Thet — Chak Scripture Portions (Bangladesh / Myanmar)
Overview
Thet is scripture portions in the Chak (Cak) language of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and neighboring Rakhine State of Myanmar, published by Dhamma Mate Swe Association and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4156; abbreviation: CKH). "Thet" ( သက်) is the Burmese name for the Chak people, used as the title on YouVersion; the community's own name is Cak. Dhamma Mate Swe Association (DMS), a Myanmar-based Christian translation ministry, has produced scripture portions in numerous minority languages of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border region. The Chak people are traditionally Buddhist, making this translation significant for minority outreach among a community that spans an international border.
Language and People
Chak (ISO 639-3: ckh; autonym: Cak; Burmese exonym: Thet သက်; Myanmar official name: Sak) is a Tibeto-Burman language: Sino-Tibetan → Tibeto-Burman → Sal branch → Jingpho-Luish → Luish languages (specifically the Sak/Chak subgroup). It is most closely related to Dainet and other small Luish languages. Chak is entirely distinct from Chakma (an Indo-Aryan language also spoken in the Chittagong Hill Tracts). A dedicated Brahmic-style Cak script (33 consonants, 11 vowels) was developed by writer Mong Mong Chak over approximately 40 years (1970s–2011) and officially adopted by the Chak Language Council in 2015; Myanmar schools now teach Sak using this script. The DMS Luke translation uses a separate script system.
The Chak community inhabits:
- Cox's Bazar District (Naikhongchhari Upazila), Chittagong Hill Tracts region, Bangladesh (primary community of ~3,000–4,000 speakers)
- Rakhine State (Arakan), Myanmar (secondary community)
Estimated speakers: approximately 3,000–5,000 total across both countries (Ethnologue; many sources give ~3,000 in Bangladesh specifically).
Cultural Context
The Chak are one of the 12 indigenous peoples officially recognized in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The region has experienced decades of conflict: the CHT Accord of 1997 ended an insurgency led by indigenous hill peoples against Bengali settler encroachment, but implementation of autonomy provisions has remained incomplete. The Chak, being a small community near the Myanmar border, were marginally involved in the political movements but experienced the general displacement and land pressures affecting all CHT indigenous groups. Their traditional religion is Theravada Buddhism.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Dhamma Mate Swe Association (DMS), a Myanmar-based Christian translation organization active in producing scripture for minority languages across Myanmar and the Bangladesh-Myanmar border region.