Everyday Resistance in Myanmar: The Stories

created by art4cdm with the support of Focus on the Global South.
 
“Everyday Resistance in Myanmar: The Stories” is built on an objective to facilitate grassroots co-documentation of personal stories under the situation of civil wars, coup d’état, and militarism in Myanmar and retell them into comic series. We believe that the power of arts and creative storytelling can amplify issues of concerns from voices and accounts of affected communities, frontliners, rights defenders, and ordinary citizens resisting oppression, and eventually become an entry point for collective demand for peace. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
Story One: Jessica
The story follows “Jessica”, who helped organize protests in Yangon after the military staged the coup in 2021. She sent medical supplies and basic necessities to the People’s Defense Forces at the frontline. She nearly escaped from being arrested by the junta’s forces while she was hiding in Yangon, and she fled to a neighboring country for her safety. Now, she continues to provide medical supplies and basic necessities to the frontline from the new location, while also starting a YouTube channel to keep the general public informed and updated about the developments in Myanmar.
 
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Story Two: Snow

The story follows “Snow”, who is a human rights trainer and LGBTQ rights activist from Myanmar. She was arrested and interrogated after participating in the protests against the military coup in 2021. Upon her release from prison, she fled to the border areas together with her husband and continued supporting the pro-democratic movement in Myanmar. She faced many difficulties when her husband got arrested, and the junta’s air force started indiscriminate aerial attacks on the civilian population in the border areas. With no option left, Snow fled to Thailand and started a new life. She is currently working for an INGO and helps the migrant community have access to education and job opportunities.

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Story Three: Ma Zin Moe

(Trigger Warning: This story contains mentions of death)

The story follows “Ma Zin Moe”, who is a seamstress and mother of a student activist. It highlights the relationship between Ma Zin Moe and her son and how he became a student activist leader in the nationwide non-violent resistance movement following the 2021 military coup. He was later captured and killed by the junta’s security forces, and it forced Ma Zin Moe and her family to flee to Thailand. Despite losing everything, Ma Zin Moe and her husband continue their activism by helping the Myanmar migrant community in Thailand and providing humanitarian assistance to IDPs inside Myanmar. 

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