where future generations want to settle themselves lies ahead. What do future Burmese ISB students plan on doing with or without the result of the uncertainty in development throughout Myanmar? That in itself is a question that is subjective, and up to the person you'd ask. It cannot be answered through a one-sided, black-and-white shade in the lens of our growth. All students will eventually be given the chance to move forward, how anyone defines that as.