Preparing for the Onslaught

Some months ago we shared a request from a group on the ground, who were trying to build a collaborative local infrastructure of support. There have been increasing reports of soldiers coming to small, rural villages… and burning them to the ground. Because a cowardly spirit runs through the Tatmadaw, who delight more on bullying tactics while running away whenever there is any possibility of a fair fight, soldiers were intentionally targeting those populations who were the most vulnerable for assault, and who had the least capability of defending themselves. For this reason, our contact was hoping to get enough funds to purchase quality binoculars which could give their teams time to save lives before soldiers advanced on a village in their network. In his own words, he wrote to us:

“With coup d'état and worsening humanitarian crisis, it is of vital importance to keep our communication lines up and survey equipments aplenty. Only by using them, we can ensure our villages are safe and secure from the mayhem coming our way. If we know when the soldiers approach by using binoculars, we can evacuate our people ahead of time so that the casualties are kept minimal. Moreover, if we use the radio station and walkie talkies in hand, we can send emergency messages to coordinate with scattered refugees.”

We were able to collect enough donation for them to purchase one item. Although this fell short of their proposal, they expressed gratitude for the generosity that our donors displayed in helping them to get this much-needed item to support the lives in their community. And for those who would like to further support this group, please do consider a donation earmarked for this cause.