"There is no CDM in Rakhine State."
Real Stories Not Tales is a dedicated team in and out of Myanmar that aims to bring more awareness to the reality of young people's lives since the Myanmar military staged a coup on February 1st, 2021. Stories are collecting through interviews with each protagonist, whenever they are, presently, in Myanmar. Ko Pray Zon is an NGO and social worker in Rakhine State. He was interviewed on April 26th.
“What’s worse, when the military beat us, arrested us, or burned our villages down, the NLD government didn’t do or say anything.”
"I was very surprised to receive the news of the coup on February 1st. On that day, I was in Kyauktaw Township in the northern part of Rakhine State, not in Sittwe where I normally live. The phone lines had already been cut when we woke up, and since we knew that only the government would be capable of orchestrating such a total shutdown, everybody assumed that something wrong was going on. In the leadup to the coup, we had heard in the news that the Myanmar military might not let the new civilian government be established, so we suspected it might be just that. Still, we were shocked, since we always thought that the Myanmar military and the NLD government were working together.
Before the military coup and under the previous NLD government, the Rakhine people suffered a lot from the ongoing armed conflicts in the state. Many people have become IDPs, without a home or even a decent place to live, and some have been affected psychologically as well as economically. People here have always been victims of the Myanmar military and there is not much we have been able to do to ease the situation. What's worse, when the military beat us, arrested us, or burned our villages down, the NLD government didn't do or say anything. There's been no justice, and there's been no support for IDPs either. Only Rakhine people are sending food, clothes, and money to them. That is why most Rakhine people neither like nor trust the NLD government. There is a general feeling of sadness and frustration among us here; we feel like they have failed us.
Our experiences after the coup have also been very different from the rest of the country. The internet shutdown imposed in Rakhine State almost two years ago was suddenly lifted, and we have been able to use the internet more widely ever since, even though the connection is not great. Moreover, the Myanmar military and the AA have stopped fighting, which means that now we can move around freely within the state, without having to worry about our safety. Before, there were military checkpoints everywhere, and we had to be careful all the time.
There is no CDM in Rakhine State. We do show our support for the movement on Facebook, but nothing is actually happening on the ground. Instead, Rakhine State is busy dealing with the aftermath of the past conflicts: there are landmines in and around villages, and the internally displaced still cannot return to their homes because they were destroyed by the military.
I know my experience of the coup is different from my friends elsewhere in the country. I feel sad that this is happening. I use social media to show that I reject the military coup, and I try to connect with my friends, ask them how they are doing, and help them, but the only thing I can really do is to encourage them. I have also been welcoming them to Rakhine State, as our situation is more stable and less dangerous now. Indeed, many Rakhine people from Yangon and Mandalay have returned to their home state, and even some Burmese people have arrived in the area. At the same time, some Burmese people are leaving Rakhine State to join the CDM in other parts of the country.
We recently celebrated the New Year Water Festival (Thingyan) in Rakhine State, while the rest of the country boycotted the celebration to show their rejection of the military regime. Actually, the celebrations only took place in villages—I joined one in my village as well—but not in towns, since the sentiment there was more similar to other places in Myanmar. For the past two years, we haven't been able to celebrate Thingyan at all because of the conflicts; last year, an additional reason was the Covid-19 pandemic. Usually, everyone—young people, adults, the elderly—join the celebrations all over Rakhine State. People celebrate by throwing water, going from one place to another, and enjoying music, drinks, and food. Older people visit monasteries to listen to Buddha's teachings preached by monks.
In the last few months before the coup, I was managing two different programs: one on youth empowerment and another on agriculture. I was applying to some donors for funding, but I’m out of luck, since many NGOs have cancelled their projects in the area due to the many inconveniencies, such as the banks not working. I don't want to ask for donations from people here because I know they are struggling to survive. These are challenging times for us, as for many other projects and businesses in the state.
When it comes to the future, I trust the Arakan Army (AA) 100%. Whenever there is a problem, a minor or more significant criminal case, it is reported to the AA administration departments, where the problem gets solved. The establishment of the AA village administration had already started before the coup. Now there are AA village chiefs appointed to solve issues, and these chiefs rule under the AA law. This way, I believe we have a better chance of becoming independent, restoring the Arakan State, and getting self-determination for the Rakhine people.
I want to ask the outside world to share our current situation online, through social and printed media, so people around the world will get more involved. The international community has the power to stop the military from perpetuating human rights abuses against civilians. If possible, I would also like to ask people from the outside to send financial help to Myanmar, as many people are joining the CDM and thus struggling to make a living. This way, we can keep the resistance movement going strong."