The Power of Script: Southeast Asian Languages and the Internet

Misplaced symbols. Large squares and rows of bold lines in place of words. An inability to search text on webpages. A few short years ago, this was the norm for internet users reading the Burmese language, even on popular sites like Facebook, Wikipedia or BBC News Myanmar. 

Although these problems are getting better, especially after the Burmese government implemented Unicode in 2019 – a standardized text expression system that should make texts legible across platforms – the critical lack of font and script compatibility continues to hold back the digital expression of Myanmar’s citizens.

While these issues are especially pronounced in Myanmar, which only emerged from the digital wilderness after 2011 following decades of economic and cultural isolation under military junta rule, the rest of the Southeast Asia region suffers similar issues – albeit to varying degrees.

But there are some people trying to change that. Ben Mitchell, a typeface designer and Southeast Asian script researcher, is among them.

Click here to keep reading. Zachary Frye writes for Globe.