Chaw Suu Hann was a student union member from the Sagaing Region who never stopped working for her community, whether it was helping during the COVID-19 crisis or observing the election. When the military coup happened, she continued her commitment to the people. Although she initially trained to be a frontline ranger, she later chose to focus on supporting displaced communities and children instead.
Today, she travels through conflict zones, offering everything from plain rice to political awareness. We spoke with her this month to learn more about her journey, motivation, and plans for the revolution and beyond.
Can you tell us about your life and work before the coup?
I was already part of the student union before the coup. I studied at Monywa University and served as an executive in the student union. When COVID-19 broke out, I volunteered to help out. I also worked as an election observer during the 2020 General Election. Then, on February 1st, the coup happened. After that, we mobilized people and prepare to take to the streets. We began mobilizing on February 7th, which was the first day we started the protests in public. We didn’t want to accept another military regime. In the past, students also rose against coups in 1962, 1988, and now, in 2021. We believe it’s our historical responsibility to stand up. That’s why I chose to walk this path.
Some people took up arms after the street protests. Others focused on fundraising. Which path did you choose?
For me, the main goal has always been to fight the dictatorship. At first, there were mass protests and boycotts, but they were brutally suppressed, and I was one of those who experienced those crackdowns firsthand. I had to escape just to avoid being arrested. After that, I couldn’t live in the city anymore, so I fled to the jungle and joined a military training. I was among those who trained to take up arms, and we spent three months. I had no intention of turning back. But I had been injured earlier during the protests. In the early days, I was hit by a car, deliberately rammed by soldiers while I was on my motorcycle. That fall left me with injuries and made it difficult for me to continue military training. Physically, I just couldn’t carry on in that role. So I chose a different path. I returned to the countryside and started helping in ways that I could contribute. So I began organizing strikes in rural areas.
From there, how did you start helping displaced people?
While we were organizing protests in villages in November 2021, we witnessed something horrifying. A military column came to Dontaw Village and burned 11 people alive, right in front of us. We heard the people screaming. Following the incident, the villagers had nothing to eat or drink because the victims were breadwinners in their households. Everywhere we looked, families were on the move, crying and lost. So, we began to look for basic supplies, medicine, cooking oil, rice, and started preparing food for those in need. That’s how we began helping displaced people. It wasn’t because I belonged to a big organization or had some major funding. I just wanted to help in the moment when people needed it.
Tell us more about the regular programs you run
We don’t have just one fixed program. We try to respond to whatever people need at the time. When we were taking shelter in villages, we saw that children had been away from school for too long. So in April 2022, we started the community-based education in the villages where we stayed. We connected with the township education departments and began organizing campaigns to open and reopen schools.
As fighting intensified, we also helped displaced families with food. As the revolution continued, we worked to raise awareness, spreading information and help people understand what was happening and how to stay safe.
Now, airstrikes have become more frequent. The military is targeting schools to prevent gatherings, and many have had to close. But closing schools can’t be a long-term solution. So we have launched campaigns to reopen schools with safety and security measures. Communities have started digging bunkers near schools for protection. We supported that effort. Now, we’re preparing to provide communication tools for schools so that they can stay connected and respond quickly to emergencies.
Our mission is clear: to fight the dictatorship, to help people resist, and to survive the hardship it brings. These objectives shape the work that we do.
What kind of places are you working in now?
Displacement is happening everywhere. People are fleeing from place to place, all across the country. We mainly work in the Sagaing and Magway regions. We go wherever displaced people are because many of them have been living like this for years now. The revolution must continue to reach them so that they don’t lose hope or strength. That’s why we go to remote areas with no internet, no phone signal, and no access to information. We go there to speak directly to the people and share what’s happening in the revolution. We cannot let them stay in the dark. They deserve to know what’s going on and what we are fighting for. We’ve already seen some victories. Our allies are growing stronger. And we must keep going. That’s the message we carry: We are still here, and we are not giving up.
What about your security?
Honestly, there are no guarantees. I rely on connections with local people’s defense forces and travel with their support, but anything can happen. I don’t think too much about it. There’s nothing special or certain about our security. I always try to stay in touch and communicate with regional commands. But if something happens along the way, then that’s my fate.
Are there any groups providing you with regular funding?
I don’t have any formal or official channels for funding. I’m able to continue because there are people who believe in me and trust what I’m doing. When I explain that this is a difficult place and that help is needed, some brothers and sisters step up to support at any time. I just keep helping the local community, relying on those who stand with us.
The people of the Anyar area have suffered the most from the clashes. Now that it has been more than four years, can you tell us about the public’s attitude towards the revolution?
The people give us strength every single day. We continue to stand strong because of the power we receive from them. For example, during the Silent Strike, the people obeyed and ensured absolute silence. When we called for a flower strike on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday, people bought and sold flowers in such large numbers that the military had to issue orders to stop them. This showed the incredible power of people’s participation. Despite the crackdowns, the flower strike was a success. Again, on her birthday this year, the campaign requested 80,000 video birthday wishes. Before the day even arrived, we had already received over 110,000 videos. This is the power of the people.
Whether it’s those leading in the armed forces, working with the government body, or on the ground, everyone needs to listen to the voice of the people. We must look to them and face them, because the people are the heart of this revolution.
Are you also personally satisfied with the current state of the armed resistance?
There are many possibilities ahead, both good and bad. Right now, we are fighting together, and over the past four years, we have made important progress. We have captured cities one by one. This is our journey back home. If we continue to handle things carefully and wisely, our success and homebound will be within reach in the long run.
Have you thought about how you will continue to stand once the revolution is over?
If or when we win the revolution, I will go home. After I return, I will need to raise my two daughters. My eldest is two and a half years old, almost three, and my youngest is just over one year old. After the revolution, I want to give them the time and care they deserve so they can grow and bloom beautifully. I plan to go home quietly and spend time with my daughters.
Right now, I am helping displaced people and building classrooms. I will continue doing this as long as it’s needed. But when my help is no longer necessary, I will step back.
I always pay attention to what people need. Recently, I don’t even need to help the displaced people as much because many have been prepared. Most of them have rice and dry food ready if a clash breaks out. People are thinking ahead, they are resourceful, and they have prepared themselves.
Would you like to add anything?
There is a poem I have been deeply moved by lately:
We will remain together, even when we fall.
Hand in hand, we’ll help each other rise again.
Even if the world falls apart, we’ll hold each other close
A promise we keep,
Until the end of the world.
In this time of struggle, many people worry if a third world war might break out. People are anxious. But we must all endure and face this journey together. The military will continue to be cruel, and we cannot retreat. We will face many challenges, and we must find courage within ourselves. I urge everyone to do their best, to stand strong, and to succeed in this great uprising.
