(Credit of photo: Origins of Buddhist Nationalism in Myanmar/Burma? An urban history of religious space, social integration and marginalisation in colonial Rangoon after 1852 i by Anthony Ware)

Our migration journey is more than just a survival strategy—it’s a powerful investment in our children’s future. By leaving Myanmar, we have cracked that once-invisible glass ceiling above us. Alhamdulillah, we are also laying invisible glass foundations beneath our children’s feet—foundations they can build powerful lives upon.

Beyond the Sky: Unlimited Potential

Thanks to our courage to migrate, the sky is no longer the limit for our children and grandchildren. Their future now depends on their effort, destiny, and Allah’s will—not outdated boundaries left behind in Myanmar.

Assimilation Stories Across the Globe

• Buddhists (both Bama and ethnic minorities) often assimilate seamlessly in Thailand.
• Muslims integrate well in Malaysia and Indonesia.
• Even non-Muslim Bamas, Chinese, and other groups find acceptance when intermarried with locals in Malaysia.
• In multicultural Singapore, all races and religions typically assimilate successfully.
• In Christian-majority countries like the USA, UK, Australia, EU, and Canada, believers—regardless of race—can rise to influential positions, though racial bias can still pose challenges.

Assimilation: Opportunity or Human Rights Risk?

While assimilation opens doors, insisting upon it isn’t ideal from a human-rights perspective. In Myanmar, conversion to the majority religion once brought privilege, yet deeper social divides remained.

A story often recalled is of two brothers, both sons of the respected Ustaz Pone of Shwebo Islamic High School. One became Maung Di, converted to Buddhism, and rose to Deputy Minister of Education under Ne Win—embraced fully as a “pure Bama Buddhist.” Meanwhile, his brother, though faithful to Islam, was still tagged as a “guest citizen” because of his mixed heritage.

Demanding assimilation is no longer enough. Tolerance is a starting point—what’s needed now is mutual understanding and mutual respect, true pillars of modern human rights.

A Final Reflection: A Ship Sinking at Sea

Ironically, many people in Myanmar today—regardless of ethnicity or religion—are looking to leave the country, ready to risk everything as undocumented migrants in search of hope. The ship is sinking, and many are desperately escaping, even if it means facing uncertain futures abroad.

Aso read my blog post @ Dismantling the glass ceiling above and construction of invisible glass palace under, for our children and grandchildren

Our sacrifices during the Migration will remove the invisible (or more appropriately named clearly visible) glass ceiling above our heads (if we were in Myanmar) and Alhamdullilah we could proudly state that we will even successfully create the invisible glass palaces under their feet.

      Pic. Milky Way from Wikipedia

Extra bonus from our migration is for our children, grand-children and all their descendents as their status would be elevated, especially if our race and religions are same as the host countries as we could be easily assimilated easily. We were treated as 2nd or 3rd or 4th grade citizens or sometimes as foreigners or even as illegal-migrants back in MYANMAR but they could become 1 st class citizens in the new countries sometimes ahead of others if they could assimilate easily.

From now onwards, (Shukur Alhamdulillah) even the sky is no more limit for them. Depend on their struggle, fate or Wills of Allah only.

For Buddhists, even Bamas or Ethnic Minorities could easily assimilated in Thailand.

Muslims could easily assimilated in Malaysia, Indonesia.

Even non-Muslim, Buddhist Bamas, Chinese and Ethnic Minorities who married Malaysian-Chinese or other Malaysians are well assimilated.

All the Races and Religious Groups could easily assimilated in Singapore.

Christians could easily assimilated in USA, UK, Australia, EU, Canada like Christian countries but different of color may drag their feet to get to the top post but anyway could even get to very high places.

Talking about ASSIMILATION which is not the best way in Human Rights as those who could not or refused to Assimilate would be sadly lag behind in almost everywhere around the world. Even in Myanmar Muslims or Hindus or Christians who converted into Buddhism were well embrased as their brotherns by the governments and society.

There was a well known quote by the desendent of the famous and well respected Ustaz or Muslim Religious scholar, Sayargyi Pone from Shwebo Islamic High School.

His son wrote, ” My brother Doctor Maung Di (Chemistry PhD Professor) and he walked together in down-town Yangon (Rangoon), and he had chosen to enter the masjid while Maung Di entered the Sule Pagoda (converted to Buddhism) . Maung Di became a PURE BAMA BUDDHIST and became the Deputy Minister of Education of General Ne Win BUT the real brother, he became GUEST CITIZEN with Indian-Bangali-Bama mixed blooded status.

In real Human Rights standards, demanding assimilation is frauned upon.

Even once tauted TOLERANCE was now a days not good enought but need MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING and Mutual respect is the best value in Human Rights standards.

But sadly, for most of the Myanmar citizens, not only Ethnic Minorities but Bama Buddhists and some even the relatives of Military Top echlons are now a days trying to leave the sunking ship of Myanmar and even many of them are satisfied or contented to an illegal-migrant in foreign countries.