Transcript: Episode #58: Whatever It Takes

Following is the full transcript for the interview with Thaw Htet, which appeared on June 16, 2021. 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.

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Host  00:59

Before we get into today's show, I just want to give a quick reminder that any donation you make on our platform is now shared directly with those in Myanmar who need it most. Although banks are still closed, we have a trusted and reliable local network that can ensure your donation reaches its earmark destination. Any and all donations make such a difference. Go to Insight myanmar.org slash donation if you would like to contribute or stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear more options. With that, let's get on to the show. Hey, by the way, a good day.

May  02:41

Nema tie me away. Me your demo neighbor Bo t UB PR Shingo prt today may have gone live today may have as an ellipsoid may have a martingale. Today, Untitled poem by diameter way, Translation by major. If I could, I would take a speck of your bone dust to the heavens above. To show to the gods You are a hero, a matar, a Myanmar student.

Thaw Htet  03:21

They totally destroyed a whole village. And somehow it happens to be the one who called on was named also paying for tdsb members. But this his identity is not confirmed yet. So one, the whole village is destroyed my comrades and like the ones who will empower of those traders wipe out and the difference teams and protesters had to run to the villagers, and also had to hide in the forest and in the jungles for about a week or more. And they were casualties at the moment because the militaries are like they just didn't care and they just shoot randomly. So after that, they moved to the sekine District around that place, like moving from one place to one place, day by day. Not not all those 3000 people are in one day divided into a lot of small smaller groups and like Brian and Hart so yeah, stay at home with his tries and because of the right thing, so and why is he trying to chase down those are people like Senator schabel or Don Jr. Their members posters are destroyed and the traders who are feeding the information to them were wiped out. So stands out. They have been very scared my Congress and it's a she is a she is a female. Like she texts me like when we go about, like in a ferry set us out as a tow. And that tax was has They always call me go daughter, even though I'm younger, I'm gonna her go toto are we gonna win this after doing all those sacrifices for our win, because like they had to leave their house, they had to sacrifice the less they had on the village, they had to honestly leave everything they have been doing before, for that matter only. So she texted me and said, yeah, we really want to kind of do this when this and after that she texts me. As I showed that we are not going to be sued for what we did during this period. Because she's afraid that even though if we were to win, if we are going to win, she is afraid that all of the people who have taken the action of defendant will be sued later on after the winning across the stage. So as how do I say when she called me and like totally about other situations on fall, like that situation was very clear, like, they didn't want to think right. And the military is chasing down witnesses, lava cans, and even I heard like frantage and, like 3000 people, so they have no money, they have no support, and they are in the area of no connection. So whenever she had the access to like to call even even a call, not even the internet, like she always call me, Allah told me like what kind of problems they are having with those 3000 peoples. And like, how they are going to defend because they don't have any kind of military tactics. They were just normal civilian before. So she told me that, that I don't care if I die in this situation. But I just want to note that if we are going to really wind it, like she doesn't care about, like she was a rich person before, not not a race, but climb rich, because her home was doing rice and petals. And like she left all of this, my father also love artists. So we are this is my whole story of what had happened to shape the dojo and they are stay on the ground right now. And so what I'm doing here for them is trying to get donations as much as I can. And for them, deliver them whenever I can. So she will go out sometimes, and I can't claim those donations and distribute back to the 3000 people, and also the other villagers who was in extreme poverty before and stay now, like more poverty because of.

Host  07:45

So that's a really dramatic story. And I'm very familiar with the loan Village. This is outside of Weibo. And looking at it from the background of a meditator and someone interested in the monastic traditions. The Lone village is where the lone Seder took his name from he was a 19th century monk that was in the lineage of mahasi. Satan mahasi seda came from very nearby himself and say, Kuhn village. And the way that the villagers are earning their living now is similar to how they were earning it back in mahasi. Time and all the way back in thielemans. Time and I've actually I've been to the lone village many times, it's a very small village, it's hard to get to but because of the research that I was interested in and learning about these great monastic figures and some of the early meditation masters that came from Myanmar that ended up developing techniques that would spread around the world in terms of mindfulness training and the passion of meditation. These were places I wanted to visit, say Kuhn village where mahasi was from and de Lune village with Ilan took his name. There's just to give some historical background before we get into the recent tragic events, the monasteries and the lone village I've been to two of the monasteries there, there are some of the most beautiful and incredible monasteries I've been to anywhere in the country. They're made of teak and they, the shrine rooms are just awe inspiring. They're, they're wonderful. They're we've taken pilgrims there and spent nights there and given donations to the monks had meditation in those places. And one of the things that always stuck in my mind is that the lawn say it did a walking meditation, and the pathway in which he did his walking meditation 150 years ago, or whenever it was, that pathway is still seen today. So one can actually do the walking meditation and this 100 150 year old pathway that this great meditation master wants us So historically, especially for those that are interested in meditation and the monastic traditions, this is an incredibly important and significant area and a beautiful, peaceful, serene area. until three months ago, by have very warm and special memories of being there. So I just want to give some context and some background for the listener where these names might not have as much significance being small village names on a map. But this is quite an important area and region for those interested in the meditation traditions. And it's also a small village. And so you're painting a picture of an entire village that was terrorized based on spies that were feeding information to the military. And when the military came to begin operations there, the entire village 3000, people had to suddenly flee. And this beautiful serene village countryside village that has this great monastic history, you're saying this was completely destroyed, and all these people are in hiding in the contact that you had, was fearing for her life. But it sounds like an even greater fear of loss of life was that what they would do would be in vain that the struggle and this loss and the sacrifice that they were risking would, would not lead to further victory, that at the very least, that the sacrifice should mean something. So this is the story that you're telling us.

Thaw Htet  11:24

And also, another one is one of those leaders who are in charge of those wiping out the spines, where one serves is still one to bind 555 A and five, five B, who is wishes and national trees as the trees. So I actually tried to perform an extraction. For those three people who attend, we wanted to find out lotteries. But somehow they decided to stay at where they were, because they said that if they were to flee to liberation areas, and ethnicity, and what ethnic ethnicity, districts, they said, that groups that they have found, people who are following them what they dispersed, and is planted. So they choose or they chose to, like still address instead of like flee into a place that is actually safe. So the expression was that I tried to extract three people, I think, the one the one who is wanted by Firefly, a and b and the two followers who is wanted by in the military, not because of the spies have given information often. So the expression is successful. Yeah, and they are in hiding, because they prep very politely ProQuest stack my extraction because they wanted to stay at where they were, because they wanted to do what they were doing.

Host  12:51

Right. And that's just a sign of the enormous courage and selflessness and self sacrifice that we're seeing among so many today that these friends of yours had your you're giving numbers and you know, 505 and and other warrants. And these refer these are codes that refer to arrest warrants, that the military is holding out to come and abduct different people according to whatever charges they want to make. And so you're saying that some of these people did not want to be to escape to safety, they wanted to stay where they were and continue their operations. And in terms of the informants and the spies, that that notified the military about some of the people that were in this village and led to this operation that destroyed this entire village have Has anyone in the community been able to discover who those buyers were and as any action been taken,

Thaw Htet  13:49

actually by wiping out is lived their lives have been drained. I the chorus are here in Myanmar, that hump is like going very trapped. Like if you can, if you can wipe out or kill the spy, like we are going to wind up swap because like they live and then as I like sometimes they will try to pretend like us that still given all the information of wisdom in which the person in this street is going to protest and he has been protesting for like two months, the person is on the same team. The person has been heavily CDM walkers that person has been happy in the protester height in his or her place. So spy, if, like here, if you even hide case in your house, like you have like a 50% chance to get shot in the head because it has been proven. So whatever you do, like wrong right now like even though if all you do is just donating, like if you're caught with it, like you even get like some kind of very harsh feelings and maybe three years or seven years worth of jail. So As I say, like we can. And as you, as we have actually ended up phi and like seeing the faces of those times, and they have been on RSA protests and on our local meteors, their names and what they have done has been found out and as being uploaded to the NACA meteors,

Host  15:26

what do you think are the motivation of the spies,

Thaw Htet  15:29

the bomber, there has been very corrupt identity going on and NEMA. So those fines there are a lot of, we call them things that I actually wrote about an article for that. Like, they may be in trouble or in trouble stage, like they are. They have been very close with the militaries. And like, they strongly stand against the protesters and like they stand with the military. Because if they sell militaries, they may get privileges, or they get rewards for giving information about the protesters. And sometimes, if they are some kind of businessman, in trouble case, there has been a lot of rich people I call we're playing a spice. So like, they didn't imagine it did any prep, are they what they want? What was privileges contract to do some kind of business as in the future after the military has won? Like some kind of privilege that military will give f? Are those spy get information about what those people in their area was doing? So their motivation? is clearly popmoney? She, like, probably just is probably just about what comes after his money. So yeah, most of the spies motivation here is like money and safety, because some of those fines are due for their safety. But if they are, they think that if they stand on military side for now, and if the protesters are the kind of people like they will be safe, because our military won't touch those people houses. So because our military is abducting and kidnapping people on their whim, whenever they feel like it. And they're stealing. Because sometimes they may give the reasons to Sasha home and later, like, they don't have all the money and very precious things of you. And like they will just say, okay, go, go say to some anyone you like, because they are the ones who is on here.

Host  17:37

Right? So is it difficult to go about finding who are spies? Do they stand out from the normal protesters? Or are they very much looking and sounding like anyone that's in the movement? And I'm also asking that I'm wondering if one has come to find that, you know, one's neighbors, friends, even family, someone close that is being trusted, that is integrated in what seems like on the side of the people and then secretly is just feeding is is getting access to all that information and looking like one is very involved, but then feeding that information to the other side.

Thaw Htet  18:16

It's actually very hard to distinguish between the spy and last. So like the way we are trying to LSA under the finance spy in a protest is like human spine looks outstanding sometimes, but sometimes we will drop that out I say we just don't kill the spine straight. One of all they think their spine like we like if our question is a question is after like we tried to check the false phone call messages, one of our taping on what we think they are spies, actually are spies are not very hard to identify if I had to think about because the now spies who are living among us are the ones who have been living closely with the military. So before this happened, like our lockers, I mean, let's say I live in a district of 500 people and I know all of them. So what the forest crew we have already not who are on another side, throughout the site and who are like on military side. So while this could happen, like they just choose with which side they will stand on very clearly. So I think 70% of the spies are very, not very hard to point out. But other 30% are very hard I say clever. Like they give a lot of sidebars like sometimes they will show a lot of donations. They will even give you the footage and photos of them protesting and then people and as you miss I don't know if you have seen a lot of artists and celebrities are are also spies are maybe the one source Got folder. Military. So in tribal case are like one of my, one of my comrades sat in Atlanta and a lot of them. Six of them were already Qd SP members. So here, if you already are the SP members, which means like you have been supporting the military for a very long, very long time. So honestly, it's very clear here. So like 70% of the spies are not very hard to find out that 30% and very hard ones, because they educated. And they don't try to speak much like whenever they receive information, like they just text back or call back to the police. And like they just stay away from it. Like they don't even show their faces, but stay at one, one of our friends because when I set up my page, I call for 14 4040 admins and moderators for volunteers because the information floor is going to be really tough. And like, even after a careful concentration and tax, like to clarifying if they are not allowed, if they are not spines are one of our members found out like five of those members why spines, because their histories in the first book clearly pointed out that they were the military supporters. And they are and like when we told them that we noticed that your spine and I just want to know if that I don't care if you were military support. But I want to know if you stay support on this kind of atrocities that military is committed. And he said all now you find out all times God. Now I got all the information it I know who you are, I know your faces, I know your profile. So just wait for your turn to come be adapted. So it works that way. There was still one of us unless they found out like that a lot of ways to find out or say even those 20% are very clear spies were not deleted his Facebook histories, about Hongdae complimented militaries during all these years. Sometimes, they may even say that our military is doing for that good for doing for our good. And like they are trying to facilitate corrupt policy elections.

Host  22:22

Right. So that must be really challenging and frustrating to live in a society and community now where you constantly have to figure out who you can trust. And when you're talking about trust, it's not just a matter of carrying things forward and getting things accomplished. But the trust can literally literally be a matter of life and death of yours or your comrades. And so every relationship, every conversation, every operation, every plan, every step of the way, everyone in the country now has to be thinking, how much do I trust this person. And that's probably true, not only of those that one has just met, but also those that one has known for a long time,

Thaw Htet  23:07

we call is social punishment. Like whenever we find out that one of our friends or our friends are like supporting a military even after all those atrocities are like we've social punish them by not making friends with an animal, like, just ignore them straight. So like there's been a trend going on in Myanmar about social punishment, like close friends are now strangers, like brothers and all strangers father and son. Modern daughters are now completely on the opposite sides. Right? So

Host  23:41

people are talking about a possible coming civil war in Myanmar, in terms of battles and violence, but you're painting a picture of a civil war that's already taking place, not necessarily a violent civil war, but a civil war of putting a line in the sand and having people fall on either side of those lines, even if they're connected by many years of friendship or by blood.

Thaw Htet  24:06

Nobody wants Civil War. Actually, I'm not a very courageous person. Also, I don't, I don't even like that. So but even right now, like I might be the like person who wants to have similar most in this apartment admin. Because otherwise, we are afraid to die. We are afraid to actually I'm very afraid to die. I'm just trashed for three years. I have three places I want to visit. And I think a lot. I have a lot of things that I want to do. But somehow, like actually, civil wars have been happening in Myanmar for 16 years. Like this is like the longest civil wars history in the global history. So it's like the Civil War is leveled up. Because before this time, before this quote, there's been the he owes we are calling now and Eugene RC mph. And the city who who were armed and fighting against, like our militaries have, we taught them as rebels and we taught them as bad guys. Turns out, I wanted coop hub and like all of those binary citizens were auto Alliance is an epiphany. So everyone just wow, we have been institutionalized for a very long time. And like as the militaries who have been committing atrocities in the places where they can report back, bans the whole villagers, like rape and kill the cheer, right, so somehow, like they are basically monsters with guns. Like, we don't Civil War, if it is possible, because like, win or lose are the consequences of civil war is always not good. So that like, this is the last time that all those Myanmar citizens had to suffer and see the atrocities and sometimes even face them, and call them and feed them in person. So yeah, civil war has already been action. And because everyone has seen that children can do anything, we're up with China, Russia, tragic tracking down back. So I will have to fight for our own democracy, we have really appreciate tissue and other countries for sticking out to us. But it's not a democracy. And if we don't fight for it, we will never gain it. So yeah, so, civil war is the only solution that we are looking for right now. We are trying to arm people like who whoever wants to be in the new forces that is forming to fight against militaries, like RSA are delivering and transporting chain stores and people who wants to join IE ORS, and elaboration areas and training so that we will be fully prepared when the whole civil war is are in March. Because we can fight like we can. Everyone in in big cities, like the ankle Mandalay or Navy Norris, like forget. Yeah, we can. And those people. So in here, it's very impossible for us to fight from the angle, it's more like they will have to fight on the LSAT Cruz and Andrews will have to military from the outside of the jungle demanding. So the Civil War has been already initiated. Actually, it just like I say waiting for the people. And and you need to make some kind of statements. Because it's the solution we're looking for right now. Because diplomatic way never works. Like to the person who can understand you as being like very, very clear and crystal clear that diplomatic way will work. And if other countries and she didn't say things that dramatic, we will walk, I don't know. Because Because, honestly, the last option that literally will give us our plan, they are very tightened up by the ethnicities and the people and civil disobedience movements. Like they will say like, let's negotiate, like we can negotiate after all slides have been sacrificed. It's been like 700% more. And maybe a lot of that was will keep going up like if this keep going. But we don't care because like we will have to.

Host  28:36

Right, so you're talking about three months into this conflict, at least by the time when we're talking the pot this interview will be released sometime after we talk. But several months into the protest movement, there really has been little more than statements of concern and some sanctions from the international community. And so people in Myanmar increasingly realizing that they're on their own and that they need to do what they can to preserve their lives and their freedom. And suddenly, many like you many in your generation, especially, are being thrust into this new world that before February only existed in movies and TV series, when perhaps some spy novels of looking at living in, in a world of where you have to identify spies, where you have to look at how to get arms how to make defensive strategies, how to go into hiding form safe houses have safe communication. So all these things that to you and everyone else are very new that nothing like this was ever imaginable that it could be part of real life that you would be living this way and now this has become the reality. So, on that note, I'm curious about what your background is before that. First, you mentioned that you had a lot of dreams, you had a lot of things you wanted to accomplish, he had a lot of things you were working on. So tell us who you were before February 1,

Thaw Htet  30:09

I was I was a business school graduate. And I worked as a digital marketer, account executive, for several I mean for for a marketing company marketing agency. And I was actually running a side business, a very small digital marketing agency. And I have like two clients, to business owners, for digital marketers. And not only that, I have iPhone, I have been on my way to start a new business of installing liquid cooling system into PC, with my friends. So and so that was the dream. And that was the business that I was able to delve into further stages, because the business has been going great. And at the same time, as I say, my parents are my parents, actually a bit old. So I wanted to like on a large while they were alive last night, they had lived a very poor life, to give us the food and necessary education to get me where I am now. So like, there was one of one of my dreams. And I was also dealing with a lot of mental disorders at the time, before the coup. So like my dream, my dream was not very special. I just wanted to travel to a foreign country for the first time because I haven't been out of Myanmar. And I like, I wanted to just go to Bangkok, and see the beauty of it. still very much a big dream. But it was for me because as I had never been on a plane before. So if my long term business are going great, I could be able to travel to Bangkok in like two months if this didn't happen. And I was man, why they are so successful, even though like they are our closest country, and they don't even have the necessary other say, natural resources like we do. So I wanted a lot of time, a lot of law front. Like, why why the bank is called as the beauty of Asian like that capacity in Asian. Yeah, so it's a very good read. But when this could happen, all of our monies were electronic into this group helping progresses, like for transportation, to help city markers to help different teams who are on the run to find houses and places for the defense team members who are going to run because the police's militaries are chasing them. And like here, if you are dead that and kidnap without anyone knowing, it's like 90% sure, you will be dead by tomorrow morning. So like whatever you do, yeah, this. And not only that, how do I say I was about to be promoted to senior digital marketing executive, senior account executive. So that what could happen, our company work had to be stopped, because it's marketing. So when it started marketing is the first phase that times so when nobody wants to see that ad is the one nobody wants to see what kind of product is good for their child, because it's not that important case here. Right. So

Host  33:46

when the coup happened, it really destroyed a lot of collective as well as individual dreams, a lot of economic growth, educational opportunities that were happening and have been happening for the last 10 years, as Myanmar has been opening up with a steady series of reforms. And in your own case, these projects you were working on and how your work was steadily improving and getting better these dreams were all temporarily hopefully destroyed by this coup been initiated. And so then after February 1, and you were adjusting to the new reality and having to figure out what you want to do and what role you wanted to play. How did you go about making that decision? How now that the world that suddenly changed in the course of an hour? How over time over days and over weeks, did you start to adapt to this new reality and what did you start to do to support the resistance and that initial month

Thaw Htet  34:51

it's going to be a bit weird. That's why because I actually guess until my friends that the coop might happen because of The Trump knology military talk once that they can say that they will not do the coup, they will not start a coup, but they also can say they will start coup. So there was a possibility that they could work initiated if energy and like, now, let's kind of say legally selected when our energy, we're not you, as I say absorbs. So I actually told my friends that that could might happen. Because we are about to start a new business and we are going to invest lots of money in that. So the coop might happen. So should we wait for like another two weeks or one week to see if it's gonna happen or not? So But somehow, we miscalculated. And we just thought the coop might not happen. Because Yeah, and wonder coop hub, and I was on my way to my walk. And it was the first day of going to office because we had been working from home. So like, there was my first day. So I went to my office and turns out like the office is closed, I didn't get any kind of notifications. And because like all the cores, internet connections, were kind of like everyone is kind of on first thing, because we can call each other, we can text each other, like everything is kind of, so I didn't get the information of going to the office close enough. So like what happened, actually, it's not very strange with those kind of clips, because I read a bit about Ada coop and simply to army 62. So the one that had I had I say like I took one day for that I took one day because I was actually collapse, the walk will not be here anymore, because we have higher place. And we will have to give, keep giving money to that place. And we have to pay for my for our food. And like we just started life is a Windows to graduates because we thought that business will be okay. So, um, yeah, but I took one day, and after one day, I thought like I can just stay like this. So as a digital marketer, all I could think was to create a page, of course, I calculated that information flows, if or trying to, like block our information flow information flows like February 1. We can't just like I can't just say like it. So I started to create a page, the resistance to the peaceful resistance, page nine was a peaceful resistance to our military cop. Yeah, so somehow, I started to write about, like, what kind of things happened in APA and so on, and how many years this military system has been played are playing in our country. So I started writing about them, I like talk to people trying to educate people, because people are not very aware of what is going to be happening. I also calculated that to to for this book to end. And for those who to, like when will have to make a lot of sacrifices, a lot of people were keep dying. Because it could be me, it could be my friends, it could be my parents like, so. It could be anyone. So I tried to send people that prepare for what's coming, like for divorce, because there is no such detector, who were cheap or who had power that they have paid once because the people are shouting that. So like the protests are like they will allow the peaceful protests for a certain period of time. But after that there was using bullets, or maybe a lot of cruel ways to oppress us, I actually want people in those pages. Because the page of others engagement has increased very tremendously because people were looking for some kind of information place people could, like they could listen to I'm not an expert applied to politics also, but I could I could do what I could. So like the patient engagement, our reach to like 170 4k it was a private group. It's not even a public, it was a private private group. And after that, like people start initiated about civil disobedience movement. So I tried to like reach out to those people like who did the CDM first and I also calculated that people will make money later like those CPM workers so I didn't take a lot of time to put myself with this coop because I'm somehow a bit cold blooded person. So what is to happen I started pages pages and after like a week, like some of my friends contact me and interview only and what and one for a bit. So, yeah, I didn't take too much time for it because I'm prepared. And I have been dealing with mental disorder. So I have always been, like suicidal. So what could have happened? I didn't really care a lot. I just thought of what I could do. Because I've tried to stay in the cycle of influence, not cycle of concept. Like, I can't go and others think of like, nationwide strategies, because this is the way I was. So I could do, I just could, I just did what I could. I just focus on what I could do within my capacity. And by increasing the capacity by increasing my waters, politics and those like others, I started to connect with those people who are like, walking like me. So like, I have gotten into such a cycle of people who are working to rebel against military. As for second question about supporting the shooting, I tend to actually intend to get into shooting because, like, why would you? Why would you cover real bullets with hutan sheets? So But somehow, I took I took the sheets and defended for two days. In that day, like, in central champion consensual, I think this is, this was the first day that like, normal people start to take tissues and define cats. So that was a personal way volunteering to power the shoe teams. Another one is like collecting, like getting the gears like the protective gears, mask gasmask Google's have clothes, sometimes. Yeah, like getting them in a very massive load, and not very much. Others 100 per each have a breach and like distributing down to the people in the front lines, who doesn't have annual dose. So I've disputed a lot of years to triple, triple once, albeit once, bounty once. Yeah, in general. Also, like, I don't remember the amount of times that I've supported young dogs, but also, because I think I'm good at communicating with my friends and like trying to engage with strangers. So I just straight up and go to them. And like if you can try to cheat him for protecting the protest, or at least what you can do is donate and maybe give me 70 or so I can distribute it back to the people who are actually risking their lives to protest. Yeah, so does this how I contributed to that she came in the article.

Host  42:56

Yeah, right. Thank you for that thorough description. And, boy, I mean, there's just there's so much there, there's so much in your your past description that I want to get into and understand a bit more about what was happening in those days and weeks and months after the coup, but it sounded like, from a personal aspect for you that you went from having this ordinary life of seeing some upward mobility in terms of how your business was going and some investments you were making and taking just a day to collapse, which was very long, given the severity of what was going on. And then moving on and adjusting to it and seeing what it is you could do and looking at your background, your skill, set your knowledge base, and trying to figure out based on that, what role you could play and then starting to fit in that role. That's what so many people have been doing these days is just discovering who are they what skills they bring to the table? What are they able to do, what are they able to learn, and then trying to play those roles. And there's been so much that you have been doing, I want to go over a number of those things, one by one and learn a little more about each of those activities. So one of the things you mentioned, and I suppose this should probably be one of the most obvious or predictable actions that you could do given your background is you set up a Facebook page, of course you're in digital marketing, you're you deal with computers, you deal with networking. And so it would make a lot of sense that one of the first things that you would think of doing is setting up some kind of page that would rather than doing marketing, you know for a company or PR is doing information dissemination and seeing the need right from the start of wanting to find a way to get proper information out as proper as you can determine them the circumstances and to to find a way to bypass some of the traditional media or you know, definitely the state media to facilitate better sharing of information. So can you share a bit about what your vision was for what you wanted to create? And then once the page came to be, what the functions are what, how you how information is being shared, how it's being vetted? What the What what the purpose of the objective of these pages are? And, and what the experience has been, like, you know, several months down the line of having after having set up these pages, what kind of life have they taken since,

Thaw Htet  45:24

before that, I have to tell you about an example of a restaurant in some kind of place as a young girl, and he she was jailed for seven years, because she was an admin of a Facebook page. The page name was let's talk about Yama. And she was jailed for seven years for the page. So okay, well, when I started creating this page, I didn't expect it to grow it very tremendously. Because this, this was like my first time creating a page. Because normally, what I what I did for my copy was about facial exercise, animations, content, copies, Google Analytics. So I was, even though I was using Facebook, I didn't try to create a page. So I went and started trading it, there were a lot of tools that I didn't know that I had to learn along the way. And somehow the objective actually are all of the national, local media, most of the local media's were taken down, because they want to go in from like Facebook, mostly. So um, people do, you know, like, BBC, or VOA at the time, a lot. So like, always, and the barriers are, like, not responsible for what to do next, like they are responsible to just report report. So at a time when I create a page, and I didn't know what to write, because I just said, the resistance to ministry. So I started thinking that okay, I say, we are not the people who is going to die first. Because our, like people's, they need us to educate them what is happening, because absolutely, very, most people believed that if the military couldn't give the reasons of the coup to UN, that they will have to give, like power back to the people after 72 hours. So our reason to stay silent for the first three days is because we believe that the military would give up their power. If they can get the LSA, like fairly recent to you. And so at the time, I tried to tell people, that is because people are actually not courage. Courage is at the time. Yeah, will be. So I tried to tell people, that 72 hour is a fake news. Like we can wait, like, we don't need to wait, there's no such thing as Sam to do our groups that military are the ones who are taken advantage of power, we have to give the power back to the people if they can't give a better reasons. So yeah, at the time, so what I basically did was with 14 admins, I call two people to my place. One of them is a graphic design. Another one of number one is arthritis, arthritis out into the market. So I call them like, we started to develop contacts, and like facials, that that could drive and get into the eyes of the people's memories of the brain. And we try to educate like what is happening. Like, what, what has happened with this kind of ministry? And what is happening and what we can do. Like there was there were no Syria movement at the time. Yeah, actually, there were. There were there were student movements, and what we could do to stop this. So at the tide, the main theme of all the protests was to protest very peacefully, because actually, we are like the people who can even patch, I can't even patch the person. So all of the binary citizens our way of protesting is to peaceful protest, to peacefully protest. So we always try to tell people like from that 170 2k members, so like, from that people, like it will reach to a lot of people maybe even Amelia, so I say, Good to go. So like we try to pick tell people that to protest peacefully. And if we start a spy, who are trying to provoke police, so the police were, like, feed us in the name of the spies because one of ours went through something at the police and the police while others start shooting, or maybe God grant us and beat us because the spy wanted it. So we tried to tell people to clarify like who was trying to anchor the process and the militaries and we will, we went on a lot of campaigns. I have won quite a lot of good people, very honorable people. In those first two months, the artists are trying to, like protest in a very creative ways about our three fingers by writing from Digital to creator. So there were shareholders that people should know from, from persons who are very more experienced in political matters than me. I was just a normal citizen back then. So they were shareholders. And there were others say, I changed the topic. And I, I have a category in my page. This is for cdmo cross tabulation. Now, this is for CDM workers to ask for support. And these are the pages and places you can get to supports and these are for the protest protesters to protest peacefully. And here are the designs. Here are other campaigns, which is going on. And here are the campaign which will come on, and I'm here is it john added? or other say, I didn't finish my view? I had a lot of contacts that look for that. So I think around 77 770, yeah. So after that, like the protesters and amateur protesters have shifted into a very violent protest protesters, those like, police us and virtually like, they don't even give us the warning, because we have always told the police US military to give us one, like if they don't like it, because we thought there was a rule like that. Like, they will have to give us a warning for three times to make up this past. But somehow they looked like when it came, they just like ran straight to us. So somehow it had changed into write down for testings are like we can even mess we can even like, live in five people's groups. And they will even, yeah, okay, and that's focused on Facebook. So in that time, there are a lot of good campaigns. And there are a lot of RSA CDM workers asking for help. And like people who are in poverty before this coop and who are now in like national poverty, because of the coop asking for how so I'll try to like, deliver those are so engagements, and pose back to the page and share it back to the people who have already liked my page so they can see it. So it's like a connection between those people with those people who are in need, and who wants to help. And also at the same time, a place for people to read topics about that they didn't know and like they had to be, they have been brainwashed, so that they can cleanse their brain back in those topics. So because young people are I say, most of Myanmar citizens are like composed of 70 percents, and educate the process. But as the time goes on Facebook, Twitter, and telegram is only for information sharing about true news. Like it's not useful anymore. We use it to make our voices heard by other countries and like in the hopes of like, they may somehow give us some kind of support instead of statements. That's the real folks who are leading I tried to connect with any kind of journalists, any kind of foreigners, I knew back that all they could do was also state amin prayers, it's not, therefore to blame. Because why would it be like I'm thankful to them for listening to us. So after two months and a half, like the main purpose of those Facebook page is just to like to encourage people, because like military is trying to like inject sidewalls and with the polls and with the contents that are civil disobedience movement campaign is failing, isn't in the cities of giants and others say like they trying to say, like break those citizens, I mean, break this very collective Myanmar people into a lot of groups. So all of the pages, our responsibilities are not only my first mobility is to encourage people that we are not divided. United we stand divided before is a phrase that we use a lot. So later, mostly all of the facial patients on Yeah, first of all patients became like a motivator to those people who are following them, because people are easy to fall down if they don't hear us very often. So what we're trying to do here is trying to upload an upload and upload a lot of good news. A lot of good topics are not first post but which could possibly happen about this. tasks are steps we take about success we have taken so far about what we could do or what we should do. And yeah, so it's all about positive right now, the all of the critical pages, because that military is trying to, like, show its legitimacy by coming down to people. So just right now, our coffee was from 8pm, to 4am. But just today, just tonight, our coffee was limited to 10pm to 4am. So like, extra extra two hours, has been given to us that so like they are trying to also come us down by some power as much as they can. Like if they wanted to just kill, like they can kill all of the people. But he said that national communities want to stand up and just look at it. So they are also trying to win us back by soft power. Like those atrocities and killing are like trying to inject fear, because they think that they can control people with fear, yes, they are right for some people. But all of those generations see as, like, we don't have not alive like we are, even though we are Buddhists, like we protect our privacy, I will say that we are the age of questioning everything. So we don't live in a state of belief, our life and we don't live under a say like Gods always win and always use is the is the horse of winner, which is true. So are we are also prepared for what is coming next is it's not only Generation Z is also Generation Y and X. So for the first time in human history is like, like first time that all of us are united. Like a culture like authenticity proves we are talking to each other right now. I have a lot of his ethnic groups. I mean, it makes it knit France Yeah. And in France, but right now we're delivering our Saturday, a food and supplements and clothes and necessary equipment to the last attempts, who have been in Warzone for 16 years because of the military. So yeah, for the Facebook page, is just to give encouragement, encouragement, and courage that like continuously, it's not about the negative views. So the negative us will be seen, even though we don't share, because the military is trying to show like we are losing. And we are trying to show that we are winning toggle between our collective of mind.

Host  57:43

Right, so these are wars that are being raised on all different kinds of levels, you know, on both sides trying to root out spies and defectors, as you mentioned earlier, but then also, in the case of here, it's a war of morale, and what side is feeling better about their prospects? What side is feeling motivated, because that kind of energy feeds so much into the work that one is able to do when you feel like the momentum is on your side. So as you described, that's more and more the role that your page is taking on. I want to go back to what you said just a moment ago, you were talking about the Buddhist identity and beliefs that you and many in your generation have very interested about that because of course, Myanmar has been a very traditional and conservative Buddhist country for many decades. And part of the reason for that was that the country was simply close to outside influences. And that definitely affected the way that Buddhism was practiced and observed. And in the last 10 years, there has been a greater opening and contact with the rest of the world whether through internet telecom communications, through online culture, or through more foreigners and businesses coming to me in more and more Burmese going abroad. So I'd like to learn a little bit more about where you see your Buddhist identity and beliefs as well as those of your contemporaries and your peers. So how how would you define your identity and your belief system as being a Buddhist?

Thaw Htet  59:34

We haven't seen that.  It's not Myanmar citizens who practice Buddhism to the extent, except the monks, it's the foreigners who really appreciate and value the ways of the Buddha. The ability to keep stable, peace, whatever kind of situation you are in, so you have no other savior or you don't need to worship anyone. We started to think the same way during the five years of democratic years of NLD. Both of my parents were Buddhists to begin with. And I grew up in a community of Buddhists. And, yeah, and I was actually blindly following the instructions and meditation processes that monks helping teaching to young people in that time. And I was going to a lot of meditation centers, because because of school because of the state school, or because of my parents, or sometimes, because like, there are a lot of friends who is who are going there. So like, I just chose to go there. So, but the real time that I came into touch with Buddhism is actually even though I have to say that it's not the Buddhist in first, but others, the Christianity, that Christianity because one of my close friends was a Christian. And actually, we will actually a bit brainwashed to think that output isn't was like, most glorious religion in the war. And so I was actually one of those people who actually believe that Buddhism was the only way. So yeah, but at the time, when I went with my friends to his church, and I was 100, I said, I actually very, like the idea of like, confessing your sins to the Father. Because it gives you the duration of freedom, just for a moment of like, gives you the time, or the necessary to reflect on yourself when you confess your sins to someone very helpfully. And I like that idea. And how do I say, the smiles of all those Christians at the church, they knew I was a Buddhist, but somehow, like, they wouldn't try to preach me. Like, they wouldn't try to say that come to Christians come to like, come join us. But instead, how does it max that I've met while telling indirectly to dry Buddhism, like Buddhism, so great, Buddhism was blah, blah, blah. So actually, they were saying, indirectly, I, and later, I came into touch with many other kinds of religions, even though I'm not very knowledgeable about them. But somehow I came to realize that, like, a religion doesn't need his follower to spread his religion. So because like, it's not something that it needs people to spread it, because religion is something that if someone believe it, like they will follow it, if a religion is not followed to a certain period of time, it will disappear. Another kind of federal religion, what come up. So this is the like way of revolution religions also. So I also believe that way and stay now on after reading, and like talking, discussing a lot of facts, I have come to a conclusion that some of those magazines are actually a bit irrelevant with the real time situation to those people who can't be monks yet. But still trying to practice Buddhism are while trying to be a human, not not yet. So my relationship with Buddhism started that way. So the real time I started producing was when I realized that our religions were actually as good as they were. And they were very helpful and, like, very enlightening to those people who follow them, is just people who use religions in their hands and go committing crimes in the name of religions, like killing, like no other religions. Never gonna say that. So yeah.

Host  1:03:45

Right, that's interesting. So how would you describe your Buddhist identity and Buddhist belief today.

Thaw Htet  1:03:53

So my Buddhist identity, I prefer to our identity, to define myself as a person like who will take any kind of good ways of teaching from any kind of religions, for example, or I really love to confess as a human while we can do in Buddhism, because even only the monks and nuns can, by contrast, is called other pick up objects in Yama. And that's as far as I know, it could be go wrong. So from Christians are really take the idea of confessing. So I always try to confess to my nearest friends, or to myself, that I did wrong, I did this wrong. And I knew it. I shouldn't have done that, but I did it. So I will try to reflect so I always self talk to myself, or to other people. So this ideas of me and this part of activity is from Christians, so and from Islam, I really like their consistency and consistencies of how they really follow their needs. I, I really like the courage of courage, but there are very strict rules to not eat the prohibited foods that God has for pigeons. And yeah, so from them from Islam, I learned to I learned how to live with our religion so peacefully. So because in here and Jamar like Islams isms are seen as bad guys. Like, it's, I think it's not only an Mo, but somehow, like they have managed to increase the population also there in terms of the people who follow their religions. So they always trying to, like stay cool with most people. So that's the idea that I took from it is, I don't know is religion related or not. But if an idea of if the way of teaching from the religion or from the person is good, like I tried to incorporate it into my co writer, so I think this is my relation with Buddhism and my identity as a Buddhist, I prefer to call myself as a Buddhist, but also very flexible when it comes to discussing the Buddhist ways, because like, as what the Buddha said, is not what I say. So, if a person has more solid, logical reasons to find out that this part of what bourassa is actually a very irreverent, or it's not true, our I'm very eager to serve it, because religion is something that we need to defend to our ends is something that we need to discuss more and more on a daily basis to make it better, because nothing is perfect is what Buddha said. So, like, Buddhism itself is not perfect yet. So as ours will have to make it elevated by level up level up level up and discussing. So like it could go near to the profit stage, not not to the preference stage, but nearly Yeah.

Host  1:07:03

Right. So I want to ask about one part of those Buddhist beliefs. That's the belief in karma and cause and effect and keeping precepts. And in most lay Buddhists, they try to follow these precepts and the precept against killing in Buddhism that even refers to nonhumans, even insects, that a very devout Buddhist will try even not to kill a mosquito that is, is biting the person on the arm or if one does kill, the mosquito will immediately take the precepts after that to start a new and to try to with a renewed energy to follow those precepts after that moment, and, of course, in all religions, even even those religions that might not be as strict in terms of the lives of nonhumans. But taking the human life is the cardinal sin of really any religion out there, that this is this is something that we're instructed not to do, and certainly in Buddhism, with the belief in cause and effect in future rebirths. In the role of Sheila and the five precepts, this is a very important point. And at this stage in the protest, there's this question of how long can the nonviolent movement be sustained? And this is a question that is looked at from a couple of different angles. I mean, one is just strategic, just purely looking at strategy, what is going to be more effective? How can people win? Do they have a better chance of winning by having targeted or strategic violence? Or do they have a better chance of winning by adhering to non violence no matter what. And then there's also the question of ethics of religion of spirituality. What are the karmic if you're looking at Buddhists or for non Buddhists, just the religious consequences for breaking this cardinal sin? Is this justified in this instance? Or is it not justified? Is there simply no other choice given the terror and the evil that is being confronted? So what I know these are, these are pretty heavy questions. These are pretty big things that many people throughout their lives never have to confront a moment where they have to where everything comes together, they have to decide in that moment, which pathway they want to go down, given the extraordinary circumstances they're facing. And unfortunately, this is a moment that has landed in Myanmar. And it's a moment that you and many of your peers are facing now. So I'm curious where you stand on this where you stand on the question of maintaining the non violence or if some kind of violent or offensive reaction on the side of the protest protesters is justified or strategic at this moment?

Thaw Htet  1:09:47

isn't very perfect question to be honest. Okay. I think I have been believing that religion is something that is Good you have and also that you have, because like the planets are religions people are very, like furious about that violence that is committed by sec and militaries in Myanmar, and that they are very furious that those people are not punished yet, or like they are saying that they will punish in next slides. So next slide is a theory that makes people to believe that something they do in this life is that matter. Like, if someone really believe in Darwin's theories of evolution, that actually we don't matter, it's just a nice life is necessary next life, or belief and the door to heaven, or the gateway to Hell is necessary to humans, like it's like a rule to people. So it's the rule that inspiring them to not do that to not do this, because even in Buddhism, that, like our mind and soul change, totally, like when we get to the next slide, to the human back, or to the hell or to another kind of place or to have, like, our minds and bodies have totally changed, like, we're totally new person. So it's like, why should that person in next slide should be punished for the sense that he or she didn't? She didn't do? Like, she's totally new. So she's totally he or she is totally unrelated? So that's a question I've had for many years. Also. Another one is honesty. While men fall and acts have been initiated, and it's going very, with a good motion in Myanmar, we have passed that stage or so. So now, actually, when the military started killing people, since February 8, by actually, US military has shown what he what they were going to do, like they are just taking step by steps. So if nine five plus weights were walk, if we as United like RSA, let's say, the whole district or the whole city, the whole population and the city go out and sit down on the ground, and like, don't move in the face of the evil like because this is the way we are choose we are we choose not to add violence against them. That two sides I see in the one side is what, two scares to help people like like me, and I'm just actually too scared to help people, I actually got turned into a fight once that turns out, only my nose was broken. Yeah, so somehow, that's the one side I stand on another side is people who don't know what to do, instead of nonviolence. So I'd like it could walk if we actually united. That way, if we can be united that match that motto, I say killing is the killer is the belief that we won't do anything, what happens, no matter what happens, this is the belief that we bomb these people have believed, but seven or eight have taken us to the point that murdering and killing is the only way to liberate our country from fresh fascism. So yeah, I actually don't have a strong belief that we should kill or we shouldn't kill, because both of them have consequences. Like even if we want by violence ways. Like if we don't have a follow up plan for to control those armed groups for to control those people who have a child themselves into evils to win against evil. Like this country, well, we don't like 16 years ago, because there will be no later the authencity on sensoji fame has been decreasing very tremendously in Yama about the actions he has taken against military in her in her legal years. So understand why I think people who believe in Buddhism, but still have many questions to do the same was 10 of the farm sites. Because we don't live in next life, we believe in karma about because we believe that karma is not as mysterious walk, we believe that one as like, if a person is full of negative energy, like he will somehow like slip, step on that and for so this is the pain he are. So this is the thing he will read. So this is a common we believe like me and similar minded persons. And if there are more people who believe in Buddhism in traditional ways, as Like they will be punished next life. So for this life, they will get a chance to do whatever they want. So I think it's all about the patients, and patient one like us, wait for next slides, we will do whatever we can in this life. But somehow, since the military have been cracking down on people of massive, massively, people have been scared, we should be scared, we are actually being injected by fears on daily basis. So the ones who are still fighting until today is the ones that the military are fear rejection when I walk on once. So yeah, for the nine nonviolence ads, I don't think it would walk for this kind of military, because the military, honestly, whenever you look from the acts that like China and Russia are still standing in the way, even though let's say it becomes in like Dell was to be a war. You see, a war is inevitable at this point, no matter who can say. So it's all about like, should we do it by ourselves, or should we try has the fans and with our other national communities, to witness for like this, all of them, but about the war is inevitable to keep to get what we want. So NASA does x extended it, to show that, like, we are very trying to not act filed and against people who are shooting us, so it's they need it, but it takes a lot more on us a lot bigger sacrifices than the people who will do violent because that you are going into a shooting field with no kind of guaranteed that you will come home today. So this is for gun violence tax for the violence patch, like in relation with the Buddhism's Actually, we have the right to self defense, as you mentioned in your question that are even insects of life, I have a lot of questions for that. But I will say in this interview, actually, I really disagree with this kind of. And I say insights of life and investor flap short they have like, but if we stay, not eating those animal lives that meet and like gain the necessary. How do I say? Yeah, so again, not necessarily domains and nutrients like that humans have been extinct 1000s of maybe billions, and years ago, so yeah.

Host  1:17:45

Right. So you mentioned a little bit just now about the unity between the Braemar and some of the other ethnic groups, we talked a bit about the Buddhists and the other religions. And you mentioned how, from even early age, you had a very open outlook in terms of wanting to discover the benefits and the wisdoms of other religions and even as you remain the Buddhists to be able to welcome and have an open mind to these other kinds of spiritual practices of your of your friends. And that's really wonderful. And I would hope that that's characteristic of a number of people in the current generation, the younger generation, that kind of open mindedness and inquisitiveness. But I want to ask about the ethnic groups because it seems that they're among the Bomar and this is the majority ethnicity, and you are Bomar and of course, Myanmar is an extremely diverse country in terms of the peoples and cultures and languages and ethnicities and everything represented there. And it seems that there has been an awakening consciousness and many members of Generation Z of the who, who are Bomar in realizing that they before the coup, they were not so sympathetic or believing or interested in the lives and the backgrounds of many of the minorities in the country. And so I'm curious about your experience and your growth. How in how knowledgeable or connected were you? how engaged? Were you with the different ethnic experiences before the coup? And has that changed for you since February 1?

Thaw Htet  1:19:28

I'm going to be really honest here. On one I was, I think 14 Yeah, when I was in eighth grade. I have actually some friends from different ethnicity or ethnicities that were not that close, but some are when I was 14, a new classmates are like come came into our class, and he was like first new student to our school. So he was the new face in the school. And he was I think Kga from K ethnicity. And somehow, others, I really hated him. Because I actually had a feelings of superiority over other ethnicities, we thought that we were the other species in Myanmar. Actually, I was one of those one who will brainwash. So when I made friends with him on, I didn't assert their identity At first, I didn't assert Christianity, he was a Christian. He said that others equation was the past. But somehow I didn't have an open mind to assert that and always said that in rejection. So. But the time that I came to realize that, that we are actually brainwashed by really, really deep, it was the time when I, once you kind of lay you to help the victims who were floated by people because the dam was broken. So when I want to that towel can be tall. And that's a lot of other ethnicities, people. And somehow the rumors I've heard of them on the right, I'll tell you, there are a lot a lot more welcoming. And as I say, very hot, hot hospitality other than the palm trees, people that I've seen in my life, I'm actually from Mandalay, not from Django. So even in Mandalay that bommies have been colonized that place you see, like, they will say that we are the, we didn't know that we didn't know that actually, we have a lot of chances to know that we just ignored it. So I was one of them. Also, I was one of them. I was shocked. And even when I become a bit old to understand that I didn't try to actually came into realization that Obama is so so our future towel is the time I think it was wrong. 2020 on it 2019. I think that was the time that I was in need of art many, because that was my personal case that needs a lot of money. I tried to ask for help from the families, friends that I have been. I've been friends for many years, but like no have come from them. But that one friend that I just knew for, like, three months helped me by saying that I have this money. And I don't need it for now. But I will give it to you. So you can give it to me anytime you want. Doors are very simple sentences. But it touched me. Because I all my whole life. I thought that doors at the cities hated us, they actually should hate us. Because like most of the soldiers in power, or army is Bobby's. So it's not wrong to hate us. But like his policy, kindness, enlightened me. And I tried to reach to more like different ethnicity friends after that. And I just found out that they have been kind to us all along, even a younger, I just other say by being brainwashed, like close that few to see them. They have been inside in front of me all the time. So why don't realize that it's not them to hate us. They are just actually they just hate us. Our bar in other say, interrupts hate trash, because they hate Burmese army so much. And they hate us because our s power power meter is killing us are killing that burrito. So I have a good talk with one of my, one of my friends who is from different ethnicity. But when this book started, and actually, how do I say, at this city is like different addresses, right? So the ones who are educated and have been friends with those bomber shoes like us, don't hate us, because actually we are like that with with with not even the difference. But the ones who doesn't have a single friends a bomber, or singer or Barbies, or have made friends of bombers or bommies are not good. And like same like the Burmese army. So looking at them, they hate all bombers. So it's not their fault. And we actually haven't done enough to cover that, that. They say that the hardships and killings they have seen and encounter during the last 60 or less, I mean past 16 years.

Host  1:24:43

Yeah. That reminds me quite a bit about what's going on in my country in the US with the Black Lives Matter movement, where the there was this growth in consciousness among many whites who are the majority here in America. have a sense of privilege that they've never realized before and realizing how many how difficult the minority experience was in America and the kind of biases and treatment and unfairness and everything else that minorities in this country had. So many of the whites and majority just simply did not realize and were therefore not sympathetic to it. And the BLM protests and movements that happened in the course of the last year, really opened the eyes of many whites about some of the bias and privilege they had in the system. And in many people and companies were confronted with having to explore and to investigate this and it sounds like, at least as far as Generation Z goes, and I wonder how much that's going into the rest of society. But it seems that in this movement, there's really been a reckoning among the Mr. At least two who are the majority and who are privileged in Myanmar society, are privileged in many ways that they might not have realized before this, in that they're exploring how the ethnic experience is so much more painful and that they're faced with so many more problems and discriminations and biases that they never wanted to or able to recognize before and through recognizing and appreciating that now, they're confronted with their own bias in the system and their own privilege in the system.

Thaw Htet  1:26:28

Yeah, because of a lot of any major event the misery in our farmers population, so ignorant to what is happening before this group. And, like, actually, I mentioned to your ignorance takes a lot of courage and self reflection. I will say that, because I didn't, okay, let's say, Okay, I was ignorant before I wanted to have Oh, I was wrong. It wasn't it didn't work that way. I like it takes a lot of like, I think two years or more for me to realize that what has been happening. So even though Obama's people was say, here right now, because is the ethnicity on groups, like who have guns, no bomb is nothing, right. Only the problem is up right now. Is the Burmese army who is killing us. So why not the table has done other things like we are the ones who have not been and test those ethnicities have at least armed groups who are rebelling against who have been rebelling against the military since 60 years. So when that happened, I most of my friends are turned into lights. I mean, they were enlightened. I have seen that. But most people, the majority of families people stay don't assert that they are superior here. If you I mean, if you could regardless, like we will see that from a lot of comments and let's say a disagree to join the nuj right. The American army from Rakhine joy refused to join the and uwg and like to be part of the federal army that is coming. But one he like said the state and actually what we had to do if we accepted them, as one of us is like to congratulate on his decision and quoted to say sorry, for the ignorance we have been like having to remind people for many years. So but instead, what most Thomas people said in common swear that they are working people are an army also. Like, also on the same side of military, and like our army should be with us, but not with the military, that it's not that they are all winners or winners or what without us. It's all about that their decisions and we have to respect those minority decisions also. So but what happens are most people I think are Sham people like ours are trying to correct those errors, maybe from 35 to 50 in this comment to try to say that, like it's their decision, like it's their decision as a minority who has been suffering that military atrocities for many years, like the thankful that they didn't try but it's good to kill those families people. So yeah. Yeah, I think the majority of times people will say that they they said that they are ignorant. They want to have those ethnicities are from across the gamma, but in action and improv like, they stick let go of this being superior because it's a good feeling. You'll be Yeah, you're being what do I say like place first, wherever you go instead of those ethnicities are totally equivalent between your skills. So it's a good feeling to have. Once you Once you have had it, I actually have had it and I have taken like others sometimes to like totally resolve it and stay reflecting if I stay have that superior team inside me. So I think Bobby's people was they have to take more time to actually to really assert that we have the ignorance that we really need to accept those minorities. Actually. Yeah, I think there's a lot of steps forward left for the majority of Burmese people to actually see what most young people are seeing right now.

Host  1:30:38

Right, and on one hand, they can definitely feel good to feel superior, and one doesn't want to lose it. But on the other hand, sometimes people don't like the idea of giving up their privilege and also don't even like to recognize that they're privileged because I think it can be easier to try to understand yourself as working for everything you had, and not getting anything easy and feeling that society has been just as hard on you, as has been on anyone else. And to actually recognize that you do have a privilege in the system that the system privileges you and you're kind of people no matter what country it is you're talking about, and what the majority group is, that could be a very painful realization, to come to, and to realize that you are privileged in ways that others are not. And that's something that can be quite a journey for people to come to accept. So how would you describe your Buddhist identity and belief today?

Thaw Htet  1:31:34

S o us identity opposition, and I, as a practitioner of Buddhism, I somehow started with Dr. Karma, also all the atrocities like because if we still lose this time, like we all I gotta say all of the January's the generation C, are trying to tell the max because we actually hope a lot from the max and political, I mean, religious figure religion figures, who have been by playing big roles. And yeah, because very famous Mac's have been like, very silent to this, to this military atrocities. So we started to really talk and very angry because like, those fans can stay rich, stay rich, because of our donations. And this kind of critical situations come up like this, they just, they just disappeared.  So it's not about Buddhism, we just started to think that we are prepared, and we are actually afraid of killing, we don't do it, you may notice that a lot of civilize our citizen in here doesn't kill a lot of doesn't kill for fun. Like in Spain, unlike in other kinds of countries, that actually does take care of our children for to hunting or to fishing or something like that. Like we are actually afraid to monitor if it is possible, like we don't want to monitor those. But right now, I think we are the most monitors in transaction control. And so we are also afraid that we will be punished for the models we are going to commit and just keep going on. We have the mother at some point of another, like, I think we are at the era that we're being cars. And we are to be like software like this way. It has to be happens. It's our job to win this. This is not about a car, and we have to give them a duration. So it's all about what we are going to do from now on. And I don't want to like put us into any kind of our our religions are into this. Because people started to say that they are going to turn into abs are f we are going to lose it. So like it's nothing to do with ABS, it's your legs. If you want to be areas the ABS is really we do this, we do this. Don't talk about. As I said, power doesn't work. It's not about karma doesn't work or karma works. It's about how you're going to walk. So comrades you from the standpoint of traditional optimism. I still strongly believe in the ways of mindfulness that boulder has told us about the stories of like many powers like Avengers, so I still believe and the weight of the boulder and I tried to stay like him. I became him sometimes, because it's so painful.

Host  1:34:37

Yeah, that's really tragic. And I'm really sorry to hear that that this kind of decision making is coming upon the Burmese people individually and collectively now of their ethical and spiritual background faced with a coming darkness and cruelty where it's one is really left with no good decision. And you had mentioned that you respected and followed the mindfulness teachings of the Buddha and the different traditions. And so I'm curious, are there any particular teachers or lineages or practices that you followed? Or you currently follow? Are you followed before,

Thaw Htet  1:35:19

I'm still trying to fall Actually, there has been a row. The book name is Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. COVID. Actually, is, is the English translation of what Buddha has taught us, he just are back to the ways of Boulder into towns that most people can, can be, can understand. So what I'm trying to find this year right now is just two bits like it is in my circle of influence, or at least in my circle of concern. So circle of influence is things what I can do with within my capacity as sec, of course I understand that I can only concern with that's the that's one of the products are that even the antitrust, even it is cool. Another one is trying to be proactive as much as I can are important ways. And he said Boehner said Shall we it but don't be shy or like not sorry, don't try to fight fire with fire. I still believe that because most of my problems that I happen in a personal way or walk relative, it couldn't be solved with fire with fire, I had to be water to the fire. So even in this case, I'm still trying to be water as much as I can. Because even though after seeing all those atrocities that our military is committing, I still don't have like courage now courage, even though I'm bad for sometimes I'm still trying to be a water because if I'm like a fire I will do things that will take me to the depth of the hedgehog Academy cop corner, circle of influence Assetto Corsa is one thing are trying to like bennis online. Protection of capability and protection, right is one thing. Another one is to do what I'm doing, I need to be in good health. And so trying to balance out all of my routines, and young to fight to fight fire with fire. And also, I tried to meditate for like 10 minutes, in most days, because I need to cut down on mine. Because there's a lot of projects that are going on at the same time. Like I say, we'll have to walk as a freelance for people who really need to pay for my food and apartment things. And also at the same time, at a daytime Sunday mornings, I say how to like go out sometimes and donate and meet people. But what we are going to do secretively and like trying to be very cautious about police as militaries on the road. And also one of our Ico and one of our arrive place is what I do first is like our search for escape route, that one of our things go south, I could escape group escape from that route very immediately. Trying to be very proactive is just about most tragic and trying to try to heal doing whatever I can. I'm not planning on people. Because like them, it never works. But try to focus on what I can do always like trying to see what is inside me trying to see what I can do. Like the photoset Don't try to blame others just focus on yourself in essence, all

Host  1:38:27

right, so that's interesting, you're pulling from a lot of different references you're pulling from different suitors from the Buddha different statements that he's made that that are ringing in your mind, and also Western offers that have taken and fuse the Buddha's statements into productive, efficient 21st century health habits and work habits and you're using influences from all these sources to guide you and and to help plan how you are moving forward. And you mentioned you also do some meditation throughout the day, have you taken meditation courses before is there a certain kind of meditation technique or teacher that you followed

Thaw Htet  1:39:09

isn't traumatizing? I actually suspect that myself having HIV of origin. So when I suspected of myself of having to face Not, not I started to meditate very hard, because I believed that I had to come on come on my job because it was a mistake. And I had a lot of dreams and hopes are going on at the moment. And I made a mistake and I started sweating myself of having the potential of HIV. So I started to get very hard on those maps. And always try to calm myself down because this is like when I what I did and this is what I get. So this is like I had to separate event. If this happens, and it's not the end of the war. I say have one Nice medicines and like I extend my life to people I follow is a shame kailasa like he is I mean, he is a bank, who has been meditating in our genders for 10 years and came out of a monetary in the jungle. But what Sam my patients right now, so but he started meditating with nothing, and jungle for 10 minutes. And yeah, I started to take lessons that he uploaded on Facebook at the time. And yeah, the main sense is very clear, like trying to see what is inside me, I tried to just focus on the calmness and peace that is altering me when I meditate. So at a time, I'm not thinking about anything, I'm just losing myself at the time. Because according to the Buddha said, We don't own ourselves, this body is not ours, this mine is not ours, that will change, like when we die. So trying to let go of things that we didn't own in the first place. So it's actually very hard. But when I realized that, it's very fun to lose myself. Because when you own not that you're not afraid of anything. So like this body is not mine. This is always not mine. It's just like, all currents and situational body and situation of mine. So at the time, and even after that, even I was scared, but I was supposed to go to meditation schools, because because of my best friend's parents, but I didn't actually quite understand what was meditation man at the time. Yeah, I think the first time I started taking a liking into meditation, like, intrinsically, is the time that I started to suspect of myself as an HIV and I started to let go of my self, because I was holding too much onto myself onto my body, like onto the privileges and happiness that I gained from doing something. Because all of those are temporary, like that. But true happiness is not happiness is like peaceful is my mindful at those kind of times, I was really happy, even though I try to stay in that place of HIV positive patient. And I will stay okay with that. Because actually, I'm not going to die with that. And I say can do a lot of things. I even start to go out on future channels, and maybe become some kind of inverse or that will give an Coronavirus to the people like me, or maybe people like cancer patients. Yeah, I thought all of the ways ahead by trying to stay into that position, even though I was not. And now, I'm not out.

Host  1:42:41

Right, that's quite interesting. And so you've been having this experience throughout your life of learning experience, actually Buddhist meditation. First, your parents wanted you to take some courses, they didn't really hit. But when you had this potential crisis in your life of thinking that you might have HIV, it drove you to wanting to find some greater peace, which is what happens to many people across cultures. So when some tragedy strikes of wanting to find some kind of inner stability or greater answers, I know that definitely was what drove me to meditation in the early stages. And now that you're in this crisis, that background of having done meditation, and knowing the stability and the deeper truths and wisdom that arise from that practice, that is allowing you a greater place of stability in these very chaotic and scary times, and some grounding. But in, in relation to all of this, in the midst of all of this, you referenced before how you also suffer from mental disorders, that you have faced Suicidal Tendencies before. So as far as you're comfortable and sharing, I'm wondering where your mental issues have intersected with your meditation practice before the coup, how you don't how how the meditation was able to provide support to any to some of the mental challenges that were going on. And now that the coup has happened, I mean, people that were really pretty okay, mentally speaking and having some stability before the coup. You know, everyone is in a state of real instability and distress and trauma at the moment, given what's going on. So I can only imagine with how difficult things are now, going into that situation where you've already faced some kind of mental challenges can be even more of a burden to carry. So I'm wondering where all these things fit together for you

Thaw Htet  1:44:48

about other disorders that I have been facing is, like very obvious one of those mental disorder was WrestleMania. I Actually, you had a habit of now stripping Ollie. It was the was a very bad habit. But that habit turned into so many years. One, I, one of my biggest games since I was young is to play and travel to another country like one, or maybe live there. I just wanted to experience a lot of new things. So I work. While I was in my third year students, I somehow got volunteer work from the subcostal Institute of Oxford University to work as a volunteer and study at the same time is for iseq, isep AIESEC, Isaac and Amanda 200 participants are across the globe. And I think he she said, I think five of numeral participants were choosing only, I mean, yeah, to 200 parties pricing. Yeah. And I was one of them. To go to Vietnam, I stayed there for six months, and like, study and learn at the same time. And if I had a good chance, I'll be able to, like lift it for some kind of longer period. But my parents didn't provide me with transportation fees. I think there's around 700 USD dollars. And actually, my parents are not approved by him father, his second command. And our second command in a shipping company. I mean, on a ship, I don't know, is one one, right load and accounting on a ship. So his salary is quite good. But I have an older brother and I have an older sister, I'm in the middle one. So they had to look for my older brother in law, because he was like, on the path of becoming a doctor. So I didn't get the transportation fees. And my scholar was rejected. I mean, not reject. I had to like go after scholar because my parents got to give a Sam Sam $700 So, like, I started to hate my life at a time. I mean, I have been hating my life an awful lot. And I've actually tried suicide four two times. One is my handgun and one is my threats to hacking didn't succeed because I couldn't stand a pay goes down the choking pain is it's too painful. I just don't like it. I just wanted to die. I don't I don't like to pay. So after that, I started. I think this called melatonin, melatonin, melatonin drugs. I always had it had that. pills on standby on my house. What am I free, like I started grabbing the body vision of me. Like the motivation that kept me alive all these years is like, I'm not the software. Like, I have been doing a lot. And I'm still doing a lot and I think I will receive what I dissolve Sunday. So meditation somehow helped me in times of in those times. When I meditate myself, all outdoors, chaotic. Doors, like started can down just a bit by beers. And I started seeing situations very carefully. What if my parents didn't give me like $750 I could just go along from like, some of my friends or maybe my relatives, they were very eager to give me 700 USD dollars, my one of my relatives, but I just refused, because of my crime. Because I was like, I'm not going to be supported by any other, any other people except my parents. So it was my fault. Actually, what if I, if I want to take it back. So meditation is like, a time to reflect on what you have done wrong on the contents that you did. They were wrong, and you're right. And somehow if you think hard, it was you who are wrong. So if you meditate with this kind of thought, and you see a lot of your mistakes more and more. And the more you see on this stage, like the more you think that okay, like, I'm not going to repeat the same mistake, I'm going to like make up my mind for this similar kind of situation. So like meditation also helps you to decrease mistakes you're going to make because the more you see into yourself and the more other setting perfect that you think you are in perfect used to seeing yourself as the less likely you will see the same defects in other people. So if you don't see bias in other people, like you will start to see that goodness and other people. So like a walks with that with consequences. So the suicidal thoughts like went away when I started walking That's totally I start I started working at I think 21, I think rather time 21. And actually, I had worked before, but this was my first time getting into corporate jobs. So when I started walking, like I was very nice topic, I slept at a book, I work on weekends, even though I didn't get paid for that. And I was working at a Commerce Secretary of a local digital marketing agency. But I learned a lot from that. So why don't walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, those suicidal thoughts started to disperse. And I realized that it was my coping way of coping mechanism of like, getting those thoughts away. So like about to get this I had to meditate and think a lot like meditation is not just closing your eyes and getting into yourself into processional meditation, you can like thinking, reflecting on yourself is also imagination. I think it's my turn. I also think that way. Like, you can just sit at a coffee and coffee and grab a coffee and maybe a smoke, and maybe think of like what you could have done wrong, and places that you think you are, right. So if you just think too hard on your stuff, you'll start to see the fatal errors that you have done. As on tests that you use, do you think your stay right, so you'll start to see things fighting Pfizer in a very RSA opposition away? So yeah, I think meditation helped me that way. So I tried to stick here of all things as much as I can. Because while those atrocities and one and military are started to crack down on people in the mo crackdown on protesters, like we are bombarded with a lot of funeral news, people are getting hard, people are getting attacked, and people are getting out. I say kids kill poisons by brutally. So actually, I think I was set following one day, I planned for one day, but I wasn't, I didn't feel thankful. Because feelings, those feelings can do anything. Actions is something that I can do. So instead of like trying to stay depressed, because of the views, or stay on, I say, provoke or very angry, because of those are funerals of people dying others 100 miles away from me. I I I thought in that way, I will do what I can, what I can is trying to help people in my area. So in my area in Django, Django, which leads us to NEMA. Okay, what kind of help I can give my community. So like, I just tried to focus on this what I could do, like, aside from all those other academic news and funeral news, are people dying of Mandalay? Like I can't do shit about people dying, mainly, what I can do is anyango to give DRS and supports to the people in need. So I just read the news and like no data. Apart from that, I didn't see anything from those years, because those years are interrupting my cycle of concern. So I'm always trying to like, add those cycle reverse and cycle is also one of the products so far, maybe Kodak or maybe Kodak or like you depend on yourself. So like, instead of depending on like mentally people to do something about it, I depend on myself to do something about what I can in my angle. So when I started doing a directory, and I stopped my hands, like we can't longer and like, reach to other places, like an incident goes aors to other say people who are moving across not a young goal, but in other places like insurable and all their bounty and beyond. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I think it's the benefit of focusing on what I've got to not focusing on what is happening out there and like feeling some kind of emotions to them. Yeah. So I think I learned from those folks.

Host  1:54:26

Yeah, that's great. So I want to go back to something else you had talked about in your recount of your early few weeks after the coup. And you had mentioned that one of your early involvements was to help the shield team that you that this was at a time when more people were on the streets and the first, you know, four to six weeks, there were a lot more protesters that were actually going out and then when the violence started, some of the older generation started to stay at home but the younger ones were still coming out. They started to have more protective gear you mentioned not just the shooting But also the gas masks and some of the other protective equipment that they that the protesters were were wearing and bringing in order to protect themselves against the coming violence. Once the live ammunition started, and the RPGs and the grenades and some of the other terrible instruments of war that we've seen, it's the strategies have shifted again. But in those early days, many more were going out. And after the military came on the streets, the protesters were bringing many more of these protective gear to anticipate what some of this aggression might be. And so and you mentioned that you were involved in acquiring and perhaps manufacturing some of these materials. So I'm wondering more about how you were going about to figure out what you needed and where you were able to get them from how you were able to deliver them if you had to make if there any, you had to make yourself how you went about that. But what was your role and helping some of these defensive teams and protective equipment?

Thaw Htet  1:56:16

Actually, we have a product with a lot of Hong Kong 2019 protesting guides are in theaters, and they after all, counter protests against the police's and process are using rubber bullets and smoke bowls. So and like to guess box. So we actually like trying to imitate what Hong Kong students did in 2019. But at the ollie in the holidays, what I did was just buying for myself, because I was going to protests and somehow the she teams at the times were not fully composed, like anyone who volunteer to take shoes can do that. So there were no names, or there were no address, like everyone who was willing can take up the sheet and the front of people. So at the time, actually, I was not couraged not courageous enough to take out the sheets, but I was somehow decided to pick up the jacket foams. And maybe if I had a chance, I will throw three back to the process. And if I didn't, I will like put it with a put it down with a wet towel, maybe like thrown it and one of the water packets. But at the time, even though I was decided, I decided to like just pick up the check box and either say yes kilda that I was in shooting. I like my advisor, I was direct. Like, I didn't actually deny it a lot. So while I was in a shoot him, I saw a lot of people taking out the sheet up with just some clothes are wrapped around death marks and knots, not even here gaps, and they don't have Google bags, because when the tear gas bomb explodes, like it really hurts your skin. And your horse, I mean, your eyes, you can open your eyes, because I was a headwind for like three times. So they have to be fully equipped. So they are the they are likely the most person who will be in touch with tear gas bombs, like, like at the time, they started using live ammunition at the time. So like they have to be fully equipped. And, yeah, so after being in the SEAL team, and I didn't get to the shooting back. So what I did was I started collecting all those materials and to get to the places they are needed. Yeah.

Host  1:58:50

Right. So you were doing a lot to be able to acquire these materials, get donations and give them to the people where it was needed most. And you were doing donations of several different kinds. I understand you were so you were trying to get donations of material and funds to be able to provide for these protective equipments. You were also trying to support impoverished communities. You mentioned how there are many communities that even before the coup were not doing so well, after the coup they were doing. And in some places, especially those that had been really brutalized and had been where soldiers had come and caused a lot of damage and harm. There were some communities that were really suffering and you were trying to work to get them food and support as well. And then on top of this more recently, you've mentioned that you've been supporting some of the defense groups the EAA owes some of the the potential guerrilla and offensive operations that are currently being planned and taking place. So it sounds like you have been very resourceful in finding funding for a lot of different purposes and places people's communities. And then with those funds going and applying them in the appropriate way. So can you share more about how you've gone about this donation collecting? And then once you have the donation, what you've been able to do with it and what you're supporting?

Thaw Htet  2:00:31

Oh, I actually I'm not very resourceful I, I'd like to say, half half introvert and extrovert I was, so that my credit respects is a bit bold, and I had a very dark sense of humor. So people just love to hear me talk, because I curse a lot, but they have a hard time. So when this happens, how does it I have already gained most of my friends trust. Because before that I have been in a lot of RSA communities, like from British Council, CSI, civil, civil, civil society initiatives, our program is mainly focused on teaching an authentic case, I mean, all French have an edge, and Alice and Merton center peer tutors, programs. And I was in, I was in charge of almost our second in charge of homeless pain ceremony in our state school. And like I say, are 20 years older than me, I still have to listen to my talk. So I have gained the trust of most people like since before the coup, and are very prideful person anyway. Like I just I'm okay depressed. And when this could happen, and like when I realized that donation is the key point to keep whatever we will do it. I just go go and like talk to that very painful. Like, what any other introduction, because I think that introduction, right, and are very polite introductions is not required. In this kind of situation, I just go on and set what I want. But here is what I want, here is what they are medians. And if you give me this amount of cash, or if you give me this kind of equipment, I can deliver it back to them. And so it's like, I think, communication between those people who are in need, and those people who want to talk but don't know where to get. So after proven my heart, I say, records on Facebook, my days and through polls about, like, how there's a consistent amount of fans that are perceived for this week. And this is where I donate them. And thank you to donors. So like, so this has this has gone for like others, I think two months, around two months, I started to establish those two free clinics, with donors have also. So all I did was trying to communicate and try to reach out to people as much as I could. So all but one, one good thing for me was I was I was at a very popular went before this group on Facebook, and yamo. Like do you decide people popularity by their likes, and their comments and their shares? Like I was a very silent one on Facebook, I didn't post much I didn't share much. So as I said, I saw that this could happen and after like one week, one of like, foreign channels, our Asian Boss, or like, like the one who work for Asian Boss is my friend. And he noticed that I have been moving a lot for MBA school. So like she contacted me and like she, they asked if they could have an interview with me. So it went viral on I mean, I've been following on YouTube and on Facebook. So like, friends in my car, saw that videos, and they started to believe for me that I'm actually doing because they have a lot of front and about donations. So instead of donating to no people, they started to donate to me. Because anytime you can call me up and like they can ask me where those donations go where those donation is used. So I think this is one of the main essence or main benefit that I can give to my donors, because I'm not some someone saying no. But I go with friends only in Facebook. So yeah, yeah. They said,

Host  2:04:45

Yeah, yeah, sure. So the last question I'd like to ask you about is these clinics that you're opening up, I understand that you've been working to open up free medical clinics after the February 1 coup. I wonder If you can tell me what exactly you're doing with those clinics, and if you have a prior background in medical training and or establishing clinics,

Thaw Htet  2:05:10

I, okay, let's say my brother is a doctor that I don't have any kind of medical, or experience or like history for me. So why it's not my idea, or it's not, or it's an idea that actually, we started as, through BMI, another two friends, we came into contact, and we tried to contact a lot of people, a lot of our political leaders, parents, they're escaping to like guidance, what we should do, because we are really, really nervous earlier before. So I started to mask people that I think, who want to listen, from my friends, to my friends, we will hold some meetings, our second meeting is not no signal. So meetings are gone. visions are like to hear what those political leaders will say, LS on cans and some others, locally famous leaders who are still escaping. So like the entire time, I came into close with two girls who are in that meeting. Also, one of them is that your medical student name is deshawn DeVito. With our I will have to mention their name, because they are also part of what I've been doing. Another one is HMO, who is I think a business student Business and Management students. So at one time, I think on second week of February, that shouldn't be return came to me that, honestly, we should open up free clinics that will give basic biomedical harco for those people who are in need, and who are in need more right at the time. So I decided, I mean, I consider for like, two days and then said, Yeah, let's do that, because I planned for that. So what I did was, I tried to I told my brother like he's not here, right now he's in London, that, to call that and like inform the judge out of France that we are trying to implement our free clinic here. So I he immersed them into a Facebook group, and I explained and what we are going to do, what we want to do and what we are going to accomplish, and what kind of services will provide to you to doctors, to people and to the community. So after explaining all these, I think three or four of those thoughts are great to work with us to walk free, and casualty which are worse, was in charge of fighting doctors who will walk free for the people so passionately to actually walk more than me in those free clinics. So we started opening one in insane there that sets up return house. And we started giving free medical haggle and the costs and the donations can from the people I've known in the past our standard purse a present. So it's not my money at all, it's donations of all of those who have donated a to Facebook or to offline. So we started opening that one free training and insane. And it wasn't good. It wasn't good for like one month or so we decided to start another one. And I think we started open another one after opening the first day. So two weeks, two weeks after the two weeks after organic. first landed we started opening another one a flat should be done. distributor is how do I say? Like after shea butter you are into another time another district. So it's like the most far away district from the top. So the hakko the things you can get the water or the food are totally different from the downtown. So we Okay, at how do we get a place to open finish is that we are we trying to conduct when we try to talk with the locals that we have this plan. All you have to do is provide us with a place for people to get outdoors and to scout for the military. To not come adapt the doubters. There's only three things that you need to provide us what we are going to provide is doctors, nurses, hackers mean medicines for free to the communities. So okay, it turns out 30 well, so with with opening open and shipping her. So after opening those two, I think not very far. An individual have much he not April in the first week of April, our facility was destroyed by the military because they At this clinic is the one who is our curator, protesters who were in your bind during the protesting find that military. So they cut off their supply as much as they can. So the insulated door is not just one door. And that further should be like for the safety of doubters and locals, we are moving to the more secure place that is not in the wide open feel like it doesn't even have the logo on it. It's just like the very other say normal looking apartment and only the trust that Lucas no bandages. So yeah, this is fine for our clinics has been operating. And I think, yeah, we actually plan to open another one in Sinai. But somehow, the situation at the time were very worse. Like we couldn't even travel very easily. Like if we are if me and other people are supported our culture is not us who are a danger, but what is the evidences we have in carry? Whereas in phones, our Facebook, like the things we are doing, it's all recorded in the fall? Like we actually so yeah, so we decided to wait on to open another one in line tire. So yeah, this is by far what is

Host  2:11:20

free clinics, right. So at this point, even the military is targeting doctors and clinics, and even just trying to do the simple job of caring for people that are injured, that those are also coming under scrutiny and attack. certainly wish you the best of luck with continuing to operate and run those clinics, as well as all the other excellent work that you're doing. You're just so involved in such a wide range of activities. And you know, it's really, really remarkable, and how you're able to hold all that all your activity, all the energy you're putting forward. And thank you so much for coming on and sharing with us a little more detail about everything going on and informing listeners around the world as to what is really happening in MMA right now and what the needs are and how people can be informed and support the resistance movement at this time, the push for democracy and wish you to be well with you to be safe. And thank you so much for taking the time to join us in the share.

Thaw Htet  2:12:26

Oh, thank you so much for having the episode for like talk are set as one of those very tiny viruses from Denmark. I really appreciate what you're doing and to those viewers, to listeners, I'd really appreciate if you listen to the end and had us somehow like Like, if you could gain some information from this podcast. I'm really appreciate it. Yeah.

Host  2:15:39

As inspiring as it was to hear today's guest, I know from experience that when you're listening from so far away, there can also be a certain kind of helplessness and hearing about the struggle that people like them are now engaged in. Thankfully, we have organized a reliable way for interested listeners to provide valuable assistance to those local communities. All donations will be sent to support the protesters currently resisting the military coup. By taking an active role in helping support the movement, you can ensure that people like today's speaker have even a few more resources to draw on and can manage even another week more in their efforts. If you would like to join in our mission to support those in Myanmar who are resisting the military coup, we welcome your contribution in any form, currency or transfer method. every cent goes immediately and directly to funding those local communities who need it most. 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Also, make sure to check out our website for a list of our complete episodes, including additional text videos and other information available at Insight myanmar.org and I also invite you to take a look at our new nonprofit organization at better burma.org. There was certainly a lot to talk about in this episode, and we'd like to encourage listeners to keep the discussion going Make a POST request specific questions and join in on discussions currently going on. On the Insight Myanmar podcast Facebook group. You're also most welcome to follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts by the same name. If you're not on social media, feel free to message us directly at info at Insight myanmar.org. Or if you'd like to start up a discussion group on another platform, let us know and we can share that form here. Finally, we're open to suggestions about guests or topics for future episodes. So if you have someone or something in mind, please do be in touch. 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