Transcript: Episode #82: Artists Against Tyranny, Part 2
Following is the full transcript for the interview with these guests, which appeared on January 4, 2022. This transcript was made possible by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and has not been checked by any human reader. Because of this, many of the words may not be accurate in this text. This is particularly true of speakers who have a stronger accent, as AI will make more mistakes interpreting and transcribing their words. For that reason, this transcript should not be cited in any article or document without checking the timestamp to confirm the exact words that the guest has really said.
Brad 00:01
Military joining us, I know you're hearing an unfamiliar voice in an unfamiliar setting but rest assured this is the insight Myanmar podcast. And we have something different and special for you today. As many will be aware, the situation in your mind is escalating and day by day innocent civilians are being killed, maimed, starved, and forced from their homes. The military continues their campaign of terror and we need funds to support the many civilian victims of their relentless attacks. To this end, let me welcome you to the artists against tourney auction. I'm sure to some people that sounds somewhat jarring, it's natural to think that now the middle of the greatest crisis that MEMA has ever faced is not the time for art. But let me and the outstanding artists that we have speaking with us today convince you that now is exactly the time for art. Art is often seen as a luxury the reserve of the wealthy and the fortunate are refined pursued far removed from the grid and blood of war, terror and death. But art is the real essence of human experience distilled beyond words and thoughts directly tapping into our emotions. It is for this reason that art and revolution go hand in hand. Art allows us to express our most primal feelings and in Myanmar those feelings are a burning desire for freedom, democracy, justice, peace, and an end to the suffering. It is through art that rappers painters, poets, graffiti artists, video editors and creatives of all media on all walks of life, have expressed their opposition to the conduct and emboldened their compatriots to continue the march to victory. It is through art that the true horror and carnage of the military's reign of terror can be conveyed to people all over the world. Art is a vital medium through which people have their voices heard, and with which we can empower people the world over to put pressure on the military to release their death grip on the nation and give power back to the people. Today, a New York City Art Gallery has graciously donated its space for free to showcase revolutionary art from Yamaha artists to highlight the plight of the Myanmar people and artists from all around the world united in using art to fight back against dictatorship, oppression, terror and tyranny. Some pieces on display today are fighting others are hauntingly beautiful, but all of it is inspiring. You will be seeing or hearing some of these works today and we will be talking to some of the talented young artists about their work their philosophy and their hope for the future. Right now, the people of Myanmar desperately need help. In a country of over 15 million. Every ninth person is suffering food shortages. In the coming months this is expected to increase to 26 million. Over 2 million people have already been displaced, fighting of starvation, COVID and exposure with no food, no medicine and no shelter completely at the mercy of nature and the military. 1000s upon 1000s of brave government workers, police and even soldiers have abandoned the military machine refusing to work for a dictatorship but in doing so have lost their income and many have been forced to flee arrest. The people are in dire need of help and to provide that help we need funds. To that end, our main event will be the second annual artists against tyranny charity art auction held over two days, the 11th and the 12th of this month, eastern US time, or the 12th and 13th. If you are in the eastern hemisphere, many talented artists are putting their arm for auction to raise funds and support their compatriots in the struggle for freedom. Other artists have donated their time in live performances which will be broadcast as part of our live show, which will be well worth checking out. Today we are all part of art as a tool for opposing tyranny, by raising awareness of the military's crimes while also raising funds to support their victims. This promises to be an incredible event raising money for a truly worthy cause. We hope that anybody listening will take the time to see what's on offer. Spread the word and maybe buy an exquisite work of art for a good cause. The more money we can raise the more lives we can save and the sooner we can end the military's campaign of death and destruction. So please stick with us as we hear these talented artists tell us their stories in their own words and follow the auction and live show at the links provided.
04:09
Yeah, the bronchi land people I saw this guy right now must buy me relax. Oh, my God. Rajan The reason we FIFO real revolution you're in the one but Vita minute though. Now I was dreading do a shameless because you love yes man.
Brad 04:51
Day A Good Day Could you tell us a little bit about the activism work that you do, how you got into activism and and the impact that you're trying to have on not just individual people, but on sort of society more generally.
Osho Root 05:50
The activism work that I do, I think it's, it's highly influenced by how I was raised. I was raised with a lot of ex political prisoners, a lot of freedom fighters, ex guerrilla fighters, reporters. So I think that is what helped me to be emboldened to center for things that I believe in. And so I started with Burmese, specifically Burmese activism. When I was a teenager in 2006. And I, I led a school walkout I also was protesting in front of the Burmese embassy in the White House during the Saffron Revolution. So that's how I started. Currently, I am a part of USA ACM, which is a lobbying team. We worked closely with Senator Ben Cardin to help push help, right? For the Burma act. And, yeah, there's a lot of stuff. I'm the PR person of the freedom, justice equality from Yama, organization. And we have ground teams inside of the country, all over Myanmar. And then we also have teams in the US where we're mostly based in the DMV area around DC.
Brad 07:41
I just wanted to touch on this because you are clearly you're based in the United States, your your activist pedigree includes Washington, DC, it includes Baltimore, it includes a lot of other places. And at the same time, you've you've also got a strong focus on the Myanmar context. How, how is that for you? Having both that US context and that Myanmar context? How do you personally relate to that? And how was your identity shaped around that? So what I'm asking for is, how do you how do you personally see yourself? How American do you see yourself, however, means do you see yourself? And is that ever in conflict with the way that the people around you perceive you?
Osho Root 08:28
Yes, it's constantly in conflict. I see myself, as I see myself as Burmese was born in Yangon. I also see myself as a Burmese person who have traveled the world, and who lived in the US, but also lived in different parts of the world. So I have a different context. The more the more you travel, the more you immerse yourself with other people's culture, the more you can really understand another's perspective and the world and you can reevaluate your context that you come from. I know that when I lived in Yangon, when I was a child, I had a very different context. There's things that I value still till this day, and there's things that I see as like, narrow minded. And now I see as like different things. Once I'm a little bit more educated. I think that there's things inside Burmese culture that is highly homophobic, highly sexist, racist. There's levels of colorism and that's all a lot of it is the context of colonialism and the grappling of trying to keep your own identity and also trying to not be lesser. So if you cease MIT that colonized you, you, you kind of have a very demented idealization of that person. And so there's that context. So when I encounter a lot of Burmese people, or Myanmar people, and they say something sexist, homophobic or racist, and I say a different view, they say it's because I'm Americanized. And I don't think so because it's just knowing the cultural context of things. The more I hung out with Native Americans here, the more I understood, okay, like, Myanmar is also tribal. You know, there's also a lot of things that we learned from colonization, that taught us that we need to hide who we are, if you go to a Burmese restaurant in America, who use a knife and a fork, that's not how we eat, we eat with our hands. And I have no problem, reclaiming that as our own and not being ashamed. So I go to any, like, any Ethiopian place, I go to an Ethiopian household, they live with their hands, and they have no shame inside of themselves, because they were not colonized. And so it's just trying to understand the context of things. Also, as you know, as someone that lives in America, I'm always other because I look to friend, I think differently, I sound different. And so, you know, if I want to take care of my elderly, grandmother, that's within my culture that's within our culture, to take care of, to have this responsibility. And a lot of people are like, Oh, why don't you just take her to the old folks home? That's something that I could never do, because that's a duty that I have. And that's very Burmese of me, that I would like to keep, and I would like to continue teaching. So there's, there's a mix of things that I keep, that I think are not toxic or colonial. From our culture, there's things that I bring to other people so that they would know, this is who we are like, as a people, this is who I am as a person. To people that don't really understand Burmese culture Burmese people.
Brad 12:34
Absolutely. I think you've touched on some very important and very deep things here. When we look at culture is when we look internally, we look at our own cultures, it it's very easy to simply label a culture and say, Oh, I'm ashamed of my culture, or saying, Oh, I'm just proud of my culture, and refusing to recognize that duality. And you see in in both the Western culture and the the Burmese culture, you see the positives and the negatives. And one thing that I think is very important is the ability of a culture to change to recognize its flaws and to progress. And I think that we are definitely seeing that currently, even though we're in the midst of a terrible revolution, even though we're dealing with once again, the massacres and and the savagery of the military, the indiscriminate death. There's a lot of social progress that is currently occurring. There's a lot of recognition of ethnic minorities who had previously been marginalized and ignored by the Bomar majority, now suddenly being recognized as having had very legitimate gripes. We're seeing the younger generations say, we respect the older generation we do. But right now, this is our fight. And we need to fight this and the older generation telling us to be quiet, let this pass and just accept things the way they are, is not going to fly. Do you see the current conflict as terrible as it is, as a potential for much broader, much wider social change, lasting social change in the Myanmar context?
Osho Root 14:15
I have hope that we can get there. I think that some type of truth and reconciliation is a necessary way forward. I know that's how South Africa went forward after their revolution. And you know, there's a lot of things that the British has done, there's a lot of things the Japanese have done. There's a lot of things that the Burmese King has done, and to other indigenous nations. And I, you know, there's so we have to really be able to face ourselves, we know not just Not just Burma. But globally, there's a whole movement of really looking at history and the context of the history that we're in. And moving forward. There's a lot of movements in America, there's a lot of movements all over the world. You know, right here in America, they're trying to teach critical race theory, that is very necessary. And I think, within our revolution, even though it's heartbreaking, and beyond ruthless people have had enough of oppression of totalitarianism. And so but, you know, if if you've only experienced life, through those contexts, through that type of that level of oppression, and brainwashing, when it's hard to wrap your head around a new idea, and I have, I have empathy and compassion for our people. And I think that with a lot more discussions like this, with a lot more youth led movements, but even I don't want to be ageist, I don't think that there's, there's so many ideas that elders have that are amazing. And there's so many ideas that young people have that are not the best, because of lack of experience, or whatever else or lack of understanding of context. So I don't think that necessarily, it's the youth versus the elders, I just think that there's things that if you truly want freedom, freedom, you know, you can have freedom for one type of person, you can have freedom for just Burmese, male, upper class people, that doesn't make any sense. Do you need to look at other contexts like everybody else, need to have that same type of opportunity and how I think we can reach that is when we are accountable for past things, and also current things, and being malleable, and having more conversations to help shape the context of what a real revolution looks like.
Brad 17:22
Absolutely. And I noticed you're talking about the past, and, and reckoning with the past. And you're talking about the difficulty of a society, not an individual person, necessarily, but an entire society, changing its mindset and adapting to new concepts. But I'm wondering, also about the opposite of these. When we look at the Myanmar context, we know that there is currently a very violent revolution underway. We know that in 2007, there was similarly a violent crackdown against the Saffron Revolution. Of course, in 2008, cycler Nauticus, horrendous loss of life, which the military did very little to ameliorate 1988 very famously, and there have been a series of attacks and crackdowns over the last 50 years give or take. And that's only the post independence history of the country. Do you feel that there is an extent to which this repeated cycle of violence and oppression has left a very deep psychological mark on Burmese society on Myanmar society, and has in a sense, oriented the the mentality of society in a certain direction?
Osho Root 18:43
Yeah, I do. It's trauma. There's there's so much trauma. And I think that that's why we need to address it. If we don't face something, it will repeat if we don't learn from history does repeat. It's only natural if the lesson is not learned. Then some other type of way of oppression continues or endures. So I think like being critical about that is necessary, but also like emboldening your compassion for people because most people do not have mental health access. And that is very detrimental. There's intergenerational, there's intergenerational trauma. And this inter intergenerational trauma like has been going on for a long time for 60 years of oppression and then from the military, from the from the hunter and then before that, with To colonizers, and then before that with the kings, and like the separating of the different nations. So people still are fighting with, with all of those things that are not addressed in their psyche. And there's a there's a lot of strength and resilience in our people. And I do think that once we address these these issues internally, and also externally, internally within the individual self, with a willingness to listen, and also to externally have these conversations to deepen a type of cultural change, but not only that, there's like, with it within the military, there's a there's a lot of brainwashing from you know, from having women, there's a lot of sexism and that to a woman would get married to a soldier. And if she is not the servant of a higher ranking soldiers, wife, then her husband could potentially be put in a more dangerous situation. And if he passes away, there's a lottery system where her name gets put in, and a single soldier will draw from that lottery system. And then she pulls out her name, he marries her. That is, you know, that the type of brainwashing and sexism all all of these things are very interesting intersectional. And all of this because it's not addressed. On both sides. There's, there's this trauma.
Brad 21:52
I mean, you're talking about the military, I think it's a very, it's, I want to call it fascinating, but it's also just revolting, in its in its way, the way that women are seen within military culture. I've personally conjectured many times that the Dumbledore the Myanmar military, would qualify as a cult in the way that it operates. And women seem to be integral possessions within that structure. Women are vessels of rank, you marry a higher ranking officers daughter or sister, they produce children that will become future soldiers. And they are basically sent off as you said, as, as domestic servants, to the wives have superior officers in order to to earn favor. It's a terrible, terrible life. And yet, there's there's a an even more fascinating element of this sexism. And I'm sure you were following this back in February or March, the tank entered the barriers of women's clothing that was strung up across the streets in Yangon. Do you have any thoughts on that particular tradition and the way in which, specifically the youthful protesters drape themselves in women's clothing as a protest against societal norms while the military refused to walk underneath women's clothing?
Osho Root 23:24
Yeah, so that that is right there. Huge traumatic sexes wound, right. So my specific opinion is that within within, within Burmese Buddhism, the lower part of your body is considered ponine, which means that it will take away your power, your strength. So if you're wearing it to me, which is the lower garb, and it's a woman's garb, in a lot of Burmese culture, there's a lot of sexism, intertwined with religion. And this this garb is like for the youth, this was like a liberation. This was, this is my tummy, and it's not. It's not diminishing, you know, this is my resistance. This is me as a woman, you know, saying that I'm strong and we are resisting against this totalitarian Domino. But they refuse to walk under there because there's this belief that if a man walks underneath, a woman's like, you know, any type of lower lower garment on below the hip, that he will have less power that means that he could, he could potentially be killed easier. He would have bad luck. There's like a whole range of things, right? That also goes into protest out in DC. There was a very empowered woman who was holding her tummy. And she's, she's younger, and she was waving the flag, waving the tummy is a flag. And she's like, Yeah. And while that was happening, there was also a protester who was a man in his 40s, who took her two main flag out of her hand, put it on top of male line, the general Minot, male lions face who was on the ground that people were stomping on. And he put her to me on top of it. And he started spitting and stomping on her tummy. And we all lie underneath. And I was the emcee. And I yelled at him, in front of hundreds of people. Because this is our culture that this is the the disconnect. Because it's not just the middle like, this is what we need to change as people. So yes, Domino's horrible genocide is beyond atrocious. And oppression is beyond atrocious. I'm talking about once we get this freedom, what are we going to do with it? And when when there's somebody, there's two people fighting for freedom, there's two people fighting against totalitarianism in the same space. And this is what he does. Right. So this is the type of backwards thinking that we need to, you know, rise above from, and that only happens with internal analysis and more conversation.
Brad 26:42
Absolutely. And I think it's, it's a very poignant and very important point, to sort of say, it's, it's not enough to win. You know, winning doesn't mean anything, if you're not creating something better if you're not walking away from it in that way. And I think that there's a lot to be said for the difference between the two factions between, I wouldn't even say factions. The difference between the two fundamental ideologies at the domain is just one example. You know, as I said, some of the youth male youth will the terrain as a sign of protest, while we saw the military and the police gathering coming and burning them in the cities. And this goes all the way back to annoy Yata, who was allegedly undermined his Porn was taken away by by Tommy that were thrown on to his, I think effigy. And he was he was gored to death by wild beasts. As a result, we saw women in Yangon using even menstrual pads to repel the military, which they were absolutely terrified of. And we're seeing these changes. But what's really, really beautiful about this is that the protesters are reacting non violently. They're using Tommy, they using superstition, curses, even against, you know, lying in the high ranking military, black magic as it were. And there's a lot to be said about being better, morally. And I want to touch back on what you said previously, you were talking about truth and reconciliation, which happened in South Africa, and similar processes happened in Liberia and in Rwanda, after their respective crises. And I think it's very important to note that the people who are on the side of democracy are not talking about retribution. They're not talking about lynch mobs, they're not talking about perpetuating the same cycle of terror. They're talking about justice, they're talking about the rule of law, and answering for your crimes, not just suffering, the vengeance and the anger of your victims. How important do you think it is that the pro democracy movement maintains the moral high ground throughout this conflict?
Osho Root 29:10
I think it's very important. And though I understand, you know, if your child has been taken away from you, and you feel angry about it, and that's a very normal feeling to have. And revenge is a very normal human trait. But to, to be to ask for class for, to ask for equality and to ask for all of these ideals, like we need to be better than who we're fighting against. You know, if somebody I'm not saying turn the other cheek, I'm saying there's multiple ways of activism like us. saying about the menstrual pads, the you know, us use their use their sexism against them. There's so many clever ways to do something without being violent. And I think that's very important. Though I do understand the anger behind it, I think when when, when a person is angry, it's like being blacked out drunk you, you have no actual recollection or control of what you're doing because you're just consumed by this poison that you've drank.
Brad 30:39
Absolutely. And that's I mean, that that's really the genesis of it. I think everyone will convince themselves in one instance, that they're doing the right thing, that they can't help other people if they're not in a position of power to justify seeking that position of power, pathologically. But in the end of the day, if you're no better than the people, you're replacing them. What was the point? So I want to move a little bit back to you personally in your activism, and one of the most important elements of your activism. And I don't want to diminish the other things that you that you do. Because you do a lot for a lot of marginalized communities. And the one that impressed me the most actually is, is working for the exoneration of death row inmates, which I think is is a is a beautiful thing to do. And it's very depressing that it needs to be done. Because the justice system is is so flawed in many ways, but I want to focus specifically on the BOMA act. So this is a this is an important piece of potential legislation currently sitting before the US Congress. Would you like to talk a little bit about what that is, and and what you've been doing to try and help this move forward?
Osho Root 32:03
Yeah, so the Burma Act was created by our team, USA, ACM. And there's so many people on this team coming from all of these other pro democracy, Formula teams all over the US. And it all started with Mamma Mia. She is a as a voter in need in Maryland, and she she was the one that got her foot in the door with Senator Ben Cardin. And that's when we started to have conversations with him and other other senators and other Congress people and ambassadors to push for cutting the Monetary Fund. The dumb at all, like because you can't have a civil war without funds. And if we sanction mo G, which is a huge gas conglomerate. And Chevron is one of the combat companies in the US, that is directly profiting from our peoples genocide. Once we cut that money line, and there's a sanction involved, that's very powerful to fight against, the Demerol, the hunter. And another thing is to prevent the IOM to influence the IMF to not fund to not loan money to the military, which is also very important. The IMF the International Monetary Fund. Another another push is to help people that are running and escaping from our country, to bordering countries. And since some of the bordering countries are a part of ASEAN, they are more in cahoots with the military. And so even if people somehow make it out, and there's a warrant for their arrest or there's a shoot to kill order, they can still be sent back. And that's very unfortunate. And so that that is you know, to help the people that are escaping is very important. It's very vital.
Brad 34:45
Absolutely. No, I wouldn't, I wouldn't even call it unfortunate I would call it a miscarriage of justice, and a violation of international human rights and refugee And mentioned. So it's truly it's truly horrendous that that this is the situation that we're in. And I think that a lot of people are a little bit despondent. Right now, a lot of people are looking at the situation on the ground. And they're asking the question like, why aren't we focused on ground operations? Why are we off in the political realm? Why are we giving speeches? Why are we shaking hands? Why are we doing these things? But it's important to remember the role that this sort of activism plays and that the political process plays? Yes, it is glacially slow. Yes, there is a lot of self interest involved. But as you say, if we can convince governments, not necessarily to support the energy and oppose the military, but to at very least, protect the rights of individual people, to not allow the situation to deteriorate to not fund the military. That's a huge step forward. And the bottom line is, as as you know, you were pointing out as well, money, the military needs money, everybody needs money, money wins, conflicts. And, of course, we this weekend, we have the the auto auction artists against tyranny. Our hope is also to raise money, not to buy weapons, not to buy bombs, not to kill people, but to help the victims of the military to help the people who don't have shelter, to help the people who don't have food, to help the people who have nowhere left to run, and are literally in fear for their lives. And I just want to remind everyone that that's going on, and I want to move on to your personal artistic side as well, because you're contributing a work to to the art show this weekend as well, aren't you?
Osho Root 36:46
Yes, I am. I think I have time for one poem. So one or one or two, so I'm not sure. But yeah, I'm contributing the work. I am the first Burmese American to represent the state of Maryland, in the HBOs, Brave New Voices, competition, and we made it to semi finals, but we got defeated by Hawaii. Almost no cigar. Yeah. But but so yeah. So poetry is a really good, medium for honest reflection for me. And also, like, it's a way I can totally say what I feel without any thing to encumber me. So I think that's, it's very powerful. You know, I have a very nuanced perspective of things. So my poetry is not everyone's cup of tea. But I think that's, I think that's necessary.
Brad 38:04
And I mean, absolutely, art has to be subjective, and there are tastes. But ultimately, the purpose of art is not to be pleasant. It's not to be polite, and appeal to everyone the purpose of artists to convey human experience to a human mind, quickly and effectively. And sometimes that requires an intrusion. Sometimes that requires that we convey something that someone doesn't necessarily want to accept, not necessarily something they don't want to hear. They hear it every day, they just don't want to accept that it is part of their everyday lives. Do you feel that poetry in particular but optimal generally, is a a tool through which we can focus on injustices and process them personally or societally?
Osho Root 38:59
Yeah, that's what spoken word is about. So spoken word poetry is very different than having a reading or writing poetry in a book. It's more performative. And, globally, the way spoken word poetry works is it's very geared towards activism. So I think that it's not just activism on on geopolitical scales, but it's activism, you know, with just combating all of all of the things we wish we can better in society. I think that's like very nuanced. There's also like love poems and all these other things. But being even self love is very radical. So that is a yeah, that's, that's right for the Black Lives Matter movement. I performed a poll poll. I'm in front of the monument. And it was it was called haka on your white supremacy. And that poem did not go well with the police. But, but it went well with people that were walking by and they just paused and reflected, rather than us just shouting. And passer bys just like hearing bits and pieces of, of shouting. If you're sitting there and you're standing and you hear somebody performing a poem, and they pause and they, it's sort of like very nuanced is very similar to you know, the spoken word poetry came from beatniks, Beatniks and a lot of like, like the Dead Poets Society, a lot of hip hop, influence, jazz, so that that type of activism is already there. And it's, it's more inviting for people to listen.
Brad 41:05
Absolutely. And I find that it is quite a unique on poetry existence on the forms, and I think spoken word poetry sort of feels to me like poetry the way that it was designed. I remember when we studied poetry back in high school, and back then we were young, we didn't understand or appreciate poetry as we should have. And I remember my teacher telling me, the reason you don't like the poem is because you're reading it off a page. And poetry was never meant to be read. Poetry was meant to be heard, it was meant to be experienced it, it isn't just a series of words, there is a musicality, and a rhythm to it. And there are a lot of poets who who, for me personally, they may not be very well known in the spoken word poetry circles, but both Sia, Julian curry, I found their commentaries on racial experiences. Julian carries African American bow CI is Asian American, to be really poignant, and really powerful. And expressing a point in, you know, a three minute performance, which otherwise would have taken an hour long lecture, and it would have turned a lot of people off. But through poetry, you sort of you grasp the emotion behind why the point is being made, and the context in which it is being made significantly more than another way. Do you feel that poetry, even compared with other forms of art, has this uncanny ability to just cut through and push this course in ways that other things just don't seem to?
Osho Root 42:48
Yeah, most definitely. It's like, cutting cheese with a hot knife. You know, it's easier. It it like, it does make everything more concise and more palatable. And it's palatable because it creates a level of discomfort. And so you're like, Oh, what is this? But it's, it's very, it's concise. So it's like, it's easier to hear then, a two hour lecture about the same topic. And it's, it's more to, there's a lot of different tools, there's cadence, which you don't get when you're reading. You don't get what you what the, what the author was intending. If, if you don't mind, do you think I can, like, read that poem that I performed? In the Black Lives Matter?
Brad 43:41
Absolutely. I was kind of hoping you would, you would grace us with a poetic performance. But I didn't want to impose,
Osho Root 43:47
oh, no, you're not imposing. I just, I just wanted to provide a little bit of context. So I wrote this poem, to give a little context, because I was very tired of white supremacy. So this poem is against white supremacy. So it's called haka on your white supremacy. I wish I could squirt blood out of my eyes like a lizard does for protection. Sometimes my frustration or white ignorance gets carried away, but I rather bloody your little white lies, bloody delusional, and your white privilege bliss bubble, who your white cotton trying to damn us damn our menstrual flow from which we came. We came from bodies bloodied with Ancestry yet, brown people are deemed too emotional. I would posit that you're too apathetic. Your families have participated and you personally are still profiting from native genocide. enslaved black people, treated black people subhuman line them up. auction block these beautiful black people tell them they're ugly generationally force a standard of beauty based on use cell body parts, tear apart families silence their languages take away their religion, dangle hope of white Jesus saving them. Hope is a nice carrot. Keep hope alive, but stop Doing keep hope alive yet atrophy educational access, keep hope alive yet, let's feed my students with your nutritionally deficient food. Keep starving my students with your white Wonder Bread. Keep hope alive and stop promoting critical thinking, keep hope alive and stop reading government policy. That shit is too confusing anyways, let's distract everybody with sports and social media. Keep hope alive, people. Poor black people are being murdered back then. And now. Black people are dying. And this is a quote, all people will die one day blacklist them as criminals. Black people are enslaved in the prison pipeline. This is another quote. Oh, they probably did something to deserve it. A dime bag traded in for life for for profit prison. There's white people in jail to hashtag all lives matter. Your white noise is micro aggression. Do you know many of my friends are filled with questions, questions of family trees, black people relying on ancestry.com to decipher their own heritage. Line them up, enslaved the slanted eyes. We are expendable hammer clings on the side of railroads in the West. The clinking sound became a racial slur for Asians. Pat yourself on the back for your white wit. Asian bodies are still buried underground under the railroads that they built. But we're not real minorities. Look at our success. We're not proof of your melting pot working. It tastes like every Asian man cast it as a sidekick, but never lead. He's only good for sidekicks he's used for comedy relief. Give Asian characters the white people would tape around their eyes. It tastes like Keanu Reeves playing Buddha. Oh, it tastes like my middle school. That Sue joined math club instead of spoken word poetry. You're not a real minority in this program is for real minorities. This melting pot has me wondering why I'm always asked where I'm from China or Japan. Yes, you know all Asians only come from the northern part of the continent. Your model minority was suspected as a prostitute in Ashburn, Virginia, because I have an Asian me Asian name. You know I went to college so I can be stereotyped as a sex trafficked woman. Only good for happy endings. Look ma no more class ceiling or racial profiling. Look at how well we're treated. Asians are modeled minorities we can. Why can't other minorities be submissive like us? You cannot use our success to gaslight other minorities oppressed. We're not your model minority lined them up. Cut off native hair in the 1700s deem their culture stab Savage, steal their children, ship them to boarding schools silence native languages. So the next generation will forget how to communicate with their elders trade their moccasins for your loafers. Your ancestors will continue stealing. You know Elizabeth Warren, the Cherokee Princess wore cheap headdress as a fashion statement. It's not savage if it's on your head, make racist headbands. In elementary schools, your Thanksgiving is based on massacres. You know, my friends every Thanksgiving. Go to honor their ancestors in front of Plymouth Rock every year. If it's so equal, and about gratefulness, then how come in thanksgiving meals. There's nothing native in the menu. Thought it was two cultures who came together for a meal was Thanksgiving, another white lie divvy up their land after you steal and plant a flag. Give nomadic people a plot of land to live in. Tell them to farm when it's not their custom. Further down the generations your ancestors will remain taking Budos native peoples graves for fossil fuels. The XL pipeline is currently leaking as I speak, trail of broken treaties volunteers and now pipelines are melanin are activated charcoal chests turned into diamonds with all that generational pressure the weight of oppression. You said our expression is aggressive. Our diamond voicebox cutter cuts with precision. Our expression deemed to violence or expression matches our daily experience. You want to continue taking in appropriate minority cultures. I want to haka you out of your veiled racism. I want to call your white supremacy. I want to ignite your apathy and Paley's volcano, I want you to hairy carry your internal and generational oppression. I want to drown your subconscious oppression and the clarity of Yama, yas, water. I feel juxtaposed. I want to be optimistic and your potential. I want everyone to truly be equal, even you who are oppressing us, you who have been benefiting from white privilege. I simply and wholeheartedly want everyone to find peace. And I'm not a martyr enlightened are fully balanced. And not all medicine is sweet and welcoming. I will no longer be your on call teacher. Don't gaslight me with my own culture. Don't explain away my rape and how attracting rape vibes with my karma. How if I was a little bit more Bodhisattva if I was a little less angry, I built a bridge. I cannot speak delicately all the time to placate your guilt. I'm not even asking you to be guilty. I'm asking you to reflect. Is there something in the way of seeing yourself clearly in the mirror? Until then, I wish I could squirt blood out of my eyes like Alyssa does prefer for protection. Sometimes my my frustration of white ignorance gets carried away.
Brad 50:29
I think that was an excellent example of why poetry cuts through discourse in a way that a speech just wouldn't. And that's just what there's just one piece. This is Keanu Reeves playing Buddha. Yeah, that caught that one took me off balance. I'm not going to lie. Was that a reference to a specific movie? Or was that just an outlandish comparison?
Osho Root 50:57
Now it's a movie, all of these things that I said was historically true.
Brad 51:03
So yeah, most of them I recognized, but that was new to me.
Osho Root 51:06
Yeah, he tanned himself. And he spoke with a weird, fake Indian accent. And he had like, yeah, he played Buddha. With with around Islam,
Brad 51:19
I legitimately thought you just created an outlandish example.
Osho Root 51:24
Yeah, even even Halle Berry from Cloud Atlas. She had tape around her eyes when she was reincarnated as a Japanese person. Oh, yeah, I
Brad 51:35
remember that. Remember the controversy about that? The title as a hacker and your white supremacy? Is that so a reference to the the Maori haka tradition?
Osho Root 51:48
Yes, it is. I have some Maori friends. And they I asked, I was like, Is this okay, if you if I can use this would it be seen as disrespectful? And they said, No, a haka is like, your poem is a haka. Because they were saying that like, it's a, it's a dance to like, to, to be healing, but it's also a dance to show that like, you're your people and your family is not to be messed with. And so, yeah,
Brad 52:21
no, it's a very powerful element, the haka particularly, I find that very powerful. Because that there are haka for grieving and for funerary rites, there are haka for celebration, there's haka for conflict, there are so many different types that just much like poetry. The haka is a, a, an expression of raw emotion, in a very direct and powerful way, that sort of demands not to be interrupted. Discourse is interrupted poetry demands not to be interrupted. A haka demands not to be interrupted, it's it's an expression, and you can choose to leave, or you can choose to experience it. But you will experience it on the terms in which it has been presented to you, you will not modify and change it in the presentation. And I think that that's a very, a very important distinction in the ways that we traditionally approach discourse and disagreements within that discourse. So I just want to ask quickly, do you find that the activism that you do, and the social movements, and the way that your art relates to the social movements of the Eastern context in the western context that you find yourself in are more similar or more different to one another?
Osho Root 53:53
Do you mind rephrasing the question?
Brad 53:55
So? Absolutely. So do you do you find as you utilize art, to deal with social injustices, and to try and heal those social wounds, do you find that the types of issues and the ways that those issues can be approached in the US context and in the Myanmar context are reasonably similar to one another? Or do you find that they are diametrically opposed, and they need to have very different types of approaches and very different types of art?
Osho Root 54:30
I think they are similar, because in in Myanmar, there's a tradition called Dunja. In in our New Years, our Water Festival, and people every year they like, air out their grievances in spoken word like performances. It's usually group performances, or sometimes it's by themselves. And so this is a two To me spoken word poetry is longevity. So if you, if you just know how to describe what you're doing, then people are like, Oh, okay, it's not the traditional prose or, like, you know, boring read off a book. It's like I'm performing it to you. Except I'm not on a Monday, which is like a stage. Right. So. So I think with that, yeah, I think that's very similar. There's certain things because I'm younger, because I'm a woman, in both cultures, in the US, and in Yama, and globally, like it's going to be my art is going to be taken less seriously. So that that's there.
Brad 55:46
Absolutely. So I just have one final question. What do you think is the role of art in the current conflict? How can I best be utilized in the current Myanmar context?
Osho Root 56:01
Alright, is a powerful motivator, I think it's a very powerful tool. So I think, with poetry, I think what we said earlier, we can cut straight to the raw message behind something. And with with visual art, I remember when I was in London, and I saw an ex political prisoner who snuck his pieces out. And he was painting with syringes. And, uh, you know, him prison made paint that, you know, showed like how they were treated and how he felt. And I think that's very powerful. It describes your experience and connects the human experience, we might not have the same experience. But you can look at something and you can feel something from it, or you can hear something and feel something from it. And good art moves you so I think revolution art goes hand in hand. Because it's meant to move people.
57:25
What am I gonna do we are done. And the reason is that we are busier and busier,
57:33
yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada. No, no.
Brad 57:42
So you're from small region in Saigon, which is in the northwest of the country. And anyone who has been following the news will know that Sagaing has seen some very terrible crimes committed by the military. Can you tell us what it's like for the people in Saigon right now, suffering under the military dictatorship?
58:10
Well, actually, Saigon region is obviously it was, it was obviously a peaceful region, we can say it is also like, where the most from our people. And you know, there is a saying in Myanmar, from, you know, from the lower people from the lower promises our region, they call our region and yeah, you know, it means upper, so that people from upper Burma we take call and yada, yada, you know, the people from upper Burma really honest, and they are mostly farmers only. And, you know, they are hungry, they are just, you know, living in a very peaceful calm life and not following many pathways for the physical developments. So, just living in a small and very simple life. So, anyway, after, you know, even you know, how peaceful it was, is many ethnicities from other regions and states, especially from the hill areas, from the hilly areas, they might even see the more people carrying freedom and democracy in except the, except their regions. So, but obviously, after the coup, you know, people from this region also as far as you know, not only after the coup, but also over the last two decades. Even, you know, talking about my personal life, I was, you know, from a family member, I was a member of a family, where there LMP party members, my grandpa is the baton veteran of NLP in 19 since 1988, and my brother is also my brother is also a member, my eldest brother, he followed us, he accompanied in a, in a company campaign, any campaign in 2003 You know, many people knows that type of union trip. So, it's like, through my family, shortly my family, you know, suppose, you know, the, over the trucks and, you know, operations by the military over the last two case, not only my family, but also the people who are mostly farmers and very rural area, very rural people, after the coup know, even in my small town, one person in court debt, by gunshots and in our history, if, you know, you may see Wikipedia articles not as Cyclopedia Jamar encyclopedia, our town is as very peaceful, a very peaceful town in the country, where there was no suffering from the World War Two as well. You know, in the World War Two, our town even didn't suffer any, you know, damages by the war, but, we we usually caught proud of that, but now, you know, after the coup in March, you know, I remember on March 16, on March 15, you know, one man, one protester leader, who was protesting, you know, peacefully at a nighttime protest, he was can shot and killed and the people who have seen who have witnessed this event cannot feel cannot feel, you know, any longer patients cannot pair this even to see, we have very, you know, we have very soft hearts, you know, but for now, you know, the operation by the coop chapter is, you know, not as active by any means, for those even produce people who lived in a peaceful life. And finally, in our region, there are people you know, that people who are very, you know, very peaceful, they started to, to be a cancer, especially to fight back the chapter. So, it means, you know, our region is you know, full of, you know, float here in history and also right now, even though they are, they are, they are very special and different from other regions, because of the geographic pure because of the geographical locations, and next to next to India, and next to the border to India, and also very close to change state and Kachin state. So, the PBA are now especially, you know, in, in waves, okay? Means,
Brad 1:03:50
but at the same time, and this is very interesting. So, today, when we're recording this, it's the 10th of December 2021. And there is a nationwide silent strike where businesses are closed. people refuse to leave their homes, and they're, they're protesting against the military. Not only not violently, but also protesting with complete silence. Can you tell us a little bit about this practice? Sure.
1:04:24
Just today, you know, even for me, I'm I I'm not mostly active on social media. But my family members to, to me yesterday that today is a silent strike. And I did not expect even you know, people are now forgetting how broke on homebrew Delta chapter is, you know, in March and in, you know, in March and February, nine to 10 months ago, but I was surprised by by the fact that this morning when I went to the market, and everywhere I saw, you may, even down here, low price, Bose sound noise, all the traffic, you know, all the shops, or the you know, all the tea shops and all the restaurants, all the stools, and all, even, you know, the contacts who carry their vegetables and beans and go around the town and even they don't come to the market, they don't even say and all the traffic is no, you know, silent. And I was surprised, oh, our people are united, we can show up our wish not to not to live and other cool. Another military rule, you know, by means of the signer means so I was surprised. And you know, especially I let me say I'm living by big road. So it is very usually heavy traffic, USC, the invoices or the traffic there any other to use in the previous days, but no today, it I even did expect that there will be such that will be done much united to our people to show up to your wage to although we can speak
Brad 1:06:33
and, and I think it's really important that you say that you you cannot speak up. Because we have such beautiful examples of censorship, not just the government, you know, telling people or you can't say this, but the government killing people or rather the military, I should say killing people, artists and writers for for criticizing them. And for you as I think we could say, an amateur journalist and and a writer, what is that like knowing that you live in a country where people are being killed for expressing their opinions,
1:07:17
obviously, you know, one day one the coop, chant around stutter too, to crack down down peaceful protests, even in my small village. Even in my small town, there are people in the people who are very, at the time very active. All the people came out on the roads. And then at the time, I was also you know, reporting to the news, local news media, and then you know, by by doing by sending the videos or photos secretly so for even for you know, for that I, I we had, we had to do it secretly. Not publicly. So, for me, I can say that I am safe because I didn't have to eat publicly that Posey prance I know, for the especially for the protest leaders who is my cousin and my friends, they have already been a restaurant. And then you know, we have no news from them. And then even you know, okay, for example, a teacher who I know who is trying civil disobedience movement, she is still hiring many people not only and if people ask many friends or my are still hiding from the military. So it means like, if we can show publicly, you know, for example, I am safe and I am pretending I am living like a normal person. Not a public, not a public worker, just doing my you know, my citizen jobs as a citizen journalist and sometimes I just, I just texted to my international friends what's happening in my area right now. And they're just like, very sick of actually. So I can live safe at a time. But you know, I have to be careful even to post on to write something on Facebook or whatever. I must. I must be very careful. You know, I have I have many friends who speak up Even on social media and Facebook, you know, you know, the secret informants secret formulas promo. From the military side, they informed the police informed this, this guy is fighting this very recently, maybe a few hours later, and then the man was arrested that Congress so even to speak, is known not only to speak up, but also to show up by other means, like radio on Facebook, the freedom of expression is totally lost at this time.
Brad 1:10:44
And I think this is a very important weapon for the military. Because if the international community does not know, the things that they are doing, than the international community cannot stop them. So to you, and you and you continue to write, you continue to inform the international community through your writing of the situation that is happening. And of your perspective, how important is it, that people continue to spread information, and they continue to inform the world of what the military does.
1:11:30
As for the military, that's called a military chapter, do you want to totally block out the internet, obviously, but they cannot also do this, because all the international organizations and governments opening statements against their accounts, this accounts this freedom of expression, so international communities, also pointing out not to block off the internet total, but they try it and other options. For example, right now, they are increasing the increasing the prices or internet data packages, and try to, you know, truth, you know, trying to choose their Facebook accounts, who are very active, and speak up against them. So, something like that. So they are also watching, they're also watching as much as they can, who is separating the information who is, you know, speaking, and something like that. So, pause and pause as citizens, we also have to be sometimes some people to not accept any new threats, we don't have to accept any new friends. So, we are sharing the information only in our communities who are very close, very fluent proudly to us, something like that, we have to share our information to our friends, even you know, if if we share the information for our friends to friends or friends, it may be it may it can be dangerous, you know, in their friends or friends, they can be you know, their secret inform us that can inform the group gender. Religion for this, let me call only plumbing only called down events. And here after, you know, I don't want to say that our military group or group gender, I will say okay, it was there really. So, anyway, so, to share the information we have, we have still some, you know, the internet only a few mount, for example, I'm also use cellular networks also I find, so therefore, what for the cellular networks, they are increasing the prices. So this is obviously the reasons behind the increase of prices. They are, you know, arrangement, desist embracive their hands behind this reason. So, anyway, to share the information, we have to only rely on social media and also just phone calls, even phone calls are not safe anymore. Because Because we can be tracked. So we are using some other encrypted apps instead of Facebook Messenger and other apps, you know, encrypted apps to be safer and speaking and communicating. So Some people are also not know having an internet connection in some areas in my region. So the just text to the texting, you know, SMS messages to, to share the news and something like that. So this is really happening in my region. So for the people, Sandy pay who caught especially for the older people who don't have any Facebook account or who don't have any phone, they also have to listen to the radio, radio news too Secretly, secretly, very secretly, we cannot turn on them. Speaker very loudly, even you know, the group chat, blocked look and use like visma News and also satellites, psi satellites from time from Thailand, they also log on and then they they want from one house to another house to check if there is a blue you know, if there is a black satellite, which means be assigned satellite, so we can know, we can watch the news publicly, we can, but
1:16:16
for the people, you know, secretly watching such such kinds of news, okay, those who are giving the real crown crown information, reality, current information and also listening to the radio news. Like just like, you know, only, you know, very few a handful of news, local news media, so but anyway, we asked the having the information, what is happening in our country, and our region.
Brad 1:16:49
And that's, you know, an important thing for us to maintain, it's important for us to know what is happening. And, and we have the deepest respect for those of you who are putting yourselves in danger to do this. But of course, the reason that we're talking today is because this weekend, we have an art auction in New York, and we're hoping to raise a lot of money to help the the people, the victims of the military junta, and also to raise awareness in the Western world. So that people know, through art, exactly what is what is going on, how important do you think art has become in spreading awareness and helping us fight against the military,
1:17:33
okay, not as a professional artist, but a major a major artist, that art is, you know, the artist or work kind of work, that we can show up our feelings, you know, with no words, you know, for example, you know, an art maybe, you know, something, maybe, you know, you know, on face on social media, and, you know, you can also see, you know, cartoons that are choking at the evils, you know, crazy orders not to write on the, on the not not to write to buy two people on their same psych on the same pay scale, as always on the same cycle. So, some things like that, so sometimes it's some cojones, there is no words, but it's only, you know, very, you know, very effective and very, you know, very, can describe, can describe very, how can I say, effectively, okay, when our feelings and what is happening in our country, so, I mean, okay, so the art auction, I heard, I heard about this, the art auction for my friends, and also, I was interested in joining this art auction. But for me, I'm not in painting, I'm no, I'm not the artist in painting. And just as a, you know, an amateur writer, and a major writer, so I, you know, people just before this portion, I was also writing some articles, to show our feelings, what is happening to my friends personally, and individually, and sometimes I wrote some articles, you know, for example, from the past projects or a protest, you know, police perspective, for example, you know, I even also wrote a some months ago about Mara, Mara means, you know, then I'm kind of surprised to find who attacked the Lord to Elijah. So, so he He was not he was not doing good Mary's all throughout his Poma lives, but they pulled out it, but he was, you know, he was there, you know, that throw, let me see, okay, that thrown that through all the Buddha under the brutal, you know, without any good malice he has done, he was just to crap, you know, thrown in, in a violent way in an unfair way, you know, unfair way, but who success only the enlightened one took victory over with land fire. So, anyway, for the people, you know, at this very hard time, we cannot show our feelings, we cannot show up our, you know, wish not to live under this and fair route. But by means or, for example, assignment strike is also and kind of out today, you can see this, this kind of really affected what in other means, I have also seen people very good creative art, not as the painting not as a writing, even though for example, we don't, we don't encourage, we don't support or we don't buy from them, we don't buy anything don't want. We don't, we don't buy from the group chat, support that business. So this is kind of art. And also people are sharing this information and people are following to be against disprove, so unfair, this injustice. So anyway, you know, you can also see the other kinds of art, for example, you know, you know, get they're prepared to go prepare a career, you know, even in my small village, they prepared a creek, it was in much I remember
1:22:11
it, you know, the debit prepaid a credit, and put the, you know, put, you know, flowers, the crease, and then the rights, and then only the words, you know, only the words, their name or the, you know, the name of the evil to write in the name, so, and the image, okay, so the name of evil. So, and they also show up, even in the very remote, you know, maybe in the forestry area, or, and then they took a photo and they, they boosted it on Facebook and social media, and they share it. And then this is also kind of showing their expressed by means or, you know, many, many other things, creative ways and creative ways. Act. So, for this art auction, you know, not everybody, everybody who had a human sense, in a human sense. Everybody knows this is an unfair, this is unfair, and not justice. So the art is that we're born to show our feelings in any creative ways, as you know, as they're very young protest. Set in the slogan, while you are protesting is that now is 2021. Not 1988. So, today, generations, very good and creative. You know, and they are showing up their wishes, a creative ways, rather than, you know, they can't even expect what is going on what other people do, their egos can expect. The art is very important.
Brad 1:24:09
I want to circle back to something that you were talking about a little bit before you were talking about Buddhist teaching, and examples from from history. And I know that you have written about the conflict between Buddhism and what the military is doing. And we also know that the military consider themselves to be Buddhists and they consider themselves to be doing what is correct. How do you feel about the military's view on their actions and Buddhism?
1:24:42
Okay. So, um, after the coop, in February, I was interviewed and I studied in in that interview, you know, according to the Buddhist teachings, for a ruler, they are term disciplines, they are term ethics or if a ruler just only measure with that only only measure with that standard, you know, in that term ethics of a ruler, you know, the ruler must not be against the wish of the people. So, this is the first point they took, they weren't against the boat, they were against them, which are the people where we show our vote in 2020 general elections. So, this is the first point the templated the Buddha's teachings of ethics of a rule. So, again, there must be patient and must not be homing his people. So, I said two and three. So, you know a god you know, in Pali, okay. So, according to means, not be you know, angry Norby hatred, whatever with whatever the people you know, RC or whatever, even they criticize. So, against this addicts, they started to violate and crackdown environment weighs. So, this means, they are no longer poorest, especially for a very, very basic of fiber sessions, which go bankruptcy law. So, in contrast, the law as a boat is we simply have to stray upstream from killing even the animals, but, there they have already claimed many people's lives and also they have just tried many other many people's homes and lives. So, to to get back to the text of a ruler, he must not be he must be he must be patient, he must bear that people even though even if they are courageous sizing at him. So, so, by measuring even this more, you know, this basic principles, this basic ethics of a ruler, from the Buddha's teachings, they have already you know, no longer be a Buddhist, obviously, although they are just showing you know, how when I say a chain, how they ushering in troops, you know, trade like the guarding the Buddha's teachings, in indeed, the must they must first remove the Eco, remove the accrete remove the I you know, how can I say, anchor, they cannot do, they cannot do any follow any obedience, you know, to according to the Buddha's teaching, so, the first thing I talked after the coop in February, so, obviously, the progress teachings are, you know, not to be violent, to, to be to be patient enough, you know, even though someone is, you know, someone is attacking you and someone is attacked, criticizing as per rule, it must be more than, you know, more practice, it must be more priceless, than the normal citizens. You know, you know, you can see, you can see, there are many accusations on the evils they are pretending they are, like, quote, real coaches and guarding the Buddha's teachings. And, you know, criticizing
1:29:09
the ladies criticizing the ladies and, you know, marriage to two white person, so, you know, even comparing to each other, you know, the lady did not show up, they're not they're not express our I'm a Buddhist, and I am following and I'm calling the Buddha's teaching, she never said that, but what is your bride isn't what is she doing? All according, in accordance with the Buddhist teachings? She has, for example, over the last administration, she followed, you know, she was criticized in many points, many support many situations, everything you know, but she never responds, in a violent way, and to crackdown on brutality, you know, She was just even you know, arranging you know, with knitter human loving kindness and patience, something like so. So, it is obvious who is a real Buddhist or not?
Brad 1:30:13
Absolutely, and so, on this topic, because it is clear that you're very knowledgeable and very experienced with this your contribution to the art auction that we have is a collection of Buddhist writings. Is that correct? Yes, it is. Yeah. Would you like to speak to us a little bit about exactly what that collection is and why that's important to you, okay.
1:30:38
So, in in this book, you will see us to NRC very much political situations about the country that in Rome, you will see it it reflects my letters, my letters reflect, you know, the Crown situations for the human Paul, many often people you know, in our country. So, in this letter it all although it reflects all about a man, but you can see the connection with that mark the connection between Buddha's teachings and current situations, for example, one we won the people the peaceful protest walk after after this book cracks up on a peaceful protest one crackdown, especially in March and February, March and April. So, you know, people was seemed like, okay, Quebec, they give it they seem, it seemed to be a giver, and they are going back to their normal life they are going to live in peaceful life this cool way. And then everything is it seen it seen everything is running going well as normal? One I want to be any very remote ready to walk out for information only just rely on the radio news, even at that time, that we pay to know how to how to get the news from radio as well. So, people to know Quebec reality they do not keep it the reality TV practice they are tomorrow and for example, to prepend the Sandia loving kindness wishes to the to the to the protester who wants to protest fighting publicly against them, evils discern the ammeter wishes and they do more good deeds to come up right is this and this and the, in our jurisdictions, many people you know, especially very innocent civil, it's from there very, very remote, really deep leaf in this okay, we do good things we do good is fine this, you know, we do cooties. We share this with people who are still working on you know, peaceful protests and fighting. So, they also can prove it fruition of good mirrors creation of the equipment. So, they are selling the loving kindness and they sometimes they invite monks to chant Buddhists. Buddhists Come on, they chant and they share their merits with people who are still working on peaceful protests and also the whole country to be escaped from the, from this from this talk and elsewhere. Reaching So, I thought I have witnessed these situations and related to related concerns, anxieties, one hear the noises can Shawn's explanations. We always know we were always getting tired of feeling and sighs feeling worried or the power distance to relief to relief and is to really Elise and also our people also wishing as they wish for them to This picture only for the previous week to the key to the amendments to the study program in my letters I studied to Marty students and also related to some to our feelings of anxiety for a family, I wrote that you know, when I was writing a lot, a very, very, very late night I was hearing I heart and noise or casual, not attention, many cultures. And I saw
1:35:37
I heard that I was I have to stop my writing to Lead Gen Con related to data management, this is not what I hear, this is what I hear and this is what I am what this is not what I am concerned. So, it is this nature or the mental state arising and passing. So, after, after contemplating this, to my nature, I also sent my loving kindness, which to today's young, young people who are fighting back against fear and injustice. So, is this related to trauma much more, but you will see it reflects the country's situations and what is the normal people, what are the normal prepare for living, and you know, it is very much related to trauma, but it reflects the country situations because of the COVID Powerwolf COVID that with people also suffer a lot to me this group after you know, a above you know, addition to addition to this group credit talks, they also had to suffer lack of medical care from the state and very disordered situations or they have many, many nights means they have never
Brad 1:37:14
expected. And I think this this topic that you keep coming back to Mita. Of course, our listeners would mostly be familiar with the concept of of metta loving kindness. And it's it's something that plays such an important role today in this conflict, fighting the anger and the violence of the military, with metta. And I think that one of the best ways of doing this is through art. Because art is peaceful. Art is not violent, you know, art expresses an emotion. And that's what we're doing at the art auction. This weekend, we're trying to fight the military non violently, we're trying to fight the military by raising money for their victims. Can you tell us what this money would mean to people who are in Myanmar, on the ground suffering under the military, how much of a difference can this help make in their lives
1:38:10
in August, in August, especially after the COVID-19 there rural people even not only in the rural areas, but also in the trunk, they suffer you know, put sickness and also increases in the price prices increasing a lot. And also black one lack of Medicare medicine and like oxygen and whatever everything we get, the prices are very low and comparatively increasing at a time. So we're at time you for the promise, let me express because I am from the rural area I would like to personalize on the farmers experience and experiences I studied, I have witnessed the farmers just living in them is to normal life. But you know, because the coop coordinating or the markets were closed you know and also you know, take a note even sell their crops, they cannot even sell their crops. And you know, many you know, crisis many crisis price and they sell their crops in very cheap prices, very cheap prices and you know, want to buy something they need like medicine for the family. And here the prices are increasing too much. So, you know, I have witnessed many older people and sick people In the rural areas, you know, they they almost they were all in shortage of food, shortage of food and also a shortage or medicine everybody in the country suffered this not only not only their protocol crazy people, but also you know, even military support everyone, everyone support this situation to say very similar situation, but the same situation is you know, lack of medicine and also lack of food in shortage of food and many other you know, for a human you know, as for human even, it cannot be expressed by words very big are you shortage of food, even some people cannot buy a small you know, a small amount or rice, rice and you know, big diversity cannot even take an even buy. So, at the time, I also I was also working to contact my friends overseas, I press pro abroad telling these situations, and then I also tried to reach out you know, eight to one day, one day get these dates, they felt like they wanted to, they want you to sit down to detail and pay homage homage to me, to me and help us because this is a great hub for them to find some people some older people are suffering chronic chronic stroke, some people were okay you know, even in pet food, copper wire, you know, one spouse is suffering, you know, Susan flu and another one is working in the farms very, you know, can you know, in very cheap prices, they only and only you know 1000 Kids, one of them are just you know party. So, although, you know, I I get I reach out to the humanitarian relief page or just to Townsend's, you know, some people you know, 30,000 Yes, it is like a life for that, it is like a life, I have kept her alive to this day he pursued that and I you know, it was bearing you know, heartfelt, deeply sorrowful,
1:42:54
very sympathy on the situations, especially in the rural areas. So, this is only a normal for normal CDs, but also in other in other areas of the complex homes, you know, people leaving their homes, going to the forest areas going live in the forestry areas, without any mosquito nets and other you know, other sufferings, you know, even we can say, you know, in in a war you know, our people are, you know, suffering the suffering this, you know, troubles which no one imagined and expected as a human. So, although our country is you know, you know, all our country is living peacefully, but we have been, you know, suffered, we have already suffered many sufferings, you know, human Pula Pula NASA Sankaran cat Jhankar sodomy Myanmar
Host 1:44:37
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1:48:42
Hi, Julian Sampson, Sita young white guy, Thailand.