Seeking Freedom in Myanmar: Bonds Forged in Iron
As the trip to New York City comes to a close, and as our organizing team begins to take leave, I am left with a number of personal thoughts and reflections to sort out.
First and foremost, I find myself amazed that in times of such crisis and terror, it is remarkable (and perhaps somewhat counter-intuitive) how warm and joyful it can be to meet those who in other times might be seen as strangers, yet by being equally devoted to the cause of Burmese freedom, the meeting somehow feels like something more.
It is said that those bonds forged in the heat of iron create a lasting strength, as if it requires that intense pressure and high temperature to create a union that is unseen in normal conditions. So maybe that has something to do with it, that as we confront these unspeakable conditions of trying to support a nation and a people under siege, we are the ones choosing not to look away, not to make excuses, but rather deciding to run towards the metaphorical fire.
One thing that I have found is that those who do choose to engage, somehow don’t know how to do so in modest ways. Maybe that’s because as soon as you take a step in that direction, you realize the depth of these evils, while also recognizing the sacrifice and struggle of those in the country who are putting everything on the line to win their freedom and democracy… sometimes with almost no support, and no resources. So maybe that explains the instant feeling of familiarity with people who for all intents and purposes should be strangers, but with whom we instead immediately fall into comfortable conversation, feeling like we’re back at some family gathering.
In this age of pandemic, the simple act of sharing physical space can sometimes feel like a miracle in and of itself. In the case of connecting with fellow activists, both laughter and tears come more readily, collaboration and support follow easily, the morale is uplifted and a feeling of solidarity emerges. When the next generation, many years from now, asks us “So what did you do during the resistance movement to the Myanmar coup?”, we know we can hold our heads up high and recount not so much the individual activities or projects we carried out, but more the shared sense of purpose, conviction, and sacrifice whose burden we shouldered willingly, knowing that we were on the right side of history even as we sometimes struggled under the burden of feeling that is was all too much… but no matter, we would always find some way to carry on.
When the coup first hit, I felt very small. I felt helpless in the great mechanizations and movements of states and leaders, I felt swept up in a wave of inevitable history that would cast its shadow of suffering as I stood by as a bystander. I felt anything I could muster couldn’t be much more effective that standing on a hillside yelling at the stars or cursing the wind.
And yet somehow, like so many others, I found my place. Whether you are in country or abroad, a Burmese or foreign ally, those of us who made that fateful choice to run towards the fire had to then figure out what we were going to do in the conflagration. Because not everyone is meant to be a firefighter on the front lines. And little by little, I began to realize I was actually not so small. I was actually not so helpless. That every action counted for something, especially when those actions were being carried out by so many in tandem.
Yet it would be untrue to claim that the darkness does not remain.
In the past week alone, we’ve seen peaceful protesters run over with military vehicles until their lifeless bodies moved no more. We’ve seen children burned alive. We’ve seen what cannot be described as anything less than massacres in villages. We’ve seen innocent people on bicycles, including pregnant women, shot dead for no reason at all.
There are many things even worse, that we haven’t seen. And we know that more evil yet will continue to lurk.
And this brings us back to New York City, and the Artists Against Tyranny auction. The event was planned to directly support those suffering most under this dark evil now plaguing the Golden Land, and it was carried out by those who have found themselves united in bonds forged from facing this searing hot steel. In other words, the Light and the Dark have somehow converged to bring us into this great city, trying to support a great country half a world away. Our organizing team has poured our hearts out in the effort, and every last piece of energy we can claim, into making this event all it can be. From three days of gallery to a 2 hour live event, from podcast episodes to artist testimonials, we have given it all we can.
As I finish this persona missive, there are a steadily decreasing number of hours remaining until our virtual auction is complete (8pm EST, Dec. 13), and the art is awarded to the highest bidders. It is somewhat anti-climatic to admit that we haven’t yet seen the online response we were hoping for, and so in these final hours, I implore those reading this to share this further in your communities and networks. Every additional dollar we are able to raise is going towards combatting the tyranny that an evil dictatorship is trying to impose on its people. And even beyond the material and financial needs, your involvement sends a strong message of solidarity and support to the Burmese people in their greatest hour of need. Should you make the winning bid, the art you will receive can stand as a living testament to your conviction and compassion in standing by a people yearning to be free. And should you not claim the art, or should you be reading this message after the deadline, please consider a donation, which will go towards the same purpose
May all beings be happy, peaceful, and liberated.