The Greatest Remaining Hope for Nonviolence
From the earliest stages of the coup, many held out hope that nonviolence could somehow win the day and prevent senseless bloodshed. During those early days, a lot of us seemed genuinely hopeful— not just those looking on from afar, but also many of the young Generation Z protesters on the ground. Flowers, food, and water were offered to police officers, and metta and goodwill was wished upon them.
Unfortunately, as we all know, the nightmare followed.
However, even throughout all this, one man, Ven Detta, has been steadfastly dedicated to the ideal of nonviolence. A lifetime of spy novels turned his mind onto the idea of defection, and he self-educated himself by reading up on historical defection campaigns ranging from the American Civil War to the Russian Revolution. Additionally, he’s intensively studied the history as well as present culture of the Tatmadaw, probing for weaknesses where his pitch would be most effective.
In the past several weeks, his study has turned to action, supported through your generous donation. With a small trusted cadre of close friends also committed to this goal, they have carried out a number of daring actions encouraging police and soldiers to simply throw down their weapons and walk over to the other side. On a recent podcast interview, he had this to say:
“A key component of the strategy is creating divisions and defections within the Burmese military. Because the military, even if it has even its warfare capabilities, are not as strong we think. But it's still a Goliath in terms of both its number and its naval and air support.
And of course, having said this, I'm already assuming that conflict is going to be inevitable. It's just a matter of whether the conflict that comes will be a protracted conflict. Or one way in which we can see some quick victory soon! And in order to achieve that quick victory, we need to actively promote and have a strategy for creating divisions, factions, and mutinies within the Burmese military.”
Ven and his team know the risks involved with carrying forward the greatest remaining hope for nonviolence. Being caught, whether on the street or at home, with any defection literature means instant arrest at best, and torture and execution as real possibilities. Still, he knows that this is the very best way that his strengths can support the hope for freedom, and can do so through saving as many lives as possible. In other words, his mental agility is his greatest contribution to the movement, and he is giving all he has.
As Ven comments, “It is a game where the person who is most open minded and tries the widest variety of approaches will win! And I think if you study, this is the same case with war, with any conflict, politics, anything. It is a scientific method.”
We have been applying your donation to the courageous work that Ven and his team are engaged with in supporting nonviolence. However we are still short in being able to fully support the larger plans he hopes to soon put into action. Please consider any contribution that can keep this hope of nonviolence alive.