Students forced to learn history by rote

Students forced to learn history by rote

Thai-Burma relations

While Thailand seeks to better relations by leaving out past conflicts with its neighbors in its rewritten history textbook, 'The Analytical Thai History', Rangoon is moving to the other extreme by enforcing a thorough memorization of its own version among high school students, report S.H.A.N sources from Tachilek. 

"Every student must commit to memory both the historical episodes and their lessons as outlined in the text", said a student quoting a local official. "All must be able to respond when they are asked by visiting senior officials coming from Rangoon, Kengtung or elsewhere. Anyone who fails to comply shall be regarded as taking sides with the Yodayas (a derogatory term for Thai people) and shall be taken action commensurate with the offense." 

The textbook referred to is Burma-Thai relations, a 163-page volume issued by Rangoon's Education Ministry in August 2001 for high school levels. A slimmer 74 page adaption for middle school level students came out 3 months earlier. "Throughout the past history, one will learn why wars broke out between Burma and Yodaya", writes its introduction. "It was not because we wanted to colonize Yodaya like the imperialistic British that we fought against them. Our wars were only in defense of Yodayas' encroachments of our territorial confines." 

Any student who are not able to render "correct answers" is fined 300 baht. On 15 August alone, 9 students fell for the trap. One, Sai Hseng (not his real name) 17, a native of Monglane, did not have the money and was punished by having to stand outside the classroom, under the sun and rain, for two full hours, said the student. 

Since the present government came into being, Thailand and Burma have already had three military confrontations.