Lena Cao (Lc206@uakron.edu)
Do you know what is happening in Myanmar? The war between Ukraine and Russia overshadows the ongoing war in Myanmar in the news cycle, there’s nothing we can really do to help but it is still important to be informed about the situation. Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia, bordered by India, Bangladesh, China, Los, and Thailand. This country was formerly named Burma so these two names may be used interchangeably.
On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military launched an illegal military coup. Tatmadaw led by the army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had seized control of Myanmar. When the military first seized power, they were faced with widespread opposition from the people of Myanmar. Many people started protesting in the streets. The military desperate to eliminate this opposition has struck back by torturing people to death, committing acts of arson such as burning entire villages to the ground and performing air strikes into the villages and towns. There have been many schools struck by bombs, and churches being burned to the ground.
During the first year of 2021, the regime killed nearly 1,500, detained more than 10,000, and displaced over 400,000 inside Burma, leading to thousands of people fleeing to neighboring countries. Generals have since then stepped up their efforts to wipe out all opposition to their rule. According to the nongovernmental Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, by November 2022, security forces killed at least 2,400 people.
As of the present day, there have been approximately 1.1 million people displaced since the coup, and over 70,000 people have fled to neighboring countries. More than 4 million school-aged children have not been able to access education for 2 years, and nearly half of Myanmar’s population is living below the poverty line. 17.6 million people are in extreme need of humanitarian assistance, a third being children. Many countries such as the US are trying their best to provide humanitarian aid for the people of Myanmar however the junta (military government) has been blocking these resources from reaching millions of displaced people. We can only hope and pray that this all comes to an end soon while continuously making an effort to help the people of Myanmar.
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