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One day, after the Myanmar military seized power in the early morning hours of February 1, 2021, a strong and impressive civil disobedience movement evolved. At first, spearheaded by medical workers, nurses and doctors, this movement is growing faster and stronger every day, with people from all walks of life joining. Amongst them also teacher, bank employees, civil servants and employees working for military-linked companies. People started to bang pots and pans every evening at 8 pm from their windows and balconies. The time when the new curfew installed by the military starts. The pots and pans banging became louder every evening, sharp 8 pm, and lasted longer every evening, to drive out the evil spirits of the military. Candles were lit and the protest song from the 88 Uprising "Kabar Makyay Bu" , that translates as “We Won’t Be Satisfied Until the End of the World”, was sung to the melody of the song „Dust in the wind“ by the band Kansas.
On February 6, people finally took their protests to the streets across the country. It's estimated that 100.000 people participated on this day alone in the protests in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city. The protests are happening in several cities and regions all over the country every day since then. They are huge, powerful and diverse and all protestors agree on:
"We cannot go back into the dark age of military dictatorship".
These protests are supported by several organizations like student unions, labour unions, political parties and social activist groups. One of these social activist groups is the Yangon chapter of Food Not Bombs.
Food Not Bombs Yangon got established in 2013 by a group of local punks. They are best known for supporting people living in poor conditions, especially children, in urban Yangon. In 2020, when the pandemic hit the country, the punks of Food Not Bombs organized tirelessly huge amounts of food to support people in need. Amongst others, they supported the protests of garment factory workers and labour unions when the workers got deprived of their salary after the factories closed without any compensation.
Now, these punks are also in their role as Food Not Bombs supporting the protestors with water, food and security gear, like helmets, glasses to protect from pepper spray and medical masks.
Although the protests in Yangon stayed peaceful so far, in other cities and regions, the police already started to use water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds against the protestors. As well more and more videos appear on Facebook of civilians throughout the country being dragged out of their houses at night and arrested by the police.
The military is right now tightening its grip. After roughly 23.000 prisoners got released in a mass amnesty, in the nighttime more and more civilians are being dragged out of their houses and arrested. Since February 14, armoured vehicles rolled into several cities and internet access is being cut overnight.
This fundraiser is set up to support the work of Food Not Bombs Yangon during these now ongoing protests. The money will be used to further support the protestors, the civil disobedience movement and people in need. Food Not Bombs Yangon is as well teaming up with other activist organizations like labour unions and student unions.
Background to the military coup in Myanmar:
After the military seized power illegitimately on February 1, they started to detain oppositional politicians, political activists, critical artists and journalists. Sen. General Min Aung Hlaing, under whom the military intensified the crackdown on the Rohingya ethnic minority in Rakhine State in the recent years, declared on this day a one-year-long state of emergency and assumed all state power for this period. Claiming that there was fraud in the November 2020 elections, which the party National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide victory, the military also detained the members of parliament that were meant to take their oath to the office on February 1st. Until today the Nobel peace price laureate and state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is detained and under house arrest. As well as the state president Wint Mynt and other high ranking politicians. On February 9, so far, a total of 400 people have been detained and arrested by the military. Myanmar was a military dictatorship from 1962 until 2011.
Photo credit: Kaung Kaung
Photo credit last picture: Thiha
On February 6, people finally took their protests to the streets across the country. It's estimated that 100.000 people participated on this day alone in the protests in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city. The protests are happening in several cities and regions all over the country every day since then. They are huge, powerful and diverse and all protestors agree on:
"We cannot go back into the dark age of military dictatorship".
These protests are supported by several organizations like student unions, labour unions, political parties and social activist groups. One of these social activist groups is the Yangon chapter of Food Not Bombs.
Food Not Bombs Yangon got established in 2013 by a group of local punks. They are best known for supporting people living in poor conditions, especially children, in urban Yangon. In 2020, when the pandemic hit the country, the punks of Food Not Bombs organized tirelessly huge amounts of food to support people in need. Amongst others, they supported the protests of garment factory workers and labour unions when the workers got deprived of their salary after the factories closed without any compensation.
Now, these punks are also in their role as Food Not Bombs supporting the protestors with water, food and security gear, like helmets, glasses to protect from pepper spray and medical masks.
Although the protests in Yangon stayed peaceful so far, in other cities and regions, the police already started to use water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds against the protestors. As well more and more videos appear on Facebook of civilians throughout the country being dragged out of their houses at night and arrested by the police.
The military is right now tightening its grip. After roughly 23.000 prisoners got released in a mass amnesty, in the nighttime more and more civilians are being dragged out of their houses and arrested. Since February 14, armoured vehicles rolled into several cities and internet access is being cut overnight.
This fundraiser is set up to support the work of Food Not Bombs Yangon during these now ongoing protests. The money will be used to further support the protestors, the civil disobedience movement and people in need. Food Not Bombs Yangon is as well teaming up with other activist organizations like labour unions and student unions.
Background to the military coup in Myanmar:
After the military seized power illegitimately on February 1, they started to detain oppositional politicians, political activists, critical artists and journalists. Sen. General Min Aung Hlaing, under whom the military intensified the crackdown on the Rohingya ethnic minority in Rakhine State in the recent years, declared on this day a one-year-long state of emergency and assumed all state power for this period. Claiming that there was fraud in the November 2020 elections, which the party National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide victory, the military also detained the members of parliament that were meant to take their oath to the office on February 1st. Until today the Nobel peace price laureate and state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is detained and under house arrest. As well as the state president Wint Mynt and other high ranking politicians. On February 9, so far, a total of 400 people have been detained and arrested by the military. Myanmar was a military dictatorship from 1962 until 2011.
Photo credit: Kaung Kaung
Photo credit last picture: Thiha
Organizer
Carolin Hirsch
Organizer
Konstanz
