14/03/2021
Brave Hero’s Of Hlaing Thar Yar in Yangon
Class divisions in Yangon's coup resistance. Yangon's class divisions are painfully obvious, but they are manifesting uniquely during coup resistance. People of all classes are out on the streets, but something needs to be said for these townships and their communities.
For as long as I could remember Burmese people talk about how these areas have gang activity comprising of people who are "lu soe / lu mite" so there is a lot of crime here such as murders, theft, assault, and other types that are along a spectrum of violence.
Today, during the Hlaingtharyar crackdowns, what many in other townships in the city were saying was "if anyone can properly resist the coup, it's people from this place because they are more prone to violence, 'kyan dae' (rough), and are more 'willing' to be violent."
However, these aspects and qualities should not be the only ways in how we understand these townships and why the Tatmadaw (Military) targets them. There are many aspects of resilience, strength, courage, and cohesion that is prevalent in these townships, lacking in wealthier ones.
We owe it to the fallen angels from these places to point out the silver linings of what they called home and the homes they passed to defend as part of defending a much bigger home that we all share together, so here it goes.
Some of these townships have high ratios of migrants, like Hlaingtharyar. That's part of the classism against them. However shared experiences and networks mean that they are look after each other in addition to looking after themselves. They have adept survival instinct.
Urban poor and working class typically live in more congested spaces, which many of these townships host. Space is a financial luxury and privilege. But these limited spaces mean people know each other like family, creating unified & impenetrable communities: a priority now.
In a conversation, Ma put extremely accurately: "Their socio-economic status means they have so much more to lose. Rich people can close their doors, pay off the police or send their kids abroad. These communities HAVE TO live under the new regime. They can't leave."
If more is at stake for them, they have more to fight for. They are fighting for more and so are losing more of their numbers. The Tatmadaw attacks these places, yes because they are poor and vulnerable, but also because they host much stronger, capable, and willing resistors.
As such, this is a major class struggle as it is a political and ethnic one. Urban poor resisting against an armed, militant conglomerate driven by capitalist greed is what we see now in these townships. The latter is so intimidated because they have what it lacks: unity.
Let's remember the fallen angels from these places as more than just those from working class, urban poor townships. Let's remember them as heroes & champions who fought for their incredible, cohesive communities as well as for what we call our shared home: our country.
Credit : Winnie Thaw
