No End of Fighting In Yangon
A local person living in Yangon submitted the following report, and asked us to post it here. The desperation he describes gives some flavor of how difficult life has become all over Myanmar, in the cities as well as the rural countryside. While we may not be able to change the situation, we do know that our donation fund can help at some level. Please consider a contribution of any amount to help those still trying to struggle on.
“Some of them committed suicide, even though this never gets reported to foreigners. Some of them tried prostitution and ruined their lives. It shouldn’t be like this!”
Yangon situation
From that day on, after the executions, we didn't even talk about politics much with our friends anymore. Protests in Yangon also stopped. There are too many arrests. UGs are also disappearing one by one, who know they got arrested or died.
I know that right now a lot of people are focusing on IDPs, refugees and resistance and we should be. But I just want international committees to know that we city-crawlers are still fighting as best as we can to drive this devil (the military) out of town.
Safety
If you tell people from abroad, they will not believe these things below. We have to be extra careful when going out. Apart from being afraid of soldiers and police, We are afraid of someone stealing a phone, or random robberies, or kidnapping, or even a murderer. Back in 1755, King Alaungpaya’s army had conquered the entire Irrawaddy Delta and captured Dagon, which he renamed Yangon. He means that “Yan” = Enemies , “Gon” = Gone. So it can be translated like “an end of fighting.” But It’s no longer true anymore. The truth is, Yangon can no longer fight back.
Even if you speak out online, your photos will be posted on the “Han Nyein Oo Telegram” channel, a pro-military group, and then the police and soldiers will come to your house overnight and arrest you without an arrest warrant or judge's issue. There are too many people arrested today and dead tomorrow.
Economy
We cannot import goods anymore. Even big companies like DKSH, Unilever & United Pharmaceutical are struggling to get new trade permits from the military government. Inflation is also crazier than ever. We have to pay double for everything we do now. Many companies have left, and so many local companies declared bankruptcy.
However, the worst hit have been the youth in the industrial zones who are having a hard time just getting by. Some girls cannot go back home because there is a war in their hometown! They lost their jobs for sharing an NRC number with their hometown PDF. Some have been living as a tenant for many months and have not been able to pay the rent. Some of them committed suicide, even though this never gets reported to foreigners. Some of them tried prostitution and ruined their lives. It shouldn’t be like this! For one man’s stupid nightmare, we all have to pay for it.
Cronies & Sons and Daughter of Military
These days, military soldiers shoot and arrest people after the 12am martial law, with no questions asked. Even still, there are a lot of high-end night-clubs that are busier than ever, and no one even bothers to come to question. These people held events, launched new T-shirt brands, changed brand names, bought the newest cars and so on. But the general public never knows, they are just busy surviving this hell.