Life Support

Myanmar has been thrust into a state of turmoil since the military coup on February 1st, 2021, that deposed the democratically elected government. Since then, the country has been teetering on the brink of collapse, with the majority of the population struggling to survive due to the political upheaval and the military's brutal crackdown on dissent. In this dire situation, the people of Myanmar have been depending on external aid to stay afloat, which General Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader, is trying to cut off entirely.

This is the subject of the Burmese cartoonist JMP's recent image, which shows Min Aung Hlaing in the process of cutting of this small amount of life support that is still trickling in.

The situation in Myanmar today is nothing short of a humanitarian crisis, with widespread violence, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings by the military. The healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with medical workers being targeted and hospitals being attacked. The education system has come to a standstill, and children have been forced to drop out of schools due to the ongoing violence. The economy has taken a severe hit, with businesses shutting down and people losing their livelihoods. In short, the entire country of Myanmar is quite literally on life support due to the military coup.

In this dire situation, external aid has been a lifeline for the people of Myanmar. However, General Min Aung Hlaing is trying to cut off this aid, claiming that it is being used to fund the opposition groups. This move is likely to exacerbate the already dire situation in Myanmar and lead to widespread suffering.

It is not hard to see that the military coup has pushed the country to the brink of collapse, and the people of Myanmar are struggling to survive. External aid is the only thing keeping them alive, and cutting off this aid will only lead to more suffering.