{"id":339,"date":"2021-02-16T19:09:21","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T18:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myanmarmemo.com\/?p=339"},"modified":"2021-02-16T22:23:04","modified_gmt":"2021-02-16T21:23:04","slug":"game-over-why-there-is-hope-for-myanmar-forbidden-advice-from-a-military-officer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.myanmarmemo.com\/en\/2021\/02\/16\/game-over-why-there-is-hope-for-myanmar-forbidden-advice-from-a-military-officer\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cGame over\u201d? – Why there is hope for Myanmar: Forbidden advice from a military officer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samia Akhter-Khan takes a look at a letter from within the military – and analyzes how the current events in Myanmar correspond with the advice it has given to people.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

The world hears Biden announce sanctions<\/a> against the Myanmar military, but do we pay attention to what is happening inside the country? The civil disobedience movement (CDM) is growing bigger, and I could write a blog entitled \u201cfake news of the day.\u201d But more interesting, perhaps, is a letter with secret advice written by a military officer to \u201cthe people.\u201d<\/p>\n

A week ago, shortly after the military coup d\u2019\u00e9tat on February 1st, my friend and prize-winning journalist from Myanmar, Mratt Kyaw Thu, released a letter from a serving military officer<\/a> on his Twitter account (@mrattkthu<\/a>). In his letter, the officer discloses insights about the strategies and weaknesses of the military facing the CDM.<\/p>\n

Here is what it says, how people have followed his advice, and why there is<\/em> hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cNyi lay\u201d\u2013\u2013younger brother\u2013\u2013\u201cI\u2019m sending this hand-written letter to you through much difficulties,\u201d the officer writes. He reports that the military\u2019s actions are highly strategic, no information is supposed to leak. Communication between members of the military and the \u201coutside world\u201d is being banned. According to the officer, soldiers are being brainwashed; they are trained to see red as the color of the enemy. In Myanmar, red represents democratic resistance, such as during the uprising in 1988 when Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi<\/a> spoke to the public for the first time. It is the color of the National League of Democracy (NLD), Suu Kyi\u2019s party. Yet, there are people in the military who want to stand with \u201cred,\u201d the officer assures, but there is no way out for them without risking up to 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n

All this sounds intimidating, and it is, but every powerful entity has its weakness.<\/p>\n

The military is scared of the CDM. According to the officer\u2019s letter, the Tatmadaw feared that people from outside the NLD would join the movement. This could include people in the education, health, and business sectors (the concern is not surprising, given that the military makes billion-dollar profits by owning Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited<\/a>). If employees from its own companies stood united on the resisting side, this would create great difficulties for installing another decade-long military dictatorship.\u201cThat\u2019s why you need to show that CDM is a movement led by ‘real’ people.\u201d<\/span> People thus must continue with the CDM, ideally for at least the first 2-4 weeks after the coup, for it to be effective. The longer the movement takes to establish, the better the military leaders could manage the situation. And, as the officer concludes: \u201cIf the military and police join the CDM, it\u2019s game over for them [the military leaders].\u201d But it won\u2019t be an easy undertaking.<\/p>\n

Courage and Perseverance<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notably, this letter was published on February 5th<\/sup>, before<\/em> the nationwide protests began, which called for the military to hand over power to the newly elected government. Much has happened since; events are unfolding rapidly. But have Myanmar\u2019s citizens followed the officer\u2019s advice?<\/p>\n

As one of my friends described, this is what a regular day in Myanmar currently looks like for most people: \u201cProtests and boycott in the morning, then to the office, and at 8pm hitting pots and pans.\u201d<\/p>\n

It seems like people have followed the leaked advice. Protesters fear that, if no action is taken now, things will never change. Hundreds of thousands of courageous people are on the streets trolling the military leader Min Aung Hlaing<\/a>, walking until their feet ache, and shouting determined cries for justice. People are not only demanding the military to step down and release all political prisoners, including \u201cMother Suu.\u201d They are also protesting for the abolishment of the 2008 constitution<\/a>, which allows the military to reserve 25% of the parliamentary seats without being elected as well as ensure control over several industries.<\/p>\n

When I write \u201cpeople,\u201d I am referring to students, older people, religious leaders, teachers, members of NGOs and CSOs, doctors, nurses, governmental staff, the LGBTQ community, and even police<\/a>. Last week, over one hundred employees from the military-led news channel Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) have joined the CDM<\/a>. Across different sectors, religions, and ethnic groups\u2013\u2013as hoped for by the military officer\u2013\u2013people are standing up against their shared enemy: the military.<\/p>\n

Finally, the biggest fear of the military should be the changes that time has brought up to the year 2021. Historical and cultural contexts have changed. People in the country are aware of how the military is intentionally spreading fake news on social media and using authoritarian tactics to provoke violence\u00a0<\/a>to perpetuate a very different picture of the peaceful protests.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a dangerous challenge, but the diverse country is risking everything, and people are uniting for democracy and freedom of speech. \u201cDiversity is beauty, unity is strength,\u201d as my friends would say. As for now\u2013\u2013and let\u2019s hope we are right\u2013\u2013it seems like the military messed with the wrong generation.<\/p>\n


\n(C) Photo: Mratt Kyaw Thu on Twitter, 2021
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