It is no secret how horrific the situation is in Burma. At least 726 were killed in violent crackdowns, including 48 children, and over 3,151 have been detained by security forces. The ethnic minorities have suffered greatly at the hands of the Burmese military for decades, but it was the barbarity of the coup that brought media attention to the country. Even though the sufferings of the ethnic people have been overlooked and ignored for so long, they have set aside any reservations they have about media attention, Aung San Suu Kyi, or the NLD to lead the fight against the Tatmadaw. When push comes to shove, the coup is the only fight that matters in Burma.
Almost every political party in Burma understands the need to face and fight the perpetrators of the coup, with ethnic political parties in particular having taken a stand against the junta. However, in an attempt to break this unity, the military-backed State Administration Council (SAC) offered positions to several groups. As a result, the Arakan National Party (ANP), the Kayin Peoples’ Party, and the Mon Unity Party (MUP) accepted roles on the SAC. These parties claim that cooperating with the junta will alleviate suffering in their states and give them a say in government. While this can be tantalizing to groups that have been sidelined in the past, it seems unlikely that collaboration will be beneficial. Already, the ANP has been hemorrhaging members over the decision. Mon state, home of the MUP, has seen extremely bloody crackdowns on anti-coup protests.
Several ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) were offered roles on the SAC as well. Since these groups are used to working outside the government’s purview, they have not caved to the junta’s offers. No EAO has accepted a role on the SAC. Many have even said they will not meet with the new Tatmadaw to initiate dialogue on a military-backed peace process. Several EAOs have gone so far as to pledge their protection and support to protesters. This EAO-protester bond has led to the 1,000 protesters who fled to Karen National Union-controlled areas in hopes of seeking asylum from the military’s campaign of violence in the streets. As a result, the military has begun to put the screws on these organizations. The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) vowed it would stand with the people if security forces attacked anti-coup protesters. Not long after this announcement, the military began a campaign against the KIO that has killed many civilians. The Tatmadaw’s message is clear: if you stand with the people, you will be targeted.
It should be clear that the coup, and the military in general, are loathed by ethnic people. They know that the military has never stopped controlling the country and that the past decade has mostly been an exercise in obscuring the military’s power. They also know that with the coup, things can only get worse. If Burma’s ethnic minorities do not fight now, all might be lost. With the rise of the Civil Disobedience Movement and the mobilization of daily organized strikes, it seems that ethnic people have the whole country on their side now. Almost everyone in Burma is calling for a federal democracy, something ethnic people have been craving for years. The fight now seems not to be about Aung San Suu Kyi or the junta but creating lasting egalitarian change in Burma.
Thousands of ethnic people have participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement against the junta. Civil servants have gone on strike, parents and teachers have protested state SACs, and citizens have protested potential development projects. Tens of thousands of ethnic people have been turning out to protest. From priests, to teachers, civil servants, and healthcare workers, the fact that people from all walks of life have joined ethnic people in protest has made these movements all the more powerful.
However, the massive anti-coup protests have not stopped at Burma’s borders. Thousands of ethnic people from Burma all over the world have worked to make their voices heard. Protests in Thailand have garnered media attention due to their size and the crackdown against them. These protests occurred outside of the Burmese embassy in Bangkok, and have spilled out into the general Thai population who have begun protesting their own military-controlled government. Burmese refugees in towns on the Thai border have also expressed their rage at the crisis in their country, with many working to document atrocities and prepare for an influx of asylum-seekers.
The USA is also home to many ethnic people from Burma and refugees who have protested all across the country. Demonstrations against the junta have occurred in front of the UN headquarters in New York City, San Francisco, Portage, Michigan, Washington, DC and many more across the country. Organizations formed by ethnic people in the United States have also been working to oppose the regime. Hundreds of these groups have penned letters to the US government and the UN calling for decisive action on the issue.
For the time being, the junta will remain in power. It will keep killing and arresting unarmed civilians until decisive action is taken. Ethnic people stand to lose the most if the junta is not toppled soon, and so will fight tooth and nail against it. If there is any hope, it lies with the ongoing movement for peace and democracy and requires that we fight alongside the ethnic minorities who have been leading protests from the start- any international response to the coup needs to reflect this solidarity. Of most importance is to ensure that ethnic minorities are involved in the toppling of the regime and the creation of the sustainable peace and justice that they deserve.
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