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Forever ‘engaging’ the Tatmadaw?
For people of Myanmar today the safest spot to voice their grievances and hopes is their nation’s official seat at the United Nations.
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No end to learning: Children from Pu Phar village, displaced after fighting between the military and members of the People's Defense Force, attend a school lesson under a makeshift structure as they take refuge in the jungle near Demoso, Kayah state, Myanmar, on July 3, as the country remains in turmoil after February’s military coup. (AFP/Stringer)
T
he suffering of millions of our neighbors in Myanmar is fading from our radar, as the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan has raised fears of homegrown terrorists and lone wolves.
Amid a third wave of COVID-19, tens of thousands of people in Myanmar have fled to jungles, reports say, seeking safety from repeated news of gruesome attacks on civilians. From the coup of Feb. 1 to July alone 1,000 were killed, including more than 75 children. More than 1 million of the persecuted Rohingya minority are seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
The “full-scale revolt” by the “People’s Defense Forces” or local militias endorsed by the elected National Unity Government is claimed to be the last resort in the face of continued attacks and alleged massacres by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military), “even in places where people have never seen armed conflict”, activist Khin Omar said, apart from air strikes in areas long controlled by ethnic group-run armies.
From Indonesia’s experience, the days of fear will continue as long as the rulers retain a fairly respectful place on the world stage. The “noninterference” creed of ASEAN has served those in power very well, at the cost of too many human rights violations to mention in Indonesia’s past.
Present Indonesian leaders are of the more enlightened Reform Era; Retno LP Marsudi being perhaps the world’s busiest foreign minister, lobbying here and there to try to politely remind a fellow ASEAN member that burning homes, schools, hospitals, raping women and shooting children is no longer acceptable behavior of security forces, whether against a detested minority or the general populace.
People in Aceh and Papua would know how effective such politeness is: hardly. Such crimes have largely stopped but too few have answered for them.
We can argue our security forces were never as brutal as the Tatmadaw, but mostly quiet survivors may find it hard to tell the difference. Most will remain silent until there is enough safe space to speak up.
