Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
Welcome to “Eyes On,” a series from AAOP that provides compact rundowns of important conflicts or crises in our global community.
As engaged youth, it can be hard to stay informed about all that is worth knowing. We hope this series can provide user-friendly but well-rounded summaries of events, and empower youth readers to knowledgeably take action in our world. Check out all our “Eyes On” installments at http://aaopmn.org/tag/eyes-on/
Content warning: The following piece (and particularly the links included) contains descriptions of violence and brutality perpetrated by the military junta in Myanmar.
1. In February of 2021, Myanmar’s military staged a coup, forcing out and detaining most of Myanmar’s democratically elected government.
2. The people of Myanmar responded with an avalanche of pro-democracy protests and anti-military labor strikes, pouring out into the streets to defend their rights to democracy and freedom. Much of the resistance has been led by youth, members of ethnic minorities, labor organizers, and/or LGBTQ+ folks.
3. The military junta has responded with brutal violence that only continues to escalate as the months wear on. Hundreds of people have been murdered and thousands of others unlawfully detained. The details of the military’s atrocities are stomach-turning and the military has spared no one: not faith leaders, not doctors, not the elderly, and not children. The Myanmarese military is waging war on its own people.
4. Even though violence threatens at every moment, and despite additional calamities such as the continued spread of COVID-19 and massive economic instability, the people of Myanmar have not wavered in their resistance. The resistance has also grown increasingly intersectional as people from the Burmese ethnic majority and ethnic minorities unite in solidarity like never before. Together, they continue to fight on, committed to the goal of reclaiming their home.
1. Some members of the democratically elected Myanmarese government have escaped the country and formed their own National Unity Government to represent Myanmar. The credibility of the National Unity Government has been challenged by its members’ past enabling of military atrocities against Rohingya Muslim communities, although the National Unity Government has taken a vocal stance against Rohingya persecution. However, the National Unity Government does provide an alternative leadership to the military junta. These two parties are battling it out for global recognition in arenas like the United Nations. What decision the world makes in terms of which government to recognize is crucial, because it will potentially decide who has the most visible platform to speak on behalf of the people of Myanmar.
2. Meanwhile on the ground in Myanmar, a human rights crisis has been raging for months and continues to grow. Military violence, COVID-19, and economic collapse are combining to create an untenable situation. It is crucial that we do not take our eyes off Myanmar and that we continue to understand and act upon the urgency of the circumstances facing the people of Myanmar.
1. Learn more: The information contained in this blog only scratches the surface of the story. We recommend turning to The SEAD Project’s incredible “Myanmar in Mind” series for a deeper look into the context and impact of events in Myanmar.
2. Donate: If you are able to financially support, @theboysinmyanmar is collecting donations that go to community members and resistance fighters on the ground in Myanmar.
3. Act: Something we can do from right at home is to put pressure on the US government to take a more active role in pushing back against the military junta. The US and many other countries have failed to take a strong stance against the military junta, despite its atrocities, basically out of a fear of inconveniencing themselves. We must call on our elected representatives to do better by taking concrete steps (such as sanctions and diplomatic censure) to oppose the military junta.
Sources
Cambridge Dictionary, “Junta”, Cambridge Dictionary, 2021. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/junta. Accessed 8 Oct 2021.
Gladstone, Rick, “Intrigue Deepens at U.N. Over Myanmar and Afghanistan”, New York Times, 26 Sept 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/26/world/asia/myanmar-afghanistan.html. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.
Goldman, Russell, “Myanmar’s Coup and Violence Explained”, New York Times, 29 May 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/article/myanmar-news-protests-coup.html. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.
Hsan Hlaing, Kyaw; Fishbein, Emily, “‘We Are Like One Group’ How Myanmar’s Pro-Democracy Protests Are Giving a Voice to LGBTQ+ People”, Time, 5 March 2021. https://time.com/5944407/myanmar-democracy-protests-lgbtq/. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.
Liu, John; Wallace, Rory, “Six months after Myanmar coup, battle for diplomatic recognition”, Al Jazeera, 1 August 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/1/six-months-after-myanmar-coup-battle-for-diplomatic-recognition. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.
Nachemson, Andrew, “‘Spirit to Fight: Inside the Labor, Minority Rights Roots of Mynamar’s Protests”, NPR, 23 March 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/23/977818003/spirit-to-fight-inside-the-labor-minority-rights-roots-of-myanmars-protests. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.
Swe Win, Thet, “The coup united the people of Myanmar against oppression”, Al Jazeera, 1 Oct 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/10/1/the-coup-united-the-people-of-myanmar-against-oppression. Accessed 8 Oct 2021.
Tsoi, Grace; Myint, Moe, “Covid and a coup: The double crisis pushing Myanmar to the brink”, BBC, 30 July 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57993930. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.
The Boys in Myanmar [@theboysinmyanmar]. Instagram profile. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/theboysinmyanmar/. Accessed 12 Oct 2021.
Thet [@thethtar_thet]. Instagram profile. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/thethtar_thet/. Accessed 11 Oct 2021.
United Nations, “Human rights ‘catastrophe’ in Myanmar: UN calls for urgent action”, United Nations, 23 Sept 2021. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/09/1100922. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.
Ye Kyaw, Min, “Tortured, executed, shot: A junta’s way of death in post-coup Myanmar”, South China Morning Post, 2 Oct 2021. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3150880/tortured-executed-shot-juntas-way-death-post-coup-myanmar. Accessed 6 Oct 2021.