Day 10 of being forced to go back to the military’s cage.
Day 5 of peaceful protesters defying against the restrictions and martial law.
We, the people, are in mourning. We are mourning for the lost future of Mya Thet Thet Khine, a 19-year-old female protester who was shot by the police in Naypyidaw yesterday. Peaceful protests that we have been doing for the past five days turned bloody on Feb 9 when the police in Naypyidaw, Bago and Mandalay resorted to violence as a means to respond against the protesters. It was an incredibly agonizing evening for many people of Myanmar. But the military underestimated the fire that has been brewing within many youths of Myanmar since the day they staged an illegal coup.
Today, many youths came out stronger and in more unity than ever. Instead of congregating in one place, many small groups dispersed over Yangon in key areas like Chinese Embassy, Japanese Embassy, UN Head Office and U.S Embassy, and major junctions like Hledan, Sule and Myaynigone. The pain that they felt from the lost future of Mya Thet Thet Khine fuelled them to come out smarter and more creatively: protesting and cooking hotpots or playing UNO under the crossover bridges, protesting using inflatable pools, brides protesting in their wedding dresses, half naked bodybuilders and pageants with their crowns, and many more.
But there are also small groups of youths holding signs and quietly protesting in front of government offices during the office hours to encourage the aunties and uncles who are still choosing to go work for the system that has started using violence to shed innocent civilians’ blood.
Again, we want to emphasize the importance of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). Protest gives us exposure but the CDM by the public and private sector is the key to crippling the system that benefits the military. Please, for the sake of the future of your children and also the internet connectivity that is still giving us exposure to the international community, encourage every civil servant you know to participate in the movement.
We hear that the military is getting the help from China to build a Great Firewall with the IT technicians landing in Yangon last night from Kunming, and there is also a draft law of Cyber Security, spreading on social media today. There are 12 chapters, and while we haven’t read it in detail, we are pretty sure the military will be using this to criminalize every post, comment, writing and any forms of content online criticizing them. So, please, those who are still choosing to work every day to support the illegal government and their atrocities — DEFIANCE IS NEEDED.
PLEASE DEFY.
(P.S. We do not hear any major violence today. But the headquarters of NLD was raided last night. Evils usually come out in the absence of light so please be alert, and safe everyone!)
