A Mother’s Motivation
Being a mom is never easy, but being a mother under oppressive military regimes is even harder. Everyday for the last three months, xxxx wakes up to a difficult choice: surrender to the junta to secure the safety and financial security of her family today, or continue to participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in hopes of winning a terror-free and bright future for her son.
As a Lecturer in the English department at a state university, xxxx followed the lead of many medical staff to join the CDM in the first week of February when the Tatamadaw ousted the democratically elected government over claims of voter fraud. “I was an election observer in my region during the election, so it's especially hard for me to accept these claims.” xxxx has been motivated to join the CDM to stand against the Junta’s illegitimate claim to power and to fight for a better future for her son.
In the beginning, all but 9 teachers in xxxx’s department of 49 took part in the movement. She explained that “after three months without any income as well as threats and pressures from all sides, some lecturers felt like there was no choice but to go back to work.” xxxx estimates that around 30 lecturers in her department still remain in the strike movement.
Like xxxx, many other lecturers are also mothers facing similar difficulties. She stressed that it’s understandable that some civil servants have prioritized their families and refused to join the movement or returned to work since. “Someone I know just gave birth, there’s too much on the line for her and I sympathize with that...” A friend of hers also returned to work recently; she assumes that because her friend’s husband is a military officer, there is additional pressure on military families to “stay in line.” She also knows of a teacher who was so worried for her family’s safety that she couldn't eat or sleep. “She told us that she’s willing to risk getting fired by the NUG (National Unity Government) when we win because at least NUG wont shoot them to death.”
From soft ball tactics such as pressuring returned colleagues to persuade others into coming back to work to direct threats to charge civil servants with 505a are being used by the Tatmadaw to intimidate those on strike. xxxx checks the list everyday, wondering when it would be her turn. (The penal code 505a criminalizes whoever a) causes or intends to cause fear to a group of citizens or to the public, b) causes or intends to spread false news, knowing or believing that it is untrue, c) causes or intends to commit or to agitate directly or indirectly criminal offence against a Government employee, any kind of Government employees or Government employees) The threat of 505a is very much real; numerous home arrests have taken place to capture those charged with 505a, and if the wanted individual is not home, family members, including underage youth, have been arrested in their place. Reports have also surfaced that those arrested have been interrogated, tortured and sexually assaulted.
xxxx is constantly worried about what would happen to her, her sisters and her female colleagues if they were to ever get arrested. “I cannot accept the ongoing harassment towards the women that are being detained. The interrogation process should never strip a woman of her pride.” xxxx added that her and her sisters have an ongoing “joke” about who will look after each other’s children should any of them be arrested and possibly killed.
Despite these risks and fears, xxxx and her husband (a former staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation) continue their participation in the CDM. Ever since her and her husband’s salaries were cut off, her family has been surviving off of limited support from her extended family and assistance from donors. “I am really grateful to the donor organizations that we have come in contact with and I want to extend my thanks to the donors who are supporting my family from afar. Any financial support we receive has gone towards prioritizing my son’s needs. We adults can survive off anything.”
There are many more civil servants who continue to fight on despite the looming pressures on all sides. Some are lone rats with no family to turn to for support, and others are sole breadwinners of the household. Your donation is crucial to the survival of these men and women who are bravely demanding for their freedom and the freedom of future generations in Myanmar.