Standing Up for Justice
Sometimes courage and sacrifice know no bounds, and that certainly seems to be the case for Su Thit and her husband, a former soldier who has defected from the military. Soon after having reached safety themselves, they set up an organization to support fellow soldiers and their families who also wish to break away from the Tatmadaw’s reign of terror. She describes this in detail in our recent interview with her, as well as what her organization is currently doing and the support they need. Take a moment to read her inspiring words, and if you’d like to support her nonviolent mission, consider a donation as well!
“We will admit that life in hiding or in the run is no easy life. But standing up for justice is never an easy task.”
Host: Why is it so important to talk to the wives when encouraging, rather than soldiers themselves?
Su Thit: A wife plays a very important role in the family of a Myanmar household. A wife is a counsellor to the husband, and plays an important part in making big decisions. That is why we need to encourage defections to wives as well. If the husband wants to defect, but the wife is hesitant because she is concerned about the family’s lives afterwards, then the husband will not defect! That’s why it is important to reach out to the wives too.
But it is not alone to just advocate. We need to support the families once they have defected. That is why we set up our organization. We will advocate and support the women and children who have made a courageous choice to stand with the people.
Host: Tell me about the purpose of “Spouses of People’s Soldiers.”
Su Thit: The main obstacle for soldiers that want to defect is their concern for the security and livelihood of their families. If we are able to offer better protections and assurances for the family members, then more soldiers would take the bold step towards joining the people. With this in mind, Spouses of People’s Soldiers was founded.
‘Spouses of People’s Soldiers’ was founded by those spouses of national soldiers who have already defected. Our desire to help other spouses and their children is shaped by our own experiences. We will admit that life in hiding or in the run is no easy life. But standing up for justice is never an easy task.
The organization’s work is twofold:
1) advocate wives of soldiers to urge their husbands to defect; and
2) provide support for family members of defected soldiers.
Host: How can listeners support your work?
Su Thit: Our organization was just recently established, so we need the help of everyone we can get. Now it is just me and some other spouses of CDM soldiers, and a few volunteers. For example, a graphic designer can help us design posters to post on Facebook. A tech person can help us with supporting our tech requirements. A writer can help us write content. And if you are donor, you can contribute financially as well. As I mentioned before, some of our brave defectors have come here with their spouse and children. They have left everything behind, and in need of many things. Even simple items such as clothing or baby diapers are in need. We need to purchase these for them.