“Peaceful resistance no longer works” – VG

Less than 20 minutes ago

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Last week, the military regime executed in Myanmar four recognized democracy advocates. But the regime’s attempt to silence critics means that more people choose to come forward. In this VG interview, psychology student and beauty queen Han Lay tells her story.

At the beginning of April 2021, Han Lay stood on a stage in Bangkok, Thailand.

It was the final of the Miss Grand international beauty pageant, and Lay was representing her home country of Myanmar.

In advance, she had decided to do something that would put her own life in danger – she wanted to address the military junta in her home country right in the middle of it.

Two months earlier, the military had ousted the country’s government and seized power in Myanmar. The people’s hopes for a democratic development in the country were crushed. In the days and months that followed, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the country. Peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators were shot and killed in the open street.

On the same day as the miss competition alone, 140 demonstrators are said to have been killed by the soldiers.

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Lay took the floor:

“Today in my country Myanmar, so many people are dying. Please help Myanmar. We need immediate international help,” she said from the stage.

The speech lasted only two minutes, but it was enough to turn Lay’s life upside down.

Shortly afterwards, the military junta announced that she was on a wanted list, and she understood that she could no longer return home to Myanmar.

In an interview with VG this week, Han tells Lay that she felt a responsibility.

– The task of a beauty queen is to be a spokesperson for her country. I had a platform where my voice as a person from Myanmar could be heard. I did it for my people, she says to VG.

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Took to the streets

In the week following the military coup, Lay took to the streets of Yangon in protest with fellow students and friends.

Several of them were arrested and imprisoned for the resistance they showed. A friend was killed.

Her friends therefore urged her not to return from Thailand after her speech. The military junta has gone after celebrities and social media influencers who expressed opposition to the coup.

That’s why Lay is still in Bangkok.

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Thinks the people must take up arms

As a result of the military coup last year, the armed rebellion in Myanmar has grown and grown. Many now describe the situation as an open civil war.

Han Lay fully supports the insurgency.

– We started with peaceful protests. We had a very large movement that engaged in civil disobedience. But the military used violence to suppress us. Over 1,000 were killed during these demonstrations. So our people chose to take up arms, because peaceful resistance no longer worked, she says.

In Myanmar, there have been conflicts between government forces and rebels with origins in different ethnic groups for several decades. During the past year, many of the young, urban opponents of the junta have also abandoned their studies to fight the regime militarily.

The opposition shadow government, started by members of Myanmar’s former ruling party NLD, has formed what is called the “People’s Defense Force”.

According to the Washington Post this rebel force now consists of about 60,000 rebels.

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– So many young people my age are now fighting so bravely against the junta. I admire their strength and respect their sacrifice. They need a lot of support and we must never forget them, she says.

The military junta labels both the shadow government and the armed resistance as terrorists.

Lay further emphasizes why she believes armed war is now the best solution.

– We cannot fight a brutal military regime without an armed revolution. The difference between us and them is that we respect human rights and international law, she says, before making a call to the international community:

– Please don’t forget us. We need your help.

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