Issue IV

Hein*, who is 25, has gone to the protests every day (as of March 11) and he believes that the younger generation will not stand for the military regime. He thinks that this is a landmark time in Myanmar's history, and he will continue to protest, fight, and resist. Hein* says that his dreams won't happen unless democracy is restored, and so he says that the police can arrest him and stop him from speaking out, since it doesn't matter anymore.

Shwe Thaing Ei*, 20, a student union leader, has organized several rallies and has spoken out openly against the military. Also, given the leadership position she holds, there is a lot of civil dissent history baked into her position. Shwe Thaing Ei* has also called meetings to rally fellow students and call for them to not obey the false education program. She believes that the people of Myanmar, especially her generation, must fight the military and forge a new path for the following generations, and they must do so in order to ensure true education and freedom in the future. Her and her generation are now experiencing life under military rule- internet blackouts, curfews, freedom-restricting rules, death threats- and they have to fight hard to change it. In a predecessor to the current strikes, Shwe Thaing Ei* and others of the same age have called for boycotts of army products, which is dangerous and could lead to being detained. Already, she has to stay away from her family, and it takes a toll.

An unnamed (for fear of the military) doctor from a government hospital believes civil disobedience is the way to go, since it forces the government into a position where the country's workforce is at a standstill and none of the essential positions have willing workers. He says that government workers have already lost their salaries, and their jobs and freedom (they may go to prison) are in question, and doctors especially don't want to work for a system that doesn't provide the ability to give good care, that doesn't provide medicine and equipment, and that doesn't allow communication. Despite the lack of salaries and resources, he says that it is important to keep fighting and stay strong, for the sake of the future and its generations.

Nor Ester Chit** is a member of the indigenous Karen people, one of the many ethnic minorities which have joined together to participate in the protests. She is helping to unite and mobilize people that identify with 29 different groups in order to protest as one outside foreign ambassador's offices (embassies). Ethnic groups in Myanmar have suffered immensely at the hands of the military, as visible by the Rohingya crisis not too long ago, which is still ongoing. Nor Ester Chit** says that "the dictatorship government, they never take responsibility for what they have done to the ethnic people. Generation after generation, they discriminate against us. They divide us." Civil wars continue to disrupt and damage Myanmar's border regions, in which minorities are caught in the crossfire, with horrifying consequences. Ethnic minorities want more autonomy, and the military out of the constitution and politics, and that's the goal she is striving for as well.

Another member of the Karen people, Naw is the leader of the General Strike Committee of Nationalities, and as a member of an ethnic minority, she says that protesting is not new to her. While many protestors are calling for the release of leaders such as Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint, she says that the ethnic minorities calls are instead for more rights and a "federal democratic union with all the nationalities who belong in Myanmar." The military has been able to split them up historically, but today they have become united. Naw says she is doing all of this for her one-year-old daughter, because she wants her to have a better future without any military involvement or dictatorship. It's a matter of saving this burden from taking another generation.

Toe Saw Lat* is a long-time member of the Democratic Voice of Burma, or DVB, an independent and formerly underground/outlawed news source that provided unbiased, uncensored news of what the junta was doing during the first regime. He worked in exile in Thailand during the first military regime, and now he is always on alert for a possible need to leave the country again. As of the time of the film, DVB was only broadcasting on Facebook and YouTube, but were trying to go on satellite, meaning they'd have to go even more underground due to a crackdown. Thus, he and the rest of the DVB were planning to get the important equipment from the office in order to be able to continue, like during the original regime. Toe Saw Lat* and others have been covertly continuing to do their job to provide news that people need- both the bad and the inspiring, but always the truth and secrets of the military. He has continued to speak the truth of what the military is doing, but is afraid that the incredible protests will be shut down with a harsh and violent response from the military. His worst fears, sadly, come true in the early March crackdown.

Several of the people on this list are fairly young, and that's because it is young people who are driving this movement, and it is they who will most likely play a large role in hopefully regaining control of the country, or at least sustaining the efforts to hamper the efforts of the junta. Along with legacy champions for democracy and other normal civilians, young people are making a difference in Myanmar.

The people of Myanmar have suffered so much, and it is clear the military hasn't given up. However, despite this, the protests go on, demonstrating the incredible resourcefulness and resolve they possess. Hopefully, the strike currently ongoing, paired with increased action from foreign nations and more attention being drawn to the plight of Myanmar may signal some hope for the protestors and civilians of Myanmar.

If you'd like to view the video that inspired this article, you can watch it at the bottom of the article here.

Russia: what’s happening now?

By Albert Chen (IV)

Navalny returned to Moscow on January 17, 2021, but was immediately arrested. This caused the anti-Putin protests which are still happening today to form. On February 2, Navalny’s 2013 suspended sentence conviction for embezzlement was overturned, meaning that for the next two years, Navalny is in a labor camp Pokrov. This sparked further outrage as there was no trial when Navalny’s sentence was overturned, meaning he never got a chance to defend himself. Reuters estimated that 40,000 people attended the protests, while Russian authorities claimed it was only 4,000, which by the photos taken by protesters and the press is completely wrong. Most people estimate the number to be around 20,000 people. These protests have also been happening in St. Petersburg too, with a consensus of 5,000 people. However Russians authorities arrested 500 of those 5,000 people. In total, Russian authorities detained over 5,611 people in one day , with 1,800 and 1,300 people in Moscow and St. Petersburg respectively, and that’s where we are now. Police are still battling protesters all over Russia, and the international community is crying in outrage. In a better perspective, these protests have been the largest ever in Russian history and may finally bring change to the nation.

BLS V.O.T.E would like to recommend the following online events for both students and faculty! They are all free to attend, and hopefully will be rather informative. Please let us know if there are any events you would like to recommend by emailing us at vote.bls@gmail.com!