With the British annexation of Burma in 1885 came new forces which were completely to change the patterns of Burmese writing: the printing press and the influence of Western education and literature.

Author Ma Thida tells The Irrawaddy that Myanmar’s population needs to learn better ways to challenge junta disinformation.

So far as we know, Burmese was first reduced to writing in the eleventh century at Pagan. Many inscriptions on stone still survive there. Burmese, as is true of many Oriental languages ...