中缅来往早在汉朝已有记载,而到了明朝华侨华人社会已形成。缅甸华侨华人方言群与
泰国有所差异。缅甸有上下缅的说法。上缅甸华侨华人主部是来自云南;而下缅是以福建及及广 东人为主。仰光与勃固属下缅,是华侨华人的聚居处。尤其是仰光古都,在广东街(唐人街) 还保留着华侨华人的庙宇及会馆等中国南方建筑艺术的古风。缅甸华侨华人在六十年代曾经有 过意在排华的“国有化”政策。最严重的就是仰光,很多华华校被关闭,华人商业全部没收归于 政府。国家混乱,造成极大的经济损失。结果大多数华商逃往国外避难。华侨华人人数大为减 少。在唐人街上虽看到一个华人面孔人士,但他都不敢说中文。他还穿着着缅甸男人的沙龙,说 一口流利的缅语,而唐人街上也很少看到华文的招牌商店。现今,由于中缅的友好关系,同时 又是新一届的军人政府则对华侨华人的管制放松。但缅甸华侨华人已经历的历史,令人担忧什么时候缅甸政府又再来“排华”的政策。
China and Myanmar were related since the Han dynasty and until the Ming dynasty the
Oversea Chinese in Myanmar was constructed their own societies. Oversea Chinese dialect groups in Myanmar are difference from Thailand. Myanmar is separated into two parts, so call upper and lower Myanmar. In upper zone there are the Chinese from Yunnan province of China, but in lower part there are the Chinese from Fujian and Guangdong provinces. Rangoon and Pago are the places of a large group of Chinese people, especially Rangoon. In China town there still remains so many Chinese Southern styles of architecture of Chinese temples and the Clan society buildings. Oversea Chinese in Myanmar once encountered the Chinese discrimination policy and the worst situation were the Chinese in Rangoon. Because of the discrimination policy, Chinese schools were closed, the country was seriously unstable and the economy went down. A large number of Chinese merchants went out to other countries for safety. The numbers of Chinese people in Rangoon were reduced. In China town, when you see someone look like Chinese, but he dare not speak Chinese, he dressed as Myanmar people and speak Burmese fluently. Otherwise, in the street of China town also seldom appears the Chinese character shop sign. Now, as the good relation between the government of China and Myanmar, and the new group of the military government. The Chinese policy are
changed, the Chinese can get more freedom in larser way. But the past decade had occurred of the discrimination Chinese policy still remains in the Chinese mind and wonder that whether it might be occurred again.
