#whatshappeninginmyanmar
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Nope, today’s not a public holiday. The people of Myanmar are taking part in a “silent strike” by staying home between 10am and 3pm as a show of solidarity with the movement to restore civilian rule to the country.
#ourcityourrules
#whatshappeninginmyanmar
#hearthevoicesofmyanmar
Humans of Myanmar
Full bellies for life
#myanmar#burma#coup#what’s happening in myanmar#whatshappeninginmyanmar#burmese#protest#se asia#dictatorship#military#junta
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This is personal.
“Teacher, I am so sad I can’t sleep.”
This message appeared on my phone at 3AM.
How do you respond to that? Is, “I’m so sorry,” good enough?
How can you sleep when you know that your parents can hear the sounds of fighting all around their village at home in Myanmar?
How can you focus on studying when you're scared that the next time you try to go home or even renew your passport, you will be drafted into the army that is killing your own people?
I’m used to my students' laughter and smiles, their enthusiasm for life and their incredible motivation in the face of difficult odds, but there is a point where reality becomes overwhelming and anyone would feel trapped.
The recent announcement about the enactment of the draft by the Myanmar military is causing worry and fear for young people from Myanmar both inside and outside the country. To try to enforce this law, the government will not allow young people to leave the country or renew passports until they have fulfilled the draft requirement. This will affect almost all of my students who are studying for their GED Exams within the next couple years if not months as their current passports expire or their visas for Thailand run out.
Here are some glimpses into the lives of my students as they grapple with this new reality:
A 17-year-old girl will have to return to Myanmar in 6 months when her visa expires unless she can find some alternative visa to transfer to in the meantime, which is very unlikely. By that time, she will be 18 and would not be let out of the country again. She said to me, “I’m so worried, I just want to cry. I can’t go back. I don’t know what to do.”
Another student told me that the active fighting has now reached his home village. Even though his relatives had scraped together enough money to pay for a flight out, they were turned back at the airport. Apparently, all flights had been grounded to prevent people from leaving the country.
A young man summed up his feelings saying, “I just don’t know what to do anymore. My country doesn’t care about me, and no one else wants us. I don’t belong anywhere.”
“My country doesn’t care about me, and no one else wants us. I don’t belong anywhere.”
As my students were confronted by the news and public discussions surrounding this draft order, the conversation spilled over into our class time. Many of the students expressed anger and frustration, obviously fueled by the fear they are feeling. They reacted to the way that academics handle this topic as a theoretical problem to be examined and debated, rather than an alarming reality. For the students, this is personal and is already impacting their lives. It is not just a projection of what might happen in the future.
In their own words:
“This has been our life for years already. Our people have been forced out of their homes continuously over the past decades. That is why there are so many of us in Thailand. It is not easy for us. We did not want to leave our homes.”
"We did not want to leave our homes.”
“What about the poor people who cannot pay money to leave the country? What about the children who are trapped by the fighting? What about the old people who can’t get visas for anything and have to stay where the fighting is? Who is thinking about them?”
Together we contemplated how we can turn these feelings of frustration and helplessness into something productive. What small goal can each of the students set their sights on to give them purpose right now, so they are not dragged down by despair?
At the end of the conversation a 19 year old girl who had listened quietly to the others came to me and said, “I am not going to get angry, because that won’t change anything now. Right now I will just focus on my studying. Then in the future I will be able to teach and help improve things and help people. That is the only thing I can do now.”
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Link to the article
P.S. the junta's upcoming 'elections' are straight from the Kremlin's playbook in occupied Ukraine last fall. myanmar is one of russia's few remaining allies for a reason.
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February 1, 2023
2 years have passed since the Myanmar coup had taken place. But we, the civilians had not stopped our revolution.
Nationwide silent strike. Roads all deserted in the busiest city of Myanmar.
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#75independenceday #myanmar #minaunghlaing #whatshappeninginmyanmar (at Naypyidaw) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_BpKTPl8c/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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“The prominent display of women's longyis on International Women's Day in a socially conservative country like Myanmar gave Linn "chills"...”
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Myanmar workers anti-junta protest in Bangkok, Thailand on July 2nd, 2023.
- End war.
- Restore democratic rule.
- Release all political prisoners.
- Support the NUG and the People's Defense Force.
- Death to Min Aung Hliang and his cronies.
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This 7 yr old girl, Su Yati Hlaing, Grade-1, is one of the victims of fascist junta massacre in #Myanmar.
Her parents are migrant workers in Thailand and she lives with her grandparents.
#WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar
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[Burmese->English] @thet_mar_phyo August 4th 2022 Instagram Post - Color Coded Translation
Content Warning: War, Death
PDF (KALAY) Battalion 6
၀၃-၀၈-၂ဝ၂၂ ရက် ကလေးမြို့
0 3- 0 8- 2 w 2 2 raat kalayy myahoet
သာယာကုန်းရွာ တိုက်ပွဲတွင် ကျဆုံးသွား
saryarkone rwar titepwal twin kya soneswarr
သော ရဲဘော် ဝေမင်းသော
saw rellbhaw way mainn saw
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PDF (KALAY) Battalion 6
On 03-08-2022, Brother-in-arms Wai Min Thaw, has fallen in the battle of Tharyakone Village, Kalay City
—
Literal Translation:
PDF (KALAY) Battalion 6
03-08-2022/Day/Kalay/City/Tharyakone/Village/battle/in/fall/passed away/that/comrade/Wai Min Thaw
POST DESCRIPTION:
Wai Min Thaw, a 19-year-old comrade from Battalion-6 of Kalay PDF, was killed by artillery shelling during fighting between local defense forces & junta troops in TharyarKone village, Sagaing's Kalay tsp. #2022Aug4Coup #Whats HappeningInMyanmar
—
Rest In Peace Wai Min Thaw
—
Please correct me if I made a mistake
#myanmar#what’s happening in myanmar#whatshappeninginmyanmar#burmese#Burmese to English#English to Burmese#myanmar junta#myanmar protest march#myanmar spring revolution#myanmar prisoners#Myanmar pdf#Peoples Defense Force#Burma#myanmar death sentences#war news#military junta#learn Burmese#color coded translation#burmese language#minority language#minority languages#Burmese langblr#PDF myanmar#study burmese#Burmese revolution#military coup#myanmar military coup#polyglot thought translation
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The Flip Side of War: Reflections from Myanmar
Reflections from our team membe from a recent trip she took with one of our partnering health organisations in Myanmar:
Fear: “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger”- an emotion where our body releases adrenaline in order to keep us safe.
When we experience a threatening or traumatic event, our bodies/minds might respond with any of the following: trying to get away, fighting or freezing, a racing heart, shaking, tunnel vision, struggling to sleep, being easily startled, increased irritability, catastrophising, worrying or tiredness.
I cover this list when I teach medic students in Myanmar about our bodies’ responses to fear and discuss that these are normal and healthy responses for our bodies to have, when in proportion. In fact, these responses can save our lives.
These students have experienced long-standing threat and traumatic events. They have been born into a generational civil war, and for the last year, have been living with a new and very real threat of aeroplanes dropping bombs on their villages. While there is chance of pre-warning for a ground attack, bombings are much less predictable which adds to the existing terror of the war.
I cannot speak on the students’ behalf about their experience of fear, but here is a snapshot of the fear I experienced while staying with the students.
At 1am on our third night, I woke to the loud noise of a low flying jet plane over the clinic. My initial thought: “oh a plane,” with a very quick follow up thought of: “OH NO, A PLANE, I MIGHT DIE!” Following that, my mind spent the night racing - telling me how I could have died and what I needed to be doing to protect myself. My body filled with adrenaline: trembling, heart pounding, hyperaware of sounds. Even after we’d been told the planes had ‘finished’ bombing for the night, my mind raced: “what if… another plane comes,” pictures playing of bombs hitting me, “if I am hit, I hope I die rather than get injured,” “what if the planes come back,” “I need to go home.” The plane dropped five bombs that night.
My initial thought: “oh a plane,” with a very quick follow up thought of: “OH NO, A PLANE, I MIGHT DIE!”
Fear means: the villagers and students sleep outside in trenches, back-up medications at the clinic are stored in another location, lights are on for a limited time, sleep is interrupted, new clinic buildings are built far away, ears are acutely attuned to the sound of aeroplanes, stress levels are increased, alcohol is used.
There is only so long that our bodies can maintain high levels of adrenaline. Naturally, when our minds and bodies are working well, adrenaline reduces over time as we adjust to the presence of danger and gather more data about the actual risk to act accordingly.
These students have experienced significant threat and traumatic events, but when you meet them, that is not what defines them. They are resilient.
Resilience: “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress.”
Resilience means: they have dreams and hopes. They continue to commit to learning to be medics to serve their communities. They continue to do what is important to them - even in the midst of conflict.
These students have experienced significant threat and traumatic events, but when you meet them, that is not what defines them. They are resilient.
After observing my own fear response to the numerous planes, I was curious to know how the students defuse their fear response to the bombs, after living with them for a year already. They told me they talk with their friends, laugh and pray. A staff member told me: I am a small person in a large space, so if I die, it’s my time to go to God. One student said that they stay with their friends so that if they die, they die together- this speaks to our natural drive to be connected with other people- something people in these communities do so well in the way that they really care for each other. They also engage in stress reducing activities like joking about the bombs, hunting, fishing, listening to music and singing (especially in groups). While none of these activities sound particularly novel, I wonder if they are in fact sacred ingredients that have naturally emerged to create a beautiful recipe of resilience.
As a mental health professional, I’ve hoped to find the best mental health and wellbeing models to teach- one that best fits the context and experience of the ethnic minorities in Myanmar. While traditional Western approaches may have some wisdom to offer in these contexts, I wonder if there is comparable potential for healing in what seem to be everyday basic activities. The singing and spirituality, their connectedness, laughter and conversations, their games of cane ball and the fishing at the river- these appear to be things that sustain the students.
I really admire the strength, courage and resilience of the Karen as they continue to live their lives in the context of significant conflict. While I go into these contexts to teach about mental health, it’s been a privilege to learn from those I’ve taught- from their knowledge, resilience and experience. And now, each time my ears prick up at a loud noise or plane flying overhead, I will be reminded of those who continue to engage in the everyday acts of resilience in the face of fear.
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From Humans of Myanmar:
Today, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi celebrates her 78th birthday, which unfortunately also marks her third consecutive birthday spent in detention following the military coup in 2021.
To honor her on this day, a #flowerstrike took place in the country, and a banner expressing the sentiment "We Miss You" was displayed from a bridge located in Yangon.
Additionally, it has been reported that the military council has been arresting individuals who choose to adorn their hair with flowers as a symbol of solidarity.
Let us continue to stand united, work towards justice, and strive for the day when she is released and can contribute to the progress and prosperity of Myanmar once again. 🇲🇲
#myanmar#Burma#Burmese#aung san suu kyi#se asia#dictatorship#coup#military#junta#whatshappeninginmyanmar#what’s happening in myanmar#strike#protest#humans of myanmar
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Unseen Myanmar
All month long, we’ve been sharing stories from our friends in Myanmar.
In Myanmar, where culture, ethnicity, and pride are so deep within the roots of the country it can be hard to believe the is so much atrocity. Myanmar appears from the outside to be beautiful and unblemished. However, within some states of the country lies a dark underbelly of genocide, occupation, and human rights violations.
Within Karen State specifically, families are in hiding deep within the jungle to seek refuge from the conflict that is happening around them, no matter how careful they are the Myanmar Military can find them and will attack them with helicopters, jet fighters, bombs and bullets. Growing up as a child in the jungle has its limitations, little to no healthcare, unstable education, a limited diet, and no safe place to call home. Many children have moved multiple times before they reach their teenage years. Constantly being displaced and in search of a new location that their family believes will be safe for them.
Children within Karen State learn at a very young age about community, many of the older children look after the younger ones when their families are busy working. They stay at home doing house chores and babysitting. It is safer for them to be at home as it is close to the bunkers that they have constructed. These bunkers are usually 10-20 meters away from their homes. Families are able to rush over to the bunkers once the radios alert them of incoming airstrikes and artillery.
However, even under a brutal genocide with no end in sight many children still keep their curiosity in life and passion to be successful in school to make a better future for their people. These children are suffering because the adults are fighting, yet they are the ones who wish for an end.
This month, over 1,200 of you used your platform to amplify the voices of the people of Myanmar.
Thank you for helping us send out an S.O.S. for the world to hear by watching, sharing, and responding to the atrocities of the Myanmar Military & making the #UNSEEN, seen.
SEE the UNSEEN.
This August. And always.
https://prtns.co/unseenmyanmar
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"If not now, when?
If not this generation, who...?
On 8.8.69, at a zebra crossing in St John's Wood, photographer Iain Macmillan took the iconic photo that became the cover image of the Beatles' album Abbey Road.
The iconic zebra historical photo of the Beatles at Abbey Road'sphoto made in 1969 led to a new beginning of musicality....
On 8.8.22 Burmese youth made a similar step in front of Sule pagoda downtown showing their own creativity, strategy, and defiance against the old conservative inhumane regime.
Time apart such creativity, strategy, and symbolism will signify the revolution like the music of the rhetoric our70s. Musically, it is one of the strongest 16 minutes in pop history, medley. My favorite song is Suchin rhetoric
“Carry That Weight,” “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun,” tho “All Things Must Pass” and “The End” ... “Because” …hope these symbolic titles of the songs too bless the rhetoric our youth..
Such strategy, symbol, and creativity will sustain revolution leading to success for democracy."
-Dr-Mar Oxford (Credit, Taken from facebook)
#whatshappeninginmyanmar#myanmar#international#news#justiceformyanmar#myanmarcoup#8888revolution#2022#august
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BREAKING NEWS
Junta executes Ko Jimmy, Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw and other two
July 25, 2022
Myanmar military junta announced on Monday it has executed democracy activist Ko Jimmy, 53, and Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41, and other two during the weekend. They were sentenced to death in January by a military tribunal under Myanmar’s overbroad counter-terrorism Law for masterminding and involving in anti-regime armed struggle and activities. Before the hangings they were allowed to meet with their families on Friday.
#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
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“Every single apartment in my street had gone completely dark. With my phone in my hand, I squatted down and looked out onto the street to see three military trucks filled with armed soldiers slowly entering.”
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