Watanaporn was speaking at an event held at Unesco Bangkok and co-hosted by the Embassy of Bangladesh in Thailand to commemorate International Mother’s Language Day 2018. For millions of them, the lack of access to learning in a language they understand remains an “invisible barrier” to education. “Language plays a big role in realising inclusion or reinforcing exclusion in the education process,” she said. Mother Language Day is held on February 21 to commemorate the day in 1952 when two Bangladesh students died in efforts to protect their native Bangla. Claire Shine, vice-president and chief program officer with Salzburg Global Seminar, paid tribute to the memory of former Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan, who died in August of last year.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 23, 2018 08:48 UTC