Livin' On A Prayer
Coming Soon…
This episode features two guests. The first, Kyi Pyar Chit Saw, is returning to the podcast for a third time. Appearing initially under the pseudonym Kyar Phyu, she first mapped out how the Civil Disobedience Movement exploded from shock and rage into a massive nationwide boycott that crippled the junta’s ability to govern, while detailing how she personally risked everything to guide, protect, and financially support CDM members despite mounting trauma and danger. One year later, she returned a second time, to recount surviving safe-houses, escape, and exile while continuing CDM work and coordinating with NUG and PDFs, painting a raw portrait of a revolution now driven by ground forces, Gen Z fighters, and defectors as the struggle grinds toward a long, costly fight for democracy.
Kyi Pyar is joined by Cho Wut Yi Lwin, a freelance documentary filmmaker. Cho worked as a script consultant for MRTV before joining the CDM, and now documents the true story of their people involved in the revolution. She comes from a deeply political family, as her father is a high-profile politician, author, and a member of parliament in the NLD (National League for Democracy).
Both women have been forced to flee Myanmar due to safety concerns and are now living in Mae Sot, a border town that they describe as “close to home and yet also very far away.” Their shared experience in exile is marked by vulnerability, especially regarding their legal status. Kyi Pyar only recently received her passport back after four years. Cho on the other hand remains, along with many other Burmese, undocumented and stateless. She does, however, hold a “pink card” issued by the Thai authorities, a form of official ID for foreign residents.
Both say that a lack of proper documentation creates immense daily challenges. The two primary difficulties, according to Kyi Pyar, are access to healthcare and policing. She explains the fear of seeking care: “I cannot go to the hospital easily because I don't have any document to show.” The second challenge is the constant risk of extorting local authorities. She describes fellow exiles being asked for 5,000 or even 10,000 baht, a large sum for those in exile, as they known by the derogatory term of “walking ATMs.”
Despite the pervasive difficulties in Mae Sot, the town has become a vibrant hub for the revolution, attracting people with diverse expertise – artists, musicians, filmmakers, politicians, and businesspeople. “There are many young people who joined the revolution who also fled to Mae Sot,” Kyi Pyar says. “The community here is very vibrant and from all different backgrounds.” She adds that in previous times, Thais would only ever see Burmese as poor migrant workers, but now some there is a professional class of exiles who are based in the city. The population of Burmese people in Mae Sot is now estimated to be around 300,000, compared to the Thai population of only 50,000, creating this vast and active exile community.
Both women reflect on the notion of ‘survivor’s guilt.’ These feelings of guilt and confusion are sharpened by the fact that Mae Sot is so close to the Burmese border. “People face so many problems, humanitarian problems, or floods, and also the fighting,” Kyi Pyar says. “So many problems! I feel so sad to see our people suffering. I feel guilty. Why should I be here?”
As for Cho, she has channeled her experiences into her art. She talks about her acclaimed film, “Missing,” which won an award in 2023. Her most recent documentary and film work focuses on the struggles of the revolution. Another documentary chronicles the life of a CDM member – a ticketing officer from the Yangon railway station – who fled to Mae Sot. The officer faces a crisis when his ten-year-old daughter is imprisoned as punishment for the authorities not being able to find him.
The high-stress environment of exile and resistance has created a mental health crisis, both women say. Cho’s sister, a Harvard-trained psychologist, has collaborated with Kyi Pyar to support those now suffering. Kyi Pyar notes that women often face deep depression due to security concerns and financial problems, and believes that overall, women may suffer more psychologically. “For men, they also suffer,” she acknowledges. “But I think they overcome somehow. They just go and drink and then they forget! They overcome this way; this is my opinion. But for women, they suffer more. They have families, they have children.”
To help, Kyi Pyar encourages practices like meditation, prayer, yoga, and eating a healthy breakfast, while also working to develop trust among the women. She observes a shift in the younger generation’s approach to meditation, moving away from the purely religious context of the past to a focus on mindfulness as a tool for mental health and concentration. “For my mother’s generation, meditation is totally a religious thing. The practice is only like going to the monastery and listening to the monk and obeying the instructions.”
This blend of old and new spiritual practices reflects the fact that the revolution is not only a fight against the junta, but a “religious revolution” and “cultural revolution.” Kyi Pyar argues that the younger generation seeks to change things from the ground up. This extends to their willingness to express vulnerability. She notes that in the current climate, the simple act of recognizing the mere existence of that suffering is an important step forward for the Burmese people. “I think people should recognize what we suffer for in this revolution! I really like the Gen Z; they talk a lot about that. They don't want to suffer anymore.”
In her professional capacity, Kyi Pyar is now an independent researcher and expert in governance. She divides her time between policy level work – where she collaborates with politicians like Cho’s father – and ground level work, where she teaches English. She is also the force behind the fair-trade handicrafts sold by Better Burma, which are made by women living with HIV in Yangon and now sold internationally to support their financial needs.
Both guests end on a note of determined hope. Cho Wut Yi Lwin expresses her motivation for sharing her story – about wanting to let people know what is happening to her country and her people. Kyi Pyar Chit Saw echoes this, emphasizing that despite the challenges, they will never give up. “There are so many families and individuals like us. I want people to know more about the country’s situation, Myanmar’s situation.”