On the 1st of February 2021, the world awoke to a military coup occurring in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma. Myanmar’s military, known as Tatmadaw and now calling itself the State Administration Council, cited alleged fraudulent elections in November of 2020 as the primary reason for the coup and detained the country’s leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Laureate and an icon of peace and democracy of the National League for Democracy (NDL) elected party, who is also a daughter of Aung San, widely regarded as the founder of the modern Myanmar state. Prior to the coup, Aung San Suu Kyi held the title of State Counsellor of Myanmar, allocating her powers alike to that of a prime minister, and she also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 until 2021. Tatmadaw accused Aung San Suu Kyi and her administration of fraud, corruption, mishandling of the pandemic situation, and a number of other charges that she is yet to face in court amidst concerns for her health. Meanwhile, the military maintains its grip on power within the country in spite of constant civilian protests ranging from peaceful street demonstrations to forceful attempts on behalf of evolving regional civilian militias joining established ethnic insurgent groups to remove the military junta. The number of civilians killed as a consequence of violent response on behalf of the military is believed to currently surpass 1,000 with numbers of those detained surpassing 8,000, with sometimes hundreds of people killed and tortured on a single day as a consequence of military crackdowns on civilians.
The people of Myanmar, however, have never ceased to fight for their rights and continue to find inspiration and resilience, determined to stand up to the current military government. What is particularly impressive is the way the people decide to protest and find ways to organize in spite of the ongoing challenges, with efforts initiated by Myanmar’s women and local and religious leaders being among leading examples of a witty, united, and persistent approach to modern-day protests that can serve as inspiration for future civilian struggle. Shedding more light on these efforts and reminding of the importance of civilian organization and courage is of particular importance. It is important both as a way to draw attention to the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar, as well as to support civilians worldwide in navigating the increasingly authoritarian global setting.
Historical Overview
As alarming as the current violence in Myanmar is, this is not the first time Myanmar has experienced a military coup and rule by a military junta. After gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948, Myanmar established a bicameral parliamentary government, and the democratic regime was somewhat uninterrupted until 1962 when Tatmadaw, at the time led by General Ne Win, led a military coup that started decades of military rule. Academics largely agree that the previous democratic arrangement in post-independence Myanmar led to economic and sociopolitical instability which eventually resulted in people’s disillusionment with the government and presented a permissive factor for the establishment of the junta. The military rule was soon seen as oppressive and the people began to organize throughout the 1970s, with student protests and public gatherings, but these were largely suppressed and not as broadly organized as protests that were to follow - in 1988, precisely on August 8th of 1988 hence the name the 8888 Uprising, larger scale protests were organized following the strengthening of the military regime, with people taking to the streets en masse, organizing nationwide strikes, and civil servants, students, Buddhist monks, other religious and community leaders, and citizens in general were standing united in spite of oppressive and violent attempts by the military government to suppress the regime, resulting in thousands of death, with estimates ranging to as high as 10,000.
The success of these protests, as impressive as they were, was still largely limited and the military largely maintained its grip on power. However, the courage and resilience of the people of Myanmar cannot be questioned. The Saffron Revolution of 2007 again challenged the military rule and this time, combined with pressure from the international community, resulted in major political change as it allowed for democratic elections, although the military still retained constitutional right to 25% of the parliament seats. Unfortunately, the democratic regime was never described as stable or truly implemented and, in fact, the military continued to augment its role and proceeded to limit State Chancellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s power, influence public policy, and deliberately attack Myanmar’s various ethnic minorities, triggering by 2017 one of the most scrutinized and tragic modern-day human rights crisis. However, this history proves the readiness of the people of Myanmar to take a stance for their rights in spite of such major political challenges, as well as that, no matter how difficult the situation, substantial progress can be achieved and has never been given up on. The ongoing events in Myanmar yet again put these claims to the test.
Examples of Civilian Dissent from Present-Day Myanmar: Creativity, Unity, and Resilience
This time, the protests have started off as largely peaceful, though there are now some poorly armed and largely untrained groups in different areas, such as in Bago where a confrontation with the military resulted in deaths of at least 82 protesters that attempted to barricade the city. In both urban and rural areas, Myanmar police officers have sided with the protesters after being ordered by the military to shoot those protesting the coup and many were forced to flee the country because of disobeying the orders and denying the coup. The current violent developments in Myanmar have increased emigration and thousands of refugees, now suffering the combined effects of Tatmadaw’s systemic attacks on ethnic minorities for decades prior and the more recent violent clashes with protesters, are attempting to cross borders to surrounding countries with the situation still evolving and destinies of thousands of refugees remaining in question. The refugee influx is elevating Myanmar’s crisis to an international level.
As the situation continues to evolve and is becoming increasingly deadly for dissenting civilians and damaging for the future of Myanmar’s democracy, there is also a growing number of examples of civilian courage and brilliance amidst the chaos. A particularly curious case is the action on behalf of Myanmar’s women to contribute to the country-wide protest efforts. Ever since the first day of protests, women have been lining up by the thousands to take a stance for their rights and freedom, with even young women, many of whom are still students, being unafraid to join the front lines in spite of the danger.
Women also looked for creative ways to show their dissent which includes women placing their undergarments and traditional htamein, symbols of femininity, around the streets. This slows military personnel down as these garments are considered to be stripping men of their masculinity prompting the military to spend time circumventing and removing such clothing from the streets. Furthermore, some groups decided to organize and strategically place pictures of General Min Aung Hlaing and other high ranking military officials who are now occupying the government on the ground, making soldiers reluctant to pass through and step on these images. Even though the military in some cases proceeded to burn the clothing and still pass through these images, this approach to protest showcases a creative and clever way to take a stance against the current regime while simultaneously avoiding direct confrontation and symbolically representing civilian defiance and an unquenching desire for stability and freedom.
In a situation in which protesters are increasingly forced to carry helmets and protective gear to the streets even for peaceful attempts at protest, medical professionals are not afraid to join the protesters and attend to those who have been hurt and wounded, even after the military leadership proclaimed such initiatives by local medical personnel to be treasonous. People are also largely uniting along previous divides, with wider society now being able to better empathize with warnings on behalf of Rohingya and Kachin leaders and activists, and recognizing the need for thorough change and widespread tolerance and peace. Buddhist monks, who traditionally have wielded most significant moral authority within the society and also played a key role and submitted great sacrifice during the Saffron Revolution that was even named after the color of their robes, are now again decidedly taking to the street in support of the people holding alms bowls traditionally used to collect food donations upside down as a sign of protest. These monks are standing against their counterparts that gave blessings to the generals in an attempt to protect their position, explaining that it is their duty to stand with well-meaning and truth-seeking people even if it means taking the risk that can cost them their frock and lives. Importantly, the sangha, or the Buddhist community, is by some accounts purposefully not taking the same level of publicity as in previous uprisings in order to make space for all groups and Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and Christian leaders alike have shown support for protesters and provided shelter whenever possible.
Conclusion
In spite of a long, life-threatening struggle that participation in the protest in Myanmar currently entails, people from all walks of life are continuously taking to the streets, as well as finding creative ways to show their resistance to the regime and undermining further military advancements. The situation in Myanmar has been closely monitored by the international community since the first hours of the coup, and it is drawing continuous attention and motivating ongoing debates on the best course of action. Myanmar is a member of a number of supranational organizations, including the UN and ASEAN, and thus has a duty to protect its citizens and allow for a peaceful transition of power. As there is no guarantee, however, that the country will indeed act in accordance with organizational charters and proclamations, it is evident that the people are attentive to changes and ready to take action. The people of Myanmar are setting an example for modern civilian initiatives and protest and their efforts need to be better acknowledged and supported by the international community and civil society members everywhere in order to avoid more death and destruction and support basic civilian rights.