Women in revolution: the mother, sister, friend, and comrade
Editor’s note: These posts are part of a collaboration between Tea Circle and Insight Myanmar to publish Report #3 by Real Stories Not Tale’s (RSNT). To read RSNT’s Report #1, visit Tea Circle’s posts here and Insight Myanmar’s posts here. The full RSNT Report #3 is available here. For all posts by RSNT featured on our site, check out the full list.
“Gender doesn’t matter for this revolution: it is the same for women and men. Whatever men can do, women can do.”
Ma Bo works for a women’s organization in Myanmar focusing on women's participation in the peace process. She is originally from Kalay. She was interviewed on December 3rd, 2021.
“I am from Kalay, a place that used to be peaceful and where communities could live in harmony together despite their cultural and religious differences. I was always happy after I visited my family there; it used to be my happy place. Today, like many other places in the country, daily life in Kalay is full of bombings and fighting.
When the coup happened, I was in Taunggyi for work, and I had been in a quarantine center for two weeks because of Covid-19. Just as I was about to come out of quarantine, I heard there had been a military coup. I felt shocked and frozen. The whole day, my colleagues and I could not do anything; we felt hopeless. We couldn't find the words to express our feelings and emotions.
As our work is directly connected to politics and women’s participation in the peace process, we had to go underground right away. At the time, I had been planning to do more research about the ongoing peace process; however, all my plans changed after the coup and security became our biggest concern. And as the military started raiding people's homes and using the 789 household listing cases to arrest citizens, I had to go back to Yangon as I was not correctly registered and could cause problems for others.
We all got involved in the revolution. There is no way we will accept this injustice! We want our elected government back. We only have each other—the people—and we can do it if we are united. After 10 months, we feel depressed and hopeless. Knowing about the 1988 movement and the oppression that Myanmar people faced and are going through again now, there is a deep general and collective anger. This time, we’ve had enough! We thought that now—since 2015—was the time for Myanmar to enjoy democracy, but it wasn’t the case. But we are determined to get it back. I have to encourage myself. I tell myself that we must win—we really must win. I have many colleagues and friends who have been killed, arrested or tortured. I am alive and I can breathe. So, I must do it for them, for us.
It is very challenging, and our mental health is suffering. It isn't easy to lift ourselves up. These days are a struggle: because of the coup our health service collapsed, and with the third wave of Covid-19 many people have died. I experienced it myself: my colleagues and I were sick. We were staying in a room together, and we all got infected and could not find oxygen. My parents also got Covid. Fortunately, all of us recovered. I wish I could go back and visit them in Kalay, but they are worried for me and scared something will happen along the way. Anything can happen these days. My family understands my involvement in the movement and they encourage me. They told me to take care of myself, stay safe and said they trust me. It is a blessing to have such support, but I also need to think about my income to support them in turn; I need to use my resources carefully.
Almost all of my friends are women, and they are taking part in the movement. I feel so proud of them. Some friends participated in the CDM, lost their jobs, and yet they are still active and continue the fight even though they struggle to get their daily bread. Some of my friends remain in prison; others were released in November. It’s clear that they have been traumatized by their experience in jail: most of them don’t feel safe anymore and are afraid of getting arrested again. That feeling of insecurity is very strong and persistent. It affects them day and night. I try to help them as much as I can, but the trauma runs very deep. We need to give it time. I don’t feel safe either. I had to leave my home and stay away for some time. Luckily, we have a good network, and we can help each other.
When I think about Generation Z, I feel hopeful. They are good at finding ways just with one “click”. Every day, anyone in the world can participate and help if they wish to do so. We did not have this option available in previous times and previous coups. Now the world is connected: the diplomatic world, international support and the people movement in the country.
My experience as a woman does not appear unique to me. Many have had to sacrifice for this revolution. We hope that this generation will be the last to suffer and will see real change. Gender doesn't matter for this revolution: it is the same for women and men. Whatever men can do, women can do. Sometimes in different positions and capacities. Women are side by side with men—not behind them!
Even though women can do the same things as men, there are some differences that nobody can ignore. For example, women menstruate, which can be very difficult. Even more so when people are hiding in the forest or are in prison. Some women even give birth to their children in the jungle with very little equipment because of the current crisis.
In this revolution, women and men are equal partners. Women play the role of the mother, the sister, the friend, and the comrade. I find women really strong and brave. And those born after 2000 are very creative and smart! They have not experienced 1988, but they know about injustice. Subconsciously, they seem to know about accountable justice and gender equality.
If I don't release stress from time to time, I will go crazy, so I have a few ways of decompressing. First, I like to attend online workshops about mental health—they advise on how to cope, monitor and evaluate oneself in the scope of mental health. Second, I practice meditation and yoga. Sometimes I can't concentrate because there is too much bad news. But I always come back to a self-care practice. I also like listening to music and jogging. I have tried many types of taking care of myself, and I pick the one that suits me best in the moment, depending on the circumstances. I feel like the mental burden is the same for women and men. All people suffer in the same way; we have equal suffering.
When I think about my future, the very first thing I wish is to simply survive. Only after we succeed can I think about my plan, but first, we need to eliminate the dictatorship and stay alive. Then, once we have succeeded, I want to participate in the peace process; I want the different communities in Myanmar to live in harmony and our society to flourish. I wish for Myanmar to become a federal democracy. These are my personal and professional dreams. I really hope we will get back democracy and have better social standards, health care services and administration. I wish our generation could live in peace. I know it will take some time, but I hope it will happen. I know women will contribute a great deal in their way: they don't advertise what they’re doing, but they engage and are committed to getting more rights and freedom for them, for minorities and society as a whole. All people in Myanmar, regardless of their gender, want democracy and federalism right now.
I have agreed to share my story with you because I know how vital records and small shreds of evidence can be. I hope our stories will help bring more awareness to the realities of living in Myanmar and our hardships, in order to get fundamental human rights and democracy.”
Real Stories Not Tales (RSNT) is a dedicated team in and out of Myanmar that aims to bring awareness to the reality of young people’s lives since the Myanmar military staged a coup on February 1st, 2021. Stories are collected through interviews with each protagonist by the team, either in Burmese or in English. Each character is drawn by a professional illustrator bringing a visual context to the story. RSNT is an anonymous name that is used by the group to guarantee security to all parties involved in the collection of the stories.