Freedom Memoirs – Day 365

by mohingamatters

As the scheduled Silent Strike falls in less than 24 hours, the junta attempts to disrupt the strike with any possible way. Khit Thit Media reported today that junta imposed a change in operation hours for schools and government offices in Naypyidaw and Sagaing Region. Sources told Khit Thit that for February 1 of 2022, offices and schools would operate from 10am to 3pm, which was the time period set to empty the streets to show symbolic gesture that the people were not participating in the junta’s rule. In Mandalay, junta announced that motorcycle owners who go out during 10am to 3pm will receive one gallon petroleum free while pressuring the gas stations to give away free gas. 

Prior to the February 1, support rallies for the military were observed in several townships today. In Ayeyarwaddy Region, Kyaik Latt Township, township administrators and hundred-household administrators tricked villagers to join the opening of football match, which turned out to be the support rally. One member from a household was asked to join, and the households that could not join were fined by administrators. Another support rally was also held in Myaung Mya Township of the same region. In Mandalay, a group of municipal staff members, civil servants and nationalists monks marched in downtown areas to show support towards the military regime according to DVB News. Such kind of military support rallies were also observed in Yangon and Sittwe City of Rakhine State. 

Meanwhile, higher ranked generals are preaching speech which stimulated hatred towards Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party NLD, and ethnic armed groups including Karen National Union (KNU), as well as, xenophobic ideas. Khit Thit media reported that, under the command of coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, generals were ordered to give such kind of speeches to soldiers and their families who remain in the military bases. In Yangon’s Thanlyin military base, Lieutenant General Ye Htut Wai gave a speech about how the NLD and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi threatened unity of the nation, how KNU has been fighting the regime because they received money from foreign countries, how independent media are attacking the regime, and all sorts of opposites to the truth. Analysing the speech, Khit Thit noted that the military no longer used “election frauds” to justify the coup, but rather stating that the military is trying to protect the nation from falling apart. Oh the tale as old as time…

While the higher-ups are plotting ridiculous plan against the people, their followers continue to harass and disrupt lives and livelihood of the people. This morning in Depayin Township of Sagaing Region, junta soldiers raided Nga Wae Taw Village, and destroyed the houses. A local told Khit Thit Media that regime soliders entered the village around 9am, torched five houses, and tractors owned by villagers. Soldiers left afterwards, but villagers on the run did not feel safe to return to their homes. In Mingin Township of the same region, regime soldiers raided Bin Village this evening, torching the house. Villagers are on the run to safe places according to Khit Thit Media. 

Yesterday, we reported about KNU Brigade 5’s statement which warned civil servants to leave the areas so that the military council would not be able to function. The statement requested junta-appointed civil servants to leave Brigade 5 areas by February 10. Following the announcement, news came from Thay Kaw Hta Village that the regime forces launched aerial attacks last night. Although no one was injured from the attack, two civilian homes were destroyed according to DVB News.

Despite the arbitrary arrests, raids and tortures, the people continued to protest against the military regime. Youths in Yangon came out today, holding the banner which read “My head is bloody but unbowed”. Marching rallies in support of the NUG and the PDF were also observed in several townships in Sagaing Region. To this day, the civil unrest has not died down although we have lost so much along the way. Hope is what keeps us going in the past year, and our hope is to build a new federal nation which values and respects diversity, human rights and human dignity, with no place for thuggish military soldiers. With that in mind, we march on.

This is the final daily entry from us. Thank you for supporting our revolution, and sharing our journey in the past year. The archives of our dailies can be read here: https://mohingamatters.com/freedom-memoirs/ We will see you weekly, and monthly. Don’t forget to sign up to our mailing list here: http://shorturl.at/esPR1 

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