In Common Cause

In Common Cause

As protesters continue to rally across Myanmar calling for an end to military rule and demanding liberty for the country’s democratically elected offi cials, LGBT+ people have been increasingly visible in the vital fi ght for freedom.

Myanmar, a Southeast Asian nation of 54 million that neighbors Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, China and India, went into reverse gear in February when a cabal of army generals staged a military coup and overthrew the government. With the intention of “restoring eternal peace” to a fragile territory riven by seven decades of ethnic con ict, they plunged the state into renewed political turmoil only a decade after the end of 49 years of strict military rule that saw the country abolish its old British colonial name of Burma and heralded the election of Aung San Suu Kyi as its most prominent politician.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to give her the honori c name (literally meaning “aunt” of the nation) bestowed on her by her people, rose to prominence in the ‘8888 Uprising’ of 8 August 1988, going on to serve as State Counsellor, the country’s equivalent of a prime minister. She, President Win Myint and other senior

gures from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested on 1 February in an early morning raid after the military, known locally as the Tatmadaw, alleged the country’s November 2020 general election results were “fraudulent.” Charges are also led against President Win Myint for violating protocols to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Hours before Myanmar’s new parliament was set to meet for its rst session, the junta declared a state of emergency while seizing power in the country for a year. It handed over all executive, legislative and judicial powers to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ordered social media applications owned by Twitter and the Facebook group to be blocked, including its Messenger and WhatsApp services, for the sake of “stability.” A blackout of the entire internet soon followed.

The coup has triggered nationwide protests, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to demand the release of Suu Kyi and the restoration of civilian rule. In Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, people continue to bang pots and pans and sound car horns in protest. Doctors and student groups wear red ribbons as part of a call for civil disobedience campaigns. Security forces have cracked down, opening re on unarmed protesters and killing dozens of people. Many more have been wounded and more than a 1,000 people detained.

The US, UK, Canada and the EU have all announced selected sanctions on the country’s generals, while red China has expressed concern, saying that “the current development in Myanmar is absolutely not what China wants to see.” Over the past few weeks, tens of thousands of people across the country have taken to the streets in protest at the military coup which brutally seized power from their elected o cials.

Now, members of Myanmar’s small but increasingly visible gay community have joined in the protests. Local photographer Kyaw Htet captured photos of LGBT+ people who were walking among the protestors. Htet shared the photos with captions that read “Queers For Democracy'' and “Gays For Democracy.” Three drag artists were featured in the pictures with a Pride ag and signs that read “Power To The People'' and “We want our leader. Free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.”

Journalist and lmmaker Ali Fowle also shared images on Twitter which showed a quadrumvirate of incensed individuals boldly wearing Pride ags on their backs. Their de ance is all the more admirable when you consider that same-sex relations are punishable by up to 10 years in Myanmar, with trans people also criminalized. Sadly, it’s a situation not uncommon across the Asian continent.

Outraged over ongoing discrimination, last year Myo Min Tun decided to stand as the rst openly gay election candidate in the country. His decision to enter the political fray came after transgender friends told how they had su ered police harassment. The o cers allegedly forced them to remove their bras and kneel in humiliating positions before touching them inappropriately, Myo told AFP. “This was a violation of their rights,” he said. “And I realized there’s no one in parliament to talk about this.” So, he decided to run for a regional assembly seat on home turf in Mandalay for the People’s Pioneer Party, which was founded by a former NLD MP who was kicked out for criticizing the party.

“I’m doing this to be a pioneer for all LGBT people so they know we can be anyone we want.” From orist to wedding planner and HIV prevention worker, the 40-year-old says he has been lucky not to su er discrimination in his varied career in Myanmar’s second city. Perhaps space is nally opening up for the gay community in this archly conservative country. Yangon’s 2020 Pride party attracted more than 10,000 people, with many painting their faces in rainbow ag colors as a measure of how the oppressed are ghting back. Just like the rest of the civil population need to, in order to defeat tyranny.

STEVE PAFFORD

is an English journalist, actor and author of the acclaimed book BowieStyle. Having trained from the floor up in UK music titles Q, MOJO and Record Collector, he’s had his work featured in a wide variety of British, American and Australian media including the BBC, CNN, The Independent and the New York Times. Steve divides his time between Australia and the south of France.