Persisting Typists Adapt to Modern Times in 21st Century Myanmar
Typewriters Persist in Yangon Amidst Modern Technology
In the bustling streets of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, an unexpected sight can be found: men and women of all ages typing up documents in streetside booths. This practice, reminiscent of a bygone era, is a testament to the historical legacy and continued use of typewriters in the city.
Despite the widespread availability of computers and digital technology, typewriters in Yangon have survived as practical tools, especially where digitization and infrastructure are uneven or where original document authenticity is required.
Historical Legacy
Typewriters were introduced during the British colonial administration and remained common tools for official and business correspondence for decades. Their use persists due to this historical legacy, with many older generations of workers still proficient with the machines.
Economic and Infrastructural Factors
Limited access to modern computers and reliable electricity in some areas encourages continued reliance on typewriters. Small indoor shops featuring modern typewriters, copiers, and computers are opening in the vicinity of traditional outdoor typist stations, providing a more comfortable working environment.
Preference in Certain Contexts
Physical typed documents on durable paper remain standard or preferred in some government offices and legal institutions in Yangon. This preference, combined with cultural inertia, means that some institutions still maintain typewriters for standardized forms.
Typists and Repairmen
Tin Zaw Htet, a typist in Yangon, completed a one-month typing course at a vocational training center five years ago. He typically gets between 10 and 15 pages of work per day and earns 1,000 kyats (US$0.83) per page filling out legal documents with Burmese or English typescript.
Mya Win, a typewriter repairman with 40 years of experience, mends these machines in workshops like Win Htay's, which is located on downtown Rangoon's 35th Street. Win Htay, who has been repairing typewriters since he was 13 years old, lamented the relocation of typists and repairmen to Naypyidaw when government offices moved in 2005.
Future of Typewriters
Win Htay foresees a continued reliance on typewriters in courts, schools, and government offices, particularly in rural parts of Myanmar. Typewriters maintain value beyond nostalgia and function on Myanmar's technological spectrum, providing a practical solution where modern technology has yet to reach.
For those seeking updated or more detailed local accounts, scholarly or journalistic sources specifically focusing on Myanmar’s technology adoption and bureaucratic history may provide valuable insights. The results from the provided search data mostly discuss unrelated historical topics.
Typewriters, despite the advancements in home-and-garden technology and general-news, continue to thrive in the bustling streets of Yangon, serving as practical tools for documenting in an otherwise digital age. In certain contexts, such as within government offices and legal institutions, a typewriter's lifestyle still offers a preferred means of producing original and durable documents.
