If there were no coup

Opinion piece by Thinzar Myo Aung

On March 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, and the world mourned with us. I’ve witnessed heart breaking posts and news reports revealing the lack of shelter for survivors and any facilitation by the military that gives protection to them. Basic needs like electricity, water, and communication were cut off, and it remains uncertain when these services will be restored. This shows that the military junta could not deal with the disaster, aside from their hypocritical inspections of the affected areas without any relief support.

THE JUNTA DOES NOT HAVE A FUNCTIONING GOVERNMENT!

The relief efforts have not been systematic. So far, people have been working independently, in a manner reminiscent of the socialist system, but without any long-term, coordinated plan. Charity organisations are doing what they can through unofficial channels, based on what they understand of the situation. Now, some residents from the affected areas are posting that they have received too much water while lacking other essential supplies. If there had been a coordination body to conduct proper needs assessments, the response could have been handled more effectively.

So, the world and ASEAN need to recognise the heroic efforts of rescue missions in which civilians risk their lives to save others and the mutual support among communities helping survivors. I want to highlight here that the country survives in these horrible circumstances because of the efforts of people. Although this is common and deeply rooted in our religion and culture to help each other, the junta mustn’t be taking credit for the people’s altruistic behaviour and claiming their legitimacy. As is the nature of authoritarianism, the military will not let this disaster go to waste without manipulation.

I wonder if this earthquake would have been as painful for the people if there had been no coup. Why do I say this ‘if’? I want to document how much this coup has cost us. I also want to tell the international community why our people are fighting this dictatorship.

A STRONGER MYANMAR WITHOUT THE MILITARY TAKE OVER!

A key reason the military has failed governance is the withdrawal of civil servants and the start of a powerful civil resistance movement called the “Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)”. It was initially civil servants from health care sectors who refused to take orders from the junta. When emergency doctors were needed, there was an insufficient number of healthcare workers to support the injuries from the earthquake. If there were no coup, the medics would still be able to help. The unnecessary loss of lives would be redeemed with proper healthcare provision. I had a chat with my CDM friend, who was emotionally disturbed as he told me that the civilian government had developed a plan to form an emergency medical team and establish procedures for disaster response, including the potential expansion of hospitals using temporary tents. However, all of this was abolished after the coup.

Since the military takeover, power-hungry leaders, not experts, are in control. Most departments have been led by uniformed officers with no relevant expertise. The junta’s Ministry of Social Welfare had no relief plans published, and half of the Disaster Management team appears to be junta-affiliated officials. I doubt they’re qualified to handle such a crisis.

Another major disappointment is the military’s oppression of civil society. Targeted persecution through arbitrary arrests, detentions, violence, raids, threats, and surveillance have forced them to flee out of the country. Now, when we need them most, we’re short of helping hands. A UN Disaster Risk Reduction report published just a month before the coup outlined key areas for improvement to better prepare the country for disaster response. Unfortunately, those plans were abandoned after the military takeover. The developed countries were reluctant to engage with the military regime and thus have offered little assistance which would be a different scenario if we have a civilian government.

If there were no coup, we would have enough medics, community groups and experts. It would have led to a more effective and efficient relief plan which would save more lives and there would have been fewer family members to mourn.

HELP US WEAKEN THE JUNTA!

We want the world to hear our struggles. This earthquake has exposed the failures of the junta, the true culprit behind the country's immense losses. The world must understand that the earthquake serves as a stark reminder of the regime’s ruthlessness and their complete lack of concern for the country. They continued airstrikes soon after the quake, and even after the public announcement of the ceasefire. They are not trustworthy so please do not legitimise them, and do not engage with them. We urge the international community to impose targeted sanctions and to oppose the election or whatever activities that could potentially legitimise them. We, the Myanmar people deserve better than them.

We also would like to ask the ASEAN nations: Why are you still on their side? Haven’t they done enough to prove they have no interest in peace?

We ask the international community to join us in revolution against the military regime that has pushed the country to this situation. The junta must fall and let our generation be the last to suffer this.

May this dictatorship fail, and people win………

Thinzar Myo Aung is a final year master’s student of public policy at RMIT in Melbourne. She is a former Research Assistant for Myanmar Research Network at the University of Melbourne.

Pic: Thinzar Myo Aung