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The Burmese Community in Australia Arrival and Settlement Burmese began coming to Australia from around 1947, just before Independence in 1948. Numbers increased in the 1960s, prompted in part by a military coup in 1962. Most of the arrivals in Australia were Anglo-Burmese, the families of British colonial staff, who after Independence faced discrimination and difficulty finding employment under the military regime. Between 1947 and 1959 it's estimated just over 3,000 Anglo-Burmese settled in Australia, with most moving to Perth. Emigration increased under the military regime between 1968 and 1974 and slowly more and more Burmese set up home in Australia's eastern states. Then, in 1988, political unrest erupted in Burma, also known as Myanmar, leaving thousands dead and injured. Australia set up special assistance migration programs. Under these programs, many places were reserved for Burmese who'd fled to the border regions of Thailand. Latest estimates put the Australian-Burmese population at around 10,000. Most of them are Therevada Buddhists The Burmese language is made up of a distinctive alphabet which consists of circles or portions of circles used in various combinations. According to Katzner's Languages of the World, it evolved when writing was generally done on palm leaves with a stylus, making straight lines very difficult. Community Contacts There are many community organisations connected to the Burmese in Australia. Here is a list of some of them. To find Burmese Community contacts in NSW go to: www.burmagateway.org Canberra Burma Association Phone 062 97 7734 All Young Burmese League Phone 02 9888 9026 Burmese Buddhist Vihara 121 John Street Merrylands NSW 2160 Phone02 9637 8334 Australia Burma Society 93 Argyll St., Chestone VIC 3148 Phone 03 9397 5320 Tribal Refugee Welfare Phone 09 349 4073 Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, Chairperson: Randolph Alwis PO Box 344 Curtin, ACT 2605 Phone:02 6282 5755 Fax: 02 6282 5734 email: fecca@coombs.anu.edu.au Special Events Calendar SBS Radio's Burmese Language Program produces special coverage of the following events. January 4 Burma (Myanmar) Independence, 1948 April 13 Burmese New Year or Water Festival October/November Light Festival, to commemorate the enlightenment of Buddha Recommended Websites BurmaGateway- A Burmese Community website, up-to-date events, a networking platform for all Australians with a focus on Burma www.burmagateway.org www.communique.no/dve The site for the Democratic Voice of Burma www.freeburma.org A news site about Burma www.soros.org The site for the Open Society on Burma |
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