Myanmar Journal: The Bullies Win
“I remember as an elementary school student of 8 or 9 years of age leaving school one day and being stopped by the school bullies. I must have left late that day because as I recall I was lone when this happened and terribly frightened. I cannot recall what exactly what they said to me but only remember how terrified I was. While looking up the hill where the road was I needed to take home I suddenly saw a bicycle racing down the hill toward us and is it got closer I could see it was my brother coming to save me! Before he even reached us he jumped off the bicycle with it still in motion and within a second he was face to face with my taunters, shouting at them that that if they laid a hand on me they would seriously regret it. With that the bullies ran and they never bothered me again. And that’s how I thought the world would always be. Someone is being oppressed and every would join in to put a stop to the oppressors.
But of course my early impression was so painfully wrong. Now in Myanmar we are so alone and the brutality and atrocities continue. But when I look up that hill, sadly I don’t see my brother furiously pedaling down the hill. Only I see people dying, tortured, mutilated, burned alive, sexually abused as they fall to the ground. The United Nations has essentially turns it back on us while some Member countries initiate sanctions with little or no affect. The Security Council talks but their words are empty and completely devoid of any human emotion. ASEAN talks for months and finally issues a 5 point statement of consensus that Min Aung Hlaing, the Murder-in-Chief of the Myanmar military forces is seen laughing and smiling when he returns to Myanmar.
We are all alone and few seem to care. No more than a few hours after the ASEAN meeting was concluded 3 more people were shot and killed while peacefully protesting. This is exactly as the people here predicted that ASEAN would act and MAH would react. The people must now take their fight not only to the confines of Myanmar but now also to ASEAN Member States as well. To be clear, the fight is directed at the governments of ASEAN Member States and NOT the people, many of whom have been very supportive of the movement here. When the people are through it will take years for the ASEAN region to recover from the instability caused by the power of the people. Look inward!
STRIKE, STRIKE, STRIKE!”
This ongoing thread is being written by a vipassana meditator from the tradition of S.N. Goenka who is currently in Myanmar, who has played a pivotal role in the organization’s mission. For his safety, personal details have been obscured, but he has made it his desire that his observations be read by meditators everywhere. Please note that we are able to ensure donations reach this person as well as the community he is supporting.