One of the cliches of our day is that we live in “unprecedented times.” However, for Tufts students currently located in Myanmar, this expression may not capture the essence of the history that is currently unfolding in the country. The times are extraordinary, but according to sophomore Ingyin Khine, who is currently residing in Yangon, they are not necessarily unprecedented.
On Feb. 1 of this year, Myanmar’s military seized control of the government. Since then, the country has been roiled by pro-democracy strikes, protests and military counter-crackdowns. At this very moment, the state of Myanmar finds itself on a teeter as the people and the military play tug of war for its future. For Tufts students studying virtually in Myanmar, like Khine, this is a pivotal moment.
Khine is studying international relations. She hails from the city of Yangon, where she has been studying virtually for the past year. She explained that there is a real sense of history to these protests.
“This is not a single event in Myanmar’s history of oppression by the military,” Khine said. “It’s [been] going on for like 70 years. It’s a generational thing, so it started from my grandparents, and then my parents and then right now. It’s like this generational trauma in the community.”
Myanmar does have a long history of dictatorship. In 1962, the military, under Army Chief of Staff Ne Win, launched a coup that overthrew the democratically elected government under Prime Minister U Nu. In the early 1970s, Ne Win allowed a new constitution to be written, and in 1974, elections were held. Ne Win won the presidency and kept power until 1988, when he resigned as chairman of the Burma Socialist Programme Party, the ruling party, in the midst of violent dissent. In response to the mass protests, the military, under General Saw Maung, seized power later that year, implementing martial law and ending democracy.
Maung was replaced by General Than Shwe in the early 1990s, but the brutal military regime Maung established lasted for about 20 years. The regime began to unravel in 2007, when monks staged a series of protests calling for democratic reform. The government responded with harsh crackdowns, and drew widespread criticism from the international community. In 2011, the transition to civilian government began. By 2015, elections were considered free and fair, and the National League for Democracy, the country’s leading pro-democracy party, took power, with Aung San Suu Kyi in the leadership position of state counselor. A precarious balance of power was established between the military and civilian government, which held until Feb. 1 of this year.
For the few Tufts students in Khine’s position, it is an extraordinary moment. Just as her parents and grandparents took part in various historic protests, she now finds herself fighting for democracy.
Khine explained what motivated her to get involved in the resistance movement.
“I’m still doing classes and all that. But at the back of my mind, it’s always like, ‘You’re in revolution, you’re in the midst of revolution.’ And all of these classes and education won’t matter if there is not a hint of democracy in my own home country,” Khine said. “It’s something that we can’t afford not to do.”
The pro-democracy movement, which has become known as the Civil Disobedience Movement, has included government worker strikes, popular protests and student marches. Khine has participated in some of those marches. Without planning to, she even joined a medical student march, although she is not a medical student herself.
She joked, “I was an impostor in my medical student march thing. I just joined.”
Khine also emphasized how dangerous the protests could be, saying one of the first casualties was shot just minutes away from where she herself was protesting.
“The situation just escalated so quickly, so violently … and as usual, there were tear gas, sound bombs, stun grenades and all of that, but there were also live ammunition shots,” Khine said. “Now I think there are at least 300 casualties just from … protesting alone.”
The students, like Khine, who have been helping fuel the Civil Disobedience Movement, are, however, still students. Finley, referenced under a pseudonym in this article, is a first-year currently located in Yangon. They spoke to the challenges of taking classes virtually in the middle of the national struggle. Finley is planning to study economics and international relations, and has not yet had the opportunity to come to campus. For students in their position, there are many challenges. Not only is Finley taking classes with a 10-and-a-half-hour time difference in the middle of a pandemic, but the military has also taken to enforcing internet blackouts, severely curtailing their ability to participate in classes.
When asked about the way that limited access to the internet has affected their studies, Finley explained, “Every single night, it’s off from 1 a.m. to, I think, 7 or 8 a.m. I used to have class at 1 a.m., before daylight saving time, so I would have to use my data on my phone to show up to class.”
Daylight saving time shifted their class an hour earlier, so it no longer conflicts with the internet curfew. As of April 2, the military completely shut down access to wireless broadband internet services, leaving Finley’s ability to attend class an ongoing concern.
Finley said that their professors have been very understanding of the situation.
“All my professors have been so accommodating,” Finley said. “Every single one of them has [said,] ‘If you have any problems, just [tell] me. You can submit this whenever. I’ll adjust the due dates for you.’” Finley explained that those interactions have been a bright spot for them this semester.
With the death toll from military crackdowns surpassing 500, the inherent risk in fighting for democracy grows, but that is not stopping students, like Finley and Khine, from contributing in their own ways. Khine, who lives close to a square where many protests have been held, said she has attended protests herself. Finley and their family have sent food to people who went on strike. When asked what people on campus can do to support the pro-democracy efforts, they both said the same thing: Read the news.
“I would say the easiest thing that you can do, it takes five minutes of your time, is just get informed about the situation,” Finley said. “Realize that these things are happening in the world, because, you know, it’s easy to get caught up in your own little bubble.”
The struggle between the people of Myanmar and the military over democracy is not a new one. It is a contest dating back to the nation’s independence. But for this generation, this moment is a first. Their parents had defining moments like this, as did their grandparents. These occurrences are a reemergence of a decades-long struggle, but this time the unrest is taking place at the same time as a pandemic, and students are juggling pro-democracy activism with taking virtual classes from a university that’s nearly 8,000 miles away.
Editor’s note: This article has been modified from its original format to include the use of a pseudonym in order to protect the safety of a source amid ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
