Myanmar Protesters: Can the mouse continue to outwit the cat?

Over the past few days, protesters have had to continue to come up with creative and innovative ideas to get around the more frequent internet cuts made by the military. One of my students has likened them to their ears and eyes shutting down. 

One such response is a daily pamphlet called 'The Voice of Spring', which is circulated to both inform communities of what is happening across the country and to connect them. Again quick-thinking and resourcefulness, two qualities l began to associate with Myanmar in my first few months there, utilized by the people to counter the actions of the security forces. The powers that be may indeed have all the might, but it seems they have completely underestimated a nation of keen survivors; grittiness and perseverance are two further qualities Myanmar people seem to have in abundance, borne out of decades of oppressive military rule. You could say these qualities are firmly entrenched in their DNA.

However, whilst I admire Myanmar protesters' resourcefulness l still view their strategies as part of a perverse game of cat and mouse: the security forces continue to block every available path forcing the protesters into finding hidden side streets to slip away into. Over the past few weeks, this strange game has become increasingly complex and dangerous with simple everyday activities, such as going to the shops potentially resulting in arrest, beatings, and even death to those simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It reminds me of the times l would encounter protesters hiding at the entrance of some street off Baho Road, nervously awaiting the all-clear from one of their comrades to come out without risking confrontation with the police stationed nearby. 

It is also worth considering that the Voice of Spring highlights the less literal side of this sophisticated game of cat and mouse between the people and the Junta.  Communication in all its diverse forms could be seen as yet another street, road, or avenue that Min Aung Hlaing and his cronies conspire to block. Social media and text offer Myanmar people safe spaces to hide and take refuge in, but as with reality in the form of the internet cuts, these virtual hubs are no longer private or stable. As with the security force's brutal evasion of Myanmar peoples' privacy regarding their homes, they have extended this to their sense of privacy online. What next? 

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