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I've set up this page to share my interest in Burmese language and literature with others. The first thing I'm putting on the site are Burmese texts in a common ebook format : PDF files viewed in Adobes Acrobat Reader. Later on, I will put my translations of texts on the site. Eventually, I will have a full version of the lengthy Burmese chronicle online. In creating this site I was thinking mainly of motivated amateurs who study a language, literature, or history of a culture for its own sake and who might not have access to adequate university libraries. The materials here will be especially useful to people studying the Burmese language. There are bound to be typos and errors despite the fact that the texts have been proofread. If anyone finds errors they want to correct, I'd be happy to put the original Word sources with fonts online. The only thing I ask is that you provide me with corrected versions to put back online. I'm now focusing on the history, language, and literature of a "stateless" ethnic group, the Tai Lue. The Tai Lue are lowland rice cultivators spread throughout the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia from the Sipsongpanna area of China to Muang Yawng in Burma, to Muang Sing in Laos, all the way to Maesai and Chiangkham in Thailand. I'm changing my research focusing for two reasons: 1. I am now part of a Tai Lue family. 2. I want to distance myself from nationalism and the misunderstandings it results in. Sincerely,
Jon Fernquest (Statement of Political Purpose: My goal is to observe and describe and keep my opinions to myself. I am not a political activist. I have respect for all ethnic groups (Akhas, Thais, Burmese, Tai Lue, Shan, Tai Khuen, Lanna, Chinese....). Although some are politically or economically superior, I regard the ancient cultural heritages, languages, and literatures of all these groups as equally worthy of preservation. The only thing I don't respect is when these groups look down on each other and fight with each other as they continually do. This political statement of purpose might seem trite, trivial, or even evil if you're one who thinks everything is political, but believe me it isn't given my goal: peaceful coexistence with my surroundings.) |