COUNTRIES: A VOICE FOR EDUCATION

WRITTEN BY RACHEL BAUGH, PHOTOS PROVIDED

IN THE EARLY HOURS OF MONDAY, FEB. 1, Myanmar armed forces staged a coup against the government and declared a state of emergency for the nation, shutting off access to the internet and capturing predominant government leaders. The coup came as a result of the country’s national election, with high-level military officials making claims of widespread election fraud and seizing power.

Following the takeover, Myanmar’s citizens erupted in protests, with thousands of people publicly opposing the coup and holding demonstrations daily. To counter protesters, the military imposed a number of restrictions, including curfews and limiting the number of people who can gather together at one time. Opposing forces also responded to protesters with water cannons, rubber bullets and, in some cases, live ammunition. At the time of this story’s publishing, more than 700 people were killed as a result of the conflict, and more than 3,900 people were arrested, charged or sentenced.

More than 13,000 miles across the world, Central student Han Seth Lu would check his phone every morning before class, searching for updates on the current situation in Myanmar, his home country. Often, days or weeks would pass between message exchanges with his parents, who fled their home due to conflict in the region. Since February, the early childhood education major juggled continuing his regular coursework with navigating a new role – international advocate for his family and friends back home.

“It has been one of those moments where you really think about your ethical standing – do I stay silent for the safety of my family and myself, or do I speak up for what is just, and I have decided to speak,” Han said.

The recent coup comes just a decade after the country ended another period of military control. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, spent nearly half a century under strict military junta control, following two coups to overturn election results in 1962 and 1988.

“Growing up during the military regime, there are no private institutions or private schools; the only schools are state schools. And the only curriculum in schools is written by the government, so wherever you go in the country, it’s the same thing,” Han said.

He remembers having assigned seats from the time he entered kindergarten through high school and most learning only taking place by memorizing and reciting items from a book.

In 2011, the National League for Democracy (NLD) party obtained control of the country and restored democracy to the Burmese people, opening up opportunities such as access to the internet, renewed foreign relations and study abroad initiatives for university students. It was under these lifted restrictions that Han was able to first pursue his passion for international education by traveling to the United States. In 2014, he joined the Burma Youth Leadership program, a four-week leadership and civic engagement program at Indiana University, where he shadowed teachers in public school classrooms as part of his education studies.

“I vividly remember walking into that elementary classroom in Indiana and they were learning chemistry; they were learning about the environment,” he recalled. “I finally made the connection that you can start learning any subject at any age.” The experience inspired him to on hold, indefinitely.

Han’s future also hangs in the balance, as he made the decision to publicly speak out against the military regime – an action that is not currently welcome in Myanmar.

“At this point, if we cannot restore the democracy back home, everything that I have worked for will be terminated,” he said. However, there is a silver lining.

Since Feb. 1, Han has been involved with numerous international virtual panel discussions, podcast discussions and YouTube videos featuring Burmese citizens speaking out against the regime. He also led several rallies, in partnership with other Burmese Americans, at the Oklahoma State Capitol, to bring local awareness to the to Myanmar and begin a nonprofit education center in his hometown, with the assistance of colleagues from the youth leadership program, to work with local students. It was through this that he realized he was not ready to follow his family’s dream of attending medical school. He wanted to become a teacher.

“I finally reached a deal with my parents that if I could find a college and get a scholarship within one year, I would be allowed to go and study education,” Han said.

He sealed the deal when he applied for and received a President’s Leadership Council scholarship at Central. Since arriving at UCO in 2017, Han has remained active in many student organizations on campus, winning the title of Mr. UCO International in 2019 and serving as the president of UCO’s International Student Council. Through his work, his dream always remained to return to Myanmar after graduating to help reform its education system. Even during a global pandemic in summer and fall 2020, he led virtual education trainings for Burmese teachers every Saturday, teaching new strategies and curriculum ideas.

But his goal of education reform in his home country has been put situation. And despite the difficulty of the past few months, Han has found a new interest in international relations and advocacy and is considering a career that will pair his love for education with public service or politics.

For now, Han will continue to speak out on behalf of those who do not have a voice in Myanmar, even if it means never being able to return home.

“Because I have so much freedom here, and as much as I feel powerless to not be in the country with my people striking or protesting, at the same time I know there are a lot of liberties that I can do that people in Myanmar cannot right now. That is why I decided to take up this role,” Han said.

“Sometimes, you come to a point where you know you have so much more privilege than people of your own community, and words are just empty unless you act on it. I’ll keep speaking up.”