မြန်မာပြည်မှ ပေးစာ (Letter from Burma)
I do not know how much you already know about Myanmar military coup. So many things are happening here, so it is impossible to cover everything. Here is the gist.
Min Aung Hlaing, the commander in chief, seized power on 1st February and claimed that there was an election fraud which he has not been able to prove yet. State counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, president U Win Myint, and other key ministers, lawmakers, political leaders and even Buddhist monks: known for their opposition to the army were arrested at their place at 3 am that morning. Internet and mobile coverage had cut off. Later that morning, the junta announced a return to military rule.
In the first two days, we all were confused and nervous and tried to digest the things that happened. The first activity we did to show our disapproval of the coup was by banging the pots and pans at night for 15 minutes between 8:00 pm and 8:15 pm. Which we still do now.
Then CDM, the civil disobedience movement, was launched, and many civil servants participated in the campaign. Their active participation had caused them to lose their government housing and be arrested altogether with protesters and activists.
The protests were peaceful during the first two weeks.
The first case of death reported from a gunshot wound started with Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, who was almost 20, in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar. She was shot in the head and died a week later in a hospital.
The death toll has risen to over 500 as of today. The youngest is five years old, yet many deaths are unaccounted for, many are missing, and many are detained and tortured in Insine prison & detention centres.
In the past weeks, people got arrested overnight, and the next day the juntas informed their family members to come and collect the remains (dead bodies). These night raids & arrests are still ongoing now. Police informants are everywhere. The number of deaths and arrests reported by them to the security force (terrorist group) is rising too. Hence why most of us are not sleeping at home every night.
In the meantime, the opposition parliament named CRPH, Committee Representing Pyidaungsu (union) Hluttaw (assembly) has formed, declaring a parallel civilian government in opposition to military coup leaders. Their main task is to work out a roadmap for the return to democracy and how to maintain the momentum. CRPH initiated talks and discussions with ethnic armed groups such as KIA and KNU.
Now the military junta is carrying out an airstrike on the KNU-held areas, which has led to the displacement of over 2000 refugees to the Thai border and sadly Thai military forced them back to Myanmar, the killing zone. The BBC reported that Myanmar juntas requested the neighbouring countries Thailand and India to refuse the refugees. Even Malaysia reportedly sent back many to Myanmar in late February. So, we are trapped in this shit hole and cannot seek asylum in neighbouring countries.
We used to build the barricades on roads, but we lost them and our ground now as the state-sponsored terrorists had cleared them with bulldozers. Sacks of sand, worn-out tires, sometimes bamboos and pieces of concrete rubble are the materials we used for the barricades. We are fighting a losing battle.
We, the unarmed civilians, versus the heavily armed terrorist groups. Our weapons are Molotov cocktails, firecrackers, and DIY smoke bombs. None of them is effective and deadly enough to kill them. The terrorists use guns, sound grenades, and a hand grenade, and rumours had it that even RVG in some townships and divisions.
People are shit scared now, especially generations L and X. They are still traumatised by the 88 uprisings. Late Y & early Z generations are the most active, but not all. There are still some odd pockets in these two generations. Unity is still questionable in Myanmar. Yet many say they want this to be over and get democracy back, but they don’t step outside their house.
Saung Chaung township, where I have been going to protest, got cracked down. They destroyed our barricades and took away our shields.
I don’t know what the future holds now.
I’m depressed yet filled with much anger & hatred.
It’s been a month since the mobile data connection has disrupted. WiFi internet has shut down too. The vast majority of the people here, incl me rely on a mobile internet connection to communicate. Now we feel helpless. It has an enormous impact on how we communicate and report news.
Nothing is good. I fail to see the bright side of life in this particular situation. I want to leave the country as soon as possible, but I feel guilty about leaving.