Myanmar's Desire for Democracy and Freedom
Published in 1991, Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi’s then world-hit seller book consists of collection of her stories on how freedom for democratic reforms clash with suppressing authoritarian individuals. The Freedom from Fear was a high spotlight of her diverse career putting her on the biggest global stage, despite recent controversy, her contribution to Myanmar's democracy is still acknowledged by the global community today.
Exactly 30 years since publication, Myanmar has now been under Coup by the Military. The said accusations by the military and pro-military political parties of a voter fraud issue has always been a case where there’s almost little to no concrete evidence to support so. Research and findings have already pointed out the clarity and sincerity of the famous 2020 November Myanmar Election. The people have been responsible as well, showing not only to the Military but also to the world community on who they voted and what they truly desire; a full-fledged democracy to be the political system that defines Myanmar as a whole.
Youths have been a tremendous advocacy serving the public representing their ideologies and hunger for a developed nation after hundreds of years under British Colonial and Military Juntas before. The public does not want another junta to rule over the country because there’s more than enough evidence and proof that demonstrates how futile a country can get under said rule; simply described as self-beneficial. Politics as in general should only be for the best of community, not for business let alone or for individual interests. Myanmar barely had the taste of Democracy for a short span of 5 years but it was enough to stimulate nation-wide hunger for freedom.
Two months since the Coup, it’s appropriate to say that the leverage has been mostly on the people’s side. Politically and strategically speaking, most of the plans by the Military has either failed or took too long to even take its shape and start to govern the country effectively. For instance, days after the Coup, there were reports that the Military met with some of the richest businesses in the country for possible funding and collaboration for their political interests. The reports suggested that no one agreed on the Military’s side and since then have taken their own stands against the Military itself.
Arguably, the main difference between the 1988 Revolution and 2021 Revolution is perhaps the bare taste of Democratic education that allows the people to visualize what possibly lies ahead of them in lights of Victory. In 1988, the people only wanted to win but there wasn’t much idea of how people would construct the country next. The bare half a decade education of Democracy amplified the will to be free quite unexpectedly massive and this could well be the deciding factor between loss and victory.
The Civil Disobedience Movement
The Civil Disobedience Movement has also been a huge success to this day. The entirety of the governmental processes have either shut down or could no longer operate due to shortage of manpower or capable individuals. The Military is desperately trying to resume work on various frontiers but when almost every business and government sector in a country decided to disobey orders and commands to work, it’s impossible to urge everyone to go back to the workplaces simultaneously at the same time. One thing to note however is that it’s only a disobedience movement to the military; the people themselves are looking out for each other helping in ways they can.
Numerous funding projects and organizations have stepped up to pool the donations and keep the government staff under payment while those at disadvantaged living conditions are even offered as much as free spaces to stay until they get their jobs back. The Spring Revolution itself has evolved to a nation-wide demonstration of how different people; strangers actually who have never interacted with one another can come together and be as one to battle out against an unfair and unjust Coup.
However, the big setback is the recent reopening of high schools and middle schools in addition to universities, which obviously paves the way for some students and teachers to go back to schools/universities. The donations to the people who are involved in Civil Disobedience Movement however has drastically dropped again, it's really hard for anyone to keep donating month after month especially during such financially tense times. These are some challenges that we would need to conquer.
The International Community has also been such a huge pile of pressuring bodies, standing together with the people of Myanmar. International media have been in the spotlight since 1st February 2021 and all of these media bodies have also stood together with the people in one voice. It’s already a big signal of how much people as world citizens have matured since the two devastating World Wars to be politically interested even if the situation itself poses no threat to where you live. Black Lives Matter would be the recent example that was able to amplify its significant movement throughout the world.
The Youth's Demand for Democracy: Establishing a Transnational Network
There is a unique unity among the youths in Myanmar who are willing to take part in ways they can either online or offline on the ground. The amount of rally and unity the youth population has shown without any kind of instructions is simply remarkable. Youths set up their own connection services, Facebook contacts, charity networks, Telegram Channels, National Tweeting Captions that were pre-made so that anyone could easily copy and tweet on Twitter. Some have even set up ways to keep in contact should there be a complete network shut off by using Intranet, SMS services, signals, and phone calls. Information stream is rapid and updated quite usually around the clock.
The spotlight then comes to how the youth interaction could summon international participation in place. Politics is simple enough to visualize from a clear perspective as in if you want to win a fight, it’s only logical you pull people near you to be on the same page; not someone who’s 6,000 miles away. The big push to win this fight would be to have a transition from local movement to regional movement effectively, constantly and successfully.
Take the popular regional movement, Milk Tea Alliance for example, the Milk Tea Alliance has been a successful movement at start, acting as a catalyst for protests in Thailand in which the people share the same hunger for democracy. Countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia are now posing and riling to stand once again and protest together for democracy itself. This is huge as this would well be the World’s first regional protest under one same interest; freedom from fear. However, it has dropped its momentum since April due to poor coordination of protests, becoming more of a social media stand rather than a activism stand.
Therefore, there should be a new form of activism that seeks to unite Southeast Asia's people to take lead and involve in Myanmar's political crisis that youth leaders across ASEAN Member States act together in unison to successfully transform to a regional movement.
The People Will Fight Till the End
The Spring Revolution in Myanmar is now slowly transcending into ASEAN Revolution to oppose dictatorship rulings. It’s the 21st century; the world is no longer a place where brutality and monstrous killings are something of political advantage to one group. The World is still far from perfection but it is slowly gaining its spotlight where people are now educated; well enough to understand what’s right and what’s wrong and what’s just and what’s not.
On the other side of the scope are those who have been desperate to try and keep orders within their hands. Desperately yet not successfully as they see their chances of upholding total order and power slip slowly through their own fingers. These people could be termed as Fear of Freedom as any chance of liberation would mean the end of their interests; which are all not based on any liberated opportunities. They see freedom as a threat to their existence and want to abolish anyone who pursues it. Fear of Freedom is the next big global challenge that the world community must act together, emphasizing on taking back the power into the hands of the people, stripping them off from a selected few.
The World understands the hunger of Asian people for a developed societal community and the people know that a dictatorship or a junta is not an option. Myanmar people are determined to pursue this journey until the end, victory nothing less and democracy the ultimate treat.
All guts, no gun.
Dedicated to all the casualties caused by the brutality of the Myanmar Military. May you all find peace.
Author
Kyaw Zaw Lin
Kyaw Zaw Lin is the former ASEAN Youth Ambassador to Myanmar (2019 - 2020) and the current Economic Enhancement Deputy Director at ASEAN Youth Organization. Having founded Lean On Me, an organization that promotes youth involvement and importance to the community as part of Southeast Asia Youth Leaders from Myanmar in 2017, he now leads UNITE 2030 Myanmar as the National Chapter's President advocating the 17 SDGs enacted by the United Nations in the country.
*For the Chinese version please check: 「我們沒有槍，只有勇氣」一位緬甸青年的心聲：這次抗爭和 1988 年有何不同？
執行編輯：蕭又寧
核稿編輯：林欣蘋
