ABSTRACT
The themes of language policy, education, conflict between some ethnic groups and the central government, and peace building are all closely inter-related. Several of the armed ethnic groups have built up administrative functions, including the provision of education, which includes language policy. The complex context in which central governments and ethnic administrations have attempted to formulate and implement language policy reflects the historical and political developments of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, popularly called Burma, is a country of complex ethno-linguistic diversity. The Myanmar Language Commission is an official government body charged with the regulation of the language. Central government accommodation on points of language policy has a great potential to foster peace, while non-accommodation will be a serious threat towards long-term stability and peace. The wide geographical distribution suggests that the Austroasiatic languages were among the first to spread into the area.
