COMMENT | A tale of two emergencies

COMMENT | On Feb 1, just 19 days after Putrajaya declared a “darurat”, Myanmar’s generals seized power with a military coup, which was legally justified also as an “Emergency”. Within days, there were mass street protests, not only in large cities such as Yangon and Mandalay, but also in many smaller towns. If Myanmar was Malaysia, this means there are demonstrations not only on the streets of Kuala Lumpur but also in smaller towns such as, say Segamat, Sitiawan, Sibu and Sandakan.

Creative, low-risk tactics have been used to power a massive, Mahatma Gandhi-style peaceful CDM (civil disobedience movement) against the military. Here are some examples:

1. Banging on pots and pans at 8pm every night. This creates lots of noise, and can be done within the safety of homes as it’s hard to pinpoint who is actually doing it in the dark! Creating clanging metal noises is also part of their traditional culture to drive away evil spirits from villages.

2. Using popular culture to protest - the three-finger salute from the movie ‘Hunger Games’ has been widely adopted in Myanmar, representing rebels fighting against tyrants. The gesture was first used after a military coup in Thailand in 2014 (where it was later banned).

3. Cars “breaking down” and driving slow - this is a classic civil disobedience tactic which blocks the movement of security forces and prevents civil servants from going to their offices. Some protesters also walk in circles around pedestrian crossings at busy junctions, urging people not to go to work.

4. Projecting artistic protest images (for example, of the three-finger salute) on city buildings at night. This literally creates “shining symbols” in Myanmar to restore democracy...