Recognize the historic CDM and support their struggle for the future of Myanmar
The effort and contribution of the CDM to the democratic resistance movement, as well as its members’ resolve to dismantle the most brutal military junta, must be recognized by the world. It is critical for the international human rights and humanitarian community and donors to recognize and treat CDMers as human rights defenders and provide political and material assistance with direct and flexible funding to them.
Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) is the major force that drove the Myanmar military junta’s failure to take over the country with its attempted coup on February 1, 2021. Their role in the Spring Revolution is strategically crucial to dismantle the murderous military and must be recognized and supported by the international community, as highlighted by 19 civil society organizations (CSOs) in their newly released report. Meanwhile, the junta has continued targeting CDMers by recently raiding a hospital in Chin State, and revoking licenses of three hospitals in Mandalay for hiring CDM healthcare professionals. However, despite the junta’s efforts to thwart the movement, even amid the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Mocha, the CDM continues to be strong.
The lethal combination of natural and man-made disasters exacerbates the dire need for humanitarian assistance, especially immediate health services. For example, Chin State was one of the regions severely damaged by Cyclone Mocha while facing prolonged intense military attacks. In addition to the destruction caused by attacks of the military junta, the cyclone destroyed at least 3,338 buildings, including houses, hospitals and clinics, schools, religious buildings, barns, and auditoriums.
In the midst of these acute conditions in Chin State, the junta, acting like the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing, raided the Agape Hospital and arrested five CDM healthcare workers, one doctor and four nurses. While the junta attempts to portray itself as a savior by providing a small amount of aid in some cyclone affected areas, these five CDMers, along with many more CDM healthcare workers, are the people who have been providing healthcare to vulnerable populations despite hardships and constant threats to their safety. While people in Chin State are facing an overwhelming double crisis of the cyclone and junta attacks, the junta continues its persecution of CDM people throughout the country.
The arrests of health workers and the crackdowns on community-based private clinics and hospitals are also occurring in urban areas. Recently, the junta revoked the licenses of three private hospitals in Mandalay for employing medics who are members of the CDM. The three hospitals were Kant Kay, City, and Palace. This is part of the junta’s ploy to further suppress the CDM by imposing more pressure on their supporters. Despite the harrowing conditions, brave health workers continue to serve as a lifeline for those in urgent need of medical care including the IDPs impacted by the military’s violent attacks.
The CDM plays an instrumental role as a key component of the Spring Revolution which effectively prevented the junta from functioning as a governing power over Myanmar. The people who joined the CDM are however facing immense challenges for themselves and their families. The report, Civil Disobedience Movement: A Foundation of Myanmar’s Spring Revolution and Force behind Military’s Failed Coup, produced by 19 CSOs including Progressive Voice, urges the international community to reassess its view towards members of CDM as human rights defenders in accordance with Article 1 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. At the report launch, Khin Ohmar, Founder and Chairperson of PV stated that, “We have been working on the support for the human rights defenders at risk in the very fragile Myanmar transition in the last decade. But when it comes to the Spring Revolution when the CDMers are in need of help, we are having a hard time to explain to the donors and international community, these individuals and CDMers are in fact human rights defenders.” During the discussion, Su, a CDM teacher, also shared her experience under suppression of the junta and expressed her strong determination to sustain the movement. She said, “I tried to support CDM in a way I can, even though I, myself, am a CDMer. I did not easily surrender to the junta. I finally had to move to another place for four to six months with no access to Internet and electricity.”
The effort and contribution of the CDM to the democratic resistance movement, as well as its members’ resolve to dismantle the most brutal military junta, must be recognized by the world. As stated in the report, it is critical for the international human rights and humanitarian community and donors to recognize and treat CDMers as human rights defenders and provide political and material assistance with direct and flexible funding to them. The support for the CDM must also be carried out in consultation with the National Unity Government (NUG) and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (EROs) to channel the provision of humanitarian aid through border-based local humanitarian aid responders, civil society organizations, and ethnic health and service provision organizations.
CDMers, as human rights defenders, have shown their courage, strength and resilience to protect their rights as individuals and the rights of their families, communities and people of the country. As the CDM teacher Su asserted, “Despite the harassment and threats, we are determined to resist the Myanmar military until the revolution succeeds. Our struggle is not only to defend our own rights but the rights of new generations to come, so that they may enjoy the freedom that has been robbed from us by the tyranny of the military.” This non-armed effort of the CDM must be supported by the international community in order to realize a federal democratic Myanmar that the people are trying to build.
_______________________
[1] One year following the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, the former military junta changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar overnight. Progressive Voice uses the term ‘Myanmar’ in acknowledgement that most people of the country use this term. However, the deception of inclusiveness and the historical process of coercion by the former State Peace and Development Council military regime into usage of ‘Myanmar’ rather than ‘Burma’ without the consent of the people is recognized and not forgotten. Thus, under certain circumstances, ‘Burma’ is used.
Resources from the past week
Statements and Press Releases
Support Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement
19 Civil Society Organizations
မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ၏ အာဏာဖီဆန်ရေးလူထုလှုပ်ရှားမှုကို ထောက်ခံပံ့ပိုးပါ
19 Civil Society Organizations
Five British Insurers Added to ‘Dirty List’ for Aviation Fuel Deliveries to Burma
Burma Campaign UK
New Report: Preventable Deaths In Cyclone Mocha And The Rohingya Genocide
Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
ASEAN-Japan Centre supporting Myanmar junta’s trade and tourism plans, as it wages terror campaign
Justice For Myanmar
Karen National Union
National Unity Government (Ministry of International Cooperation Myanmar)
Statement on the Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement
National Unity Government of Myanmar
National Unity Government: Ministry of Health Announcement (6/2023)
National Unity Government (Ministry of Health)
$333M Humanitarian appeal to support communities hit by Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
State Department Engages Partners on Burma Sanctions Coordination
United States Department of State
Reports
19 Civil Society Organizations
19 Civil Society Organizations
Summary of SAC human rights violations in Karenni State and Pekhon Township (May 8 – 21, 2023)
Karenni Civil Society Network
What Lies Behind Increased Airstrikes – Issue 105
Myanmar Peace Monitor
Massacre carried out by the Military
Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica
Progressive Voice is a participatory, rights-based policy research and advocacy organization that was born out of Burma Partnership. Burma Partnership officially ended its work on October 10, 2016 transitioning to a rights-based policy research and advocacy organization called Progressive Voice. For further information, please see our press release “Burma Partnership Celebrates Continuing Regional Solidarity for Burma and Embraces the Work Ahead for Progressive Voice.”
