Conceptual ambiguity in Myanmar nation building: a semantic and theoretical analysis

This article examines the challenges Myanmar faces in creating a cohesive national identity and fostering unity. It argues that inadequate nation-building stems from semantic, epistemological, and ontological ambiguities in reconciling Myanmar’s identity with Western definitions of “nation,” “state,” and “union.” These identity and cognitive dissonances hinder the development of effective nation-building policies. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach and content analysis, this study evaluates the Myanmar constitutions of 1947, 1974, and 2008, policies and discourses in relation to both Western theories and indigenous perspectives. The novelty of the research lies in its exploration of conceptual differences across civilizations through constitutional and policy texts. By integrating primary and secondary sources, the study contributes uniquely to identity studies, emphasizing how conceptual challenges affect national identity formation. It underscores the significance of linguistic and semantic considerations in this process. Ultimately, lacking a sense of collective national identity, Myanmar finds itself navigating a complex relationship with the idea that multi-national races have coexisted on this land, sharing the same water for over a millennium. This coexistence is often framed in terms of preserving the culture and identity of all national races, yet there is no effective nation-building policy centered on the principles of “collectiveness” and “oneness.”