On February 1st 2021, six years after Myanmar’s liberty was finally in the people’s grasp, it was torn out of their hands again by the military. The democratic party had just won the election by a landslide, and the military was unwilling to give up control; ominous tension had boiled between both the parties ever since the democrat’s win.
In 2008, the military drafted the country’s constitution, the most notable part being Article 417, which allows them to take over in cases of emergency. Myawaddy TV stated that the cause of emergency was the coronavirus crisis and the government’s failure to postpone the November elections.
Fortunately, we were able to interview a source from inside Yangon, Mabel (her last name will not be mentioned due to privacy reasons). She describes the past events as a “build up”: “there was already tension between the military and the government after the elections.” On the 6th of February, the WiFi and internet had been cut out from 10.30am till 11am the next day. News that the democratic party, president and Aung San Suu Kyi herself had been arrested. An outbreak of protests began for their basic human rights as citizens across Myanmar realised the gravity of the situation. Military tanks were patrolling downtown, and many of these protests were met with violence. Despite the sudden surge of military control, Myanmar’s community stayed strong and were prepared to fight for their freedom. Essential workers, such as hospital workers or lawyers, quit their jobs to boycott the military, symbolising their frustration. As long as the military is in power, they will refuse to work for them. Unfortunately, the protests have not mixed well with the pandemic – with hospital workers quitting their jobs and more people on the streets, coronavirus cases have surged.
In spite of the citizen’s bravery exhibited in almost every aspect, the military has taken action to disrupt the movement’s momentum. By banning social media, internet calls, and international communication entirely, contacting people from the outside for help has become seemingly impossible. The military has also planted fake information and even propaganda to further divide and confuse the public, e.g., false news came out on Saturday 6th that Aung San Suu Kyi was released. Verifying information has become extremely hard, and any information coming from anyone is unreliable. Because of this, getting new, dependable inside knowledge is very community based – the people check on each other to organise protests and collectively fight back for their rights.
According to Mabel, who has participated in many of the marches so far, the citizens have been protesting peacefully; she describes it as “civilians vs. the system.” However, in spite of the people complying to rules, they were met with violence by police. For instance, during a protest, there are three lines in which the people cannot cross or else the military has the complete right to shoot. Naturally, citizens have not crossed these lines by themselves to provoke the police, but officers have been seen pushing the people towards the line to have a chance to be violent. As a result of this, a young woman protesting has been shot in the head and killed. The military wants to be violent: a police force dedicated to protecting their people has proven to do the exact opposite.
Officers have also been authorised to use water cannons. Although these sound almost harmless at first, water at extremely high pressures can damage skin and eyes very easily, and the military have no hesitation to use these on citizens. The police have also taken an extra step by adding dangerous chemicals to water cannons, giving protesters fatal chemical burns. The violence does not stop here – when officers shoot from their guns, victims are playing with a bet: there is a high chance that those bullets are not the usual rubber ones. To disrupt the people’s momentum once more, the military has paid and planted people to infiltrate peaceful protests. They would often go in with sticks, arguing, physically assaulting and starting fights, basically setting off the ticking bomb that is heightened tension. In addition to this, the police have released hundreds of drugged prisoners (those who are on trial for murder, etc.) holding bottles of gasoline to start fires and incite violence in neighbourhoods. They have also infiltrated protesters handing out food and water by giving villages poisoned goods. Fake ambulances have been constructed to kidnap civilians easier, and hundreds of peaceful protesters have been arrested without a warrant.
The military may have taken over and infiltrated some parts of the community, but the people’s own trust and strength in each other is what strings them together into an unbreakable knot. Mabel recalls an instance where some officers showed their sympathy – that at the end of all this, they are all just human. As police shot water cannons at protesters, three military officers on the other side of the barricade had the bravery to defend them. This type of bravery exhibited in these officers sparked a new kind of hope: the enemy is human too. There are still some that are on our side, that are willing to risk their lives to savour what little morality remains in them. Currently, the three policemen are either facing or have been arrested for protecting civilians; ironic given that this is their job.
So far, the international reaction to the coup has been hostile. The EU, United Kingdom and Australia have condemned the military, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated it was a “serious blow to democratic reforms”. US President Joe Biden has hinted at reinstating sanctions in Myanmar. Conversely, China blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the coup. The country, which has previously encouraged the takeover in Myanmar, advised both sides to “resolve differences”. Chinese troops have also been deployed in Myanmar, perhaps from the paranoia that US sanctions will return. Neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines have declared this an “internal matter”.
Another inside source from Myanmar, who has chosen to stay anonymous, would like to share their story.
“Growing up, I loved the gore of The Purge series, but never in a million years did I think it would be brought to reality in the worst way possible. Ever since the fateful day of February 1st, I wake up terrified of what has happened overnight. How many people have been arrested? How many people have been hurt? Are my family members all safe? The haunting tunes of military music echo throughout the day on my TV and on the streets. The chanting of the protestors however, serve as a refreshing beacon of hope for democracy to rise again. I pray that my true leaders, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and President U Win Myint, along with everyone else who has been detained, are all safe. This violent takeover has impacted my mental health to the point where I have a breakdown at least once a day. ‘Worried’ is an understatement regarding my feelings surrounding the future of Myanmar and our citizens. Never knowing when the next time my internet and telecommunications services will cut out terrify me.”
How can we help?
The military is trying to disconnect the world from Myanmar. Even by posting something to your story, sharing within friends or talking about it to your family members, awareness is all they need at this moment. Let Myanmar know that they are not alone in this fight.
- Donate to credible fundraisers:
Support the Civil Disobedience Movement in Myanmar
All proceeds will go towards supporting doctors, medical staff and protesters that have put their life on the line to stand against injustice. This is an official GoFundMe.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-civil-disobedience-movement-in-myanmar
International Rescue Committee: Help People Affected by Conflict Now
The International Rescue Committee is an organisation dedicated to serving and helping people going through hardships such as refugees. In over 40 countries, they have aided crisis-affected people in rebuilding their lives.
https://help.rescue.org/donate/myanmar?ms=ws_country_myanmar
- Sign petitions!
Petitions are the easiest way for an issue to gain international recognition. They take only a minute out of your day and really make more impact than you think.
Impose sanctions on Myanmar due to the military coup.
*This petition can only be signed by British or UK citizens. When this petition reaches 10,000 signatures, the government will respond and potentially reinstate sanctions to help citizens. At 100,000 signatures, the situation will be up for debate in Parliament.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/573943
INVOKE THE GENOCIDE CONVENTION AGAINST MYANMAR FOR THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE!
This is a change.org petition.
https://www.change.org/p/invoke-the-genocide-convention-against-myanmar-take-it-to-the-international-court-of-justice
Min Aung Hlaing: Stop the Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar now
Amongst the military takeover, the crackdown on Rohingya refugees has taken a turn for the worse. Sign this petition to help them!
https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/help-stop-the-violence-in-myanmar/
- Share as much as you can
Share this article, any of the links here or even any information on social media sites. Anything can help! Myanmar citizens have no access to the internet and are being forced into silence; the only people who can help them are the global community. As Aung San Suu Kyi once said, “Please use your liberty to promote ours.”