It will be a clash of two Thingyan Festivals tomorrow. One, a junta-backed effort to cement its grasp on power by projecting a sense of normalcy; the other a series of protest actions urging people to sit out the “official” events in favor of turning it into a celebration of protest.
Student unions, activists, members of the government in exile, anti-coup protesters and anti-military militant forces want to rebrand this year’s New Year celebration as “Revolutionary Thingyan” to be marked with protest and defiance of the “Fun Thingyan” fabricated by the military regime.
Tayza San, a prominent pro-democracy activist since the February 2021 coup, urged people not to support the “official” Thingyan Festival, which is to be celebrated with traditional activities staged by the regime in a bid to show the world the country is back in a state of peace.
He said “our revolution involves all the people in various forms and at the forefront, and there are many who are giving their best to fight the terrorist junta.”
He cited all the “martyrs who gave their lives in this spring revolution” as well as political prisoners and fighters who have taken up arms against the military, civil servants and “hundreds of thousands of war refugees across the country who were displaced by the atrocities committed by junta forces.”
According to San and others organizing the campaign, people should celebrate Thingyan by abstaining from junta-organized and instead taking a series of actions.
For the first two days, people plan to launch a support movement by donating to friends and family of the those who have died protesting the coup as well as prisoners, members of the armed resistance, and ethnic fighters.
The last two days will be used to support displaced populations and participants in the civil disobedience movement who refused to let their work legitimize the military regime.
Donations will be made to hundreds of thousands of people nationwide who have been displaced by the ensuing violence, some of whom have no homes to return to.
Finally, on Sunday, the first day of the traditional new year, they plan to bang pots and pans to symbolically drive out the junta. In addition, they are encouraging people to post photos and posters chanting “Federal Democracy New Year” and “We must win the uprising” on New Year’s Eve to social media. Another so-called Flower Strike has also been announced for the same day.
In the meantime, security has reportedly been beefed up around the “official” sites prepared by the regime. A number of police vehicles and around 50 soldiers were spotted outside the Thingyan stage in front of Yangon City Hall. All roads from Saku Tower to Sule Pagoda have been shut.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimates that more than 1,700 people have been killed and 13,201 arrested in the 14 months since the coup d’etat.
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