While the world’s eyes are on the war in Ukraine, the murderous military in Myanmar continues to kill, execute, and displace citizens across the country. February 1st will mark two years since the brutal coup which saw the illegitimate demise of a democratically elected parliament. In spite of this, powerful resistance continues against the junta – particularly from young people – and it still does not have complete control of the country.
Last week we spoke to one of our partners in Myanmar about his life and how he keeps going. He told us that he has three strategies for survival:
- Keep a low, or better still, no profile. He has deleted all his Facebook and other social media pages and we cannot name him.
- It is important to keep working if possible. Until funding runs out he is employed to design and run courses to build the capacity of civil society organisations. UnionAID has been funding other alumni for similar youth training and small business development projects for women.
- “Appear and disappear” tactics – such as travel using motorbikes which are less likely to be stopped at checkpoints than cars, get work done efficiently, and remove sensitive files from any devices being carried.
This has enabled him and others like him to get by, to do what’s possible, to give people hope, and to make a difference.
