Burma

*as a disclaimer I am writing this on my phone at 2am….so don’t expect perfection. I just want to voice my thoughts and opinions.

It has come to my attention that most people do not fully understand the situation in Burma. I am no expert but after at least one semester of teaching a class on Burmese politics at Cal, I have acquired some insight. Not only through extensive research but also through the act of teaching, which requires your mind not only to retain info. but also to reproduce it and organize it through oration.
One thing that has been bothering me is that Burma, or rather the citizens of Burma are thought to be all non-violent, and that somehow, the lack of violence in resistence to the military backed government is indicative of cowardice or passivity. Maybe not in those exact words but I hear this sentiment implicit in comments I have heard. What I think is that it could not be more false.
While I will say that Burmese culture is deeply embedded in traditional Buddhist principles of non-violence, I have also learned of resistance taking several different forms, to the extent that even Buddhist monks have physically fought back.

One point I will make is that while there are many advocates of non-voilence resistence (Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD), there are several ethnic rebel groups within the ethnic minority regions of Burma that have been, and will likely continue to war with the Burmese military, since Burmese Independence in 1948 (arguably, long before that). It is one of the longest civil wars in world history.
Another thing to consider is that the Burmese army is a HUGE institution of control over the people. Not only because there are an estimated 500,000 soldiers enlisted but also because about 40% of the GDP is allocated for military related funds. That means that any violent resistence will be met with a harsh crackdown and the people for the most part lack the means to perform a long term uprising. The military is so firmly entrenched in Burmese way of life that fear has been bred for generations.

Additionally, the use of violent resistance is often most effective when employed by a strongly united force. The issue with that in Burma is that there is separation on so many levels. The Burman ethnic majority, living mainly in the lowlands along central Burma are in a sense detached from their ethnic minority neighbors who mainly live in the hills in the outskirts of the country. The oppression experienced in the cities of Burma do not reach the level of oppression in the ethnic conflict zones. I won’t go too far into it, but the main point is that the union of Burma is comprised of many different ethnic groups speaking over 100 different languages and dialects. That means that finding a way to unite such a diverse people and forming a federal state is easier said than done.

What many also fail to realize is that resistance comes in many forms. There is cultural resistance, I.e. songs, poetry, plays, movies, etc. There is resistance in the sense that when ethnic villages are forced to relocate or are destroyed, the villagers must flee to protect their lives but always return to the site to rebuild their lives, time and time again. In that sense, just living is a form of resistance, when faced with a regime that wishes to eradicate your people.

Lastly, I’d like to make a statement in defense of non-violent resistance. Though, like Aung San Suu Kyi I do not rule out the use of arms to resist the government, I do believe that long term solutions to Burma’s political turmoil are based on dialogue and reformation which work best without the use of violence. A united Burma cannot be attained by violent means alone. The divisions must become bridged. Dialogue between the NLD leaders, the Burmese gov. officials, and representatives of the ethnic minority groups from their respective states should take place. The Burmese people have made their attacks through mass protests, guerilla warfare, other forms of less overt resistance, and they have paid greatly in blood, in serving ridiculous prison terms, in facing forced labor, systematic rape, extra-judicial killings, and the list goes on… I want real reform. There is so much more depth to the situation than many people realize. I advocate the people’s survival whether it is done peacefully or violently but I see long term results through a non-violent approach. I think the people have endured enough violence.