Devastation in Sagaing: a Buddhist nun speaks out
The following essay was written by a Buddhist nun, wishing to educate a foreign audience what has been happening in Myanmar for the past year and a half, since the time of the military coup. She describes the illegal seizure of power following the election, and the resulting crackdown across the country by Burmese soldiers. As she lives in the Sagaing Division, the nun has been a first-hand witness to this reign of terror. Better Burma has sent funds to her monastery as they are playing a critical role supporting local villages in humanitarian missions. Please consider joining us with a contribution of any size, as they are now greatly in need given the recent violence and atrocious acts of cruelty.
“Now, military uses helicopters and airplanes and also uses big weapons like rockets on us. Then they tried to enter the villages after shooting with big weapons.”
In Myanmar, a General Election was held on 8th November, 2020. The National League for Democracy (NLD) won a land-slide victory with more than 90 percent of votes. On 1st February, 2021, Military in Myanmar accused the election was full of corruption and bias, and they announced to rule the country. Then, the leader of NLD as well as State’s Counselor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and sued for COVID 19-cases. Now, she is in imprisonment for 11 years due to 3 cases, in process for the rest of 16-cases.
Many people in Myanmar considered that the action of military was totally unfair, and started to fight back. The momentum of the fight between local fighters and the military has been increased day by day, and is leading to a civil war in my country.
Now, fighting is the most serious in the regions of Sagaing, Magway, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State and Chin State. Sagaing is the top in fighting among other Regions where there is no stability at all. This is where I currently reside.
Currently, everything is damaged. Social, Economic, Education and Health are far from normal situation! For example, the basic education schools (primary to high schools) and higher education facilities (degree colleges and universities) cannot be opened properly. Hospitals at the urban settings are opened with limited manpower of doctor and nurses and insufficient supply of medicines and electricity. Other government staff cannot work as usual to run the system normally. High price of fuel leads to high prices in the other goods and commodities. Many jobless people hardly earn their daily life. In many areas, the police stations cannot protect people because the policemen themselves dare not go outside the station, so theft and robbery are increased.
The Myanmar military service men move from one place to another in the country, including rural areas. Why do they do this? For the reason of clearing the local fighters is what they say. Usually, the places where they move just increasing their violence to the people. Now, military uses helicopters and airplanes and also uses big weapons like rockets on us. Then they tried to enter the villages after shooting with big weapons. So most of the villagers, ie. men and women, elderly, children, pregnant mothers, sick persons, even monks and nuns are very afraid of them and run away to safer places. The military service men destroyed the villages by burning, the whole village in some areas and selected houses (20-30) in some areas. Not only houses, but also the sick persons who were suffering from stroke are also burnt inside the house, they are burned alive. Moreover, the animals eg. Cows, sheep, pigs and hens, and even all the pets, are also put into death.
Due to those unbelievable situations in Myanmar, we are facing now is unbelievable troubles for people in Myanmar.