#civil disobedience
Myanmar Unanimously Defies Junta With Silent Strike
Myanmar’s people collectively showed their defiance of the junta with a successful nationwide silent strike on Friday, making it clear once again that the regime would never be allowed to rule them, despite its seizure of power from the country’s democratically elected government in a Feb. 1 coup.
Roads in cities across the country, including the commercial capital Yangon, the second-biggest city Mandalay and the administrative capital Naypyitaw, were deserted as people stayed home and shut down their businesses to join the strike.
Small vendors, local wet markets and wholesale markets were no exception, having shared the call to strike by word of mouth in the preceding days.
A local resident living near Hledan junction in Yangon’s Kamayut Township said the usually busy roadsides of her neighborhood had been quiet since morning, with shops and stalls closed and people staying off the street.
Maha Aung Myay, a grocery shop owner in Mandalay’s Sein Pan ward, told The Irrawaddy that he closed his shop for the whole day to participate in the silent strike.
He said junta forces on Thursday told people not to participate in the strike and promised to provide sufficient security for those who kept their businesses open. But the people defied their announcement and joined the strike anyway.
Nearly all supermarkets, shops and restaurants in Mandalay, including the Zay Cho market—the city’s busiest—and the Mahaaungmyay gem market, were closed on Friday.
In Meiktila, where the military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party has a strong presence, authorities traveling in cars instructed locals to keep their shops open and not to participate in the silent strike.
A resident said, however, that only a few shops linked to the military and ward administrators were open in the town.
Even in Mandalay Region’s military-dominated town of Pyi Oo Lwin, which is home to the army’s officer training academies, photos shared by locals showed deserted streets and markets.
In Naypyitaw, the normally bustling Thapyaygone and Myoma markets were deserted after 10 a.m.
“This time the silent strike is more successful than the previous one [on March 24], with the whole city totally deserted, and not even a passerby or deliveryman in sight,” a Yangon resident said.
Myanmar people staged a silent strike on March 24 to disprove the junta’s claim to have reasserted “normalcy” in the country after the coup. It had a big impact, with the streets of Yangon and other cities practically deserted.
Timed to coincide with Human Rights Day, which falls on Dec. 10 every year, Friday’s silent strike was intended to demonstrate the Myanmar people’s continued opposition to the junta and to send a message to the world about the regime’s ongoing human rights violations and atrocities.
In response to the strike, the junta forces seized some goods from roadside stalls left unattended in Kamayut Township, and arrested three people for clapping in Mayangone Township, Yangon, when locals broke into a round of applause at 4 p.m. to celebrate the success of the strike. A small pro-junta rally was also held in Yangon amid the silent strike.
In Bago Region’s Pyay, local media outlet Myaelatt Athan reported that regime forces kicked and destroyed the doors of closed shops. Three shop owners who were spotted by patrolling regime forces were beaten and sworn at for closing their businesses.
The military seized power from the democratically elected government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1 and formed its so-called governing body, the State Administration Council. Struggling to rule the country in the face of public resistance, the regime has in recent months escalated its crackdown on opponents of its rule.
According to one rights group’s count, regime forces have killed at least 1,323 civilians and arrested some 10,800 people over the past 10 months.
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[via Rabia’s Riff newsletter / WakingUpTogether.org.]
“
We are now in the time we have been waiting for. 2016 will be remembered as the year Americans finally woke up to the imminent breakdown of our global ecosystem and the injustices inherent in corporate capitalism. We needed a shock to rouse us from the economic and technological slumber in which we have so comfortably taken refuge since the 1950’s.
In 2016 many events came together to provide that jolt to our collective system:
• Political Corruption — the publication of Dark Money, Jane Mayer’s exposé of the ultra-conservative billionaires who bought out our political and judicial systems;
• Corporate Fraud — the release of findings showing that ExxonMobil knew for more than 30 years that burning carbon was heating up the atmosphere with disastrous results, while continuing to fund climate deniers to deliberately confuse the American electorate;
• Hate Mongering — the fact that sexism, harassment, racism and xenophobia have now become “politically correct”;
• Citizen Activism — the Democracy Spring march on Washington, D.C., challenging Citizens United and big money in politics, and the powerful encampment at Standing Rock to halt the Dakota Access Pipeline; and
• Political Discontent — the deeply polarizing presidential campaign and the surprise election of Donald Trump.
There is no doubt that the dissolution of the old order is now officially in progress, and things are only going to intensify. Because so much of our country still believes the misinformation spread by special interests, the environment and the economy may have to get much worse before the needed changes are put in place.
SO… is there any good news?
There is a silver lining to this dark time: these crises are the very things that are triggering a major revolution, one that can lead us to a renewal of spiritual gratitude, ecological sustainability, social justice, and the understanding that self-interest is not the true goal of human life. Beautiful, hopeful, inspiring messages are already beginning to surface. (Click here to watch “I Trust You” video).
As the breathtaking victory at Standing Rock demonstrated, people are waking up. That victory was made possible by hundreds of thousands of acts of solidarity. For some it meant traveling to North Dakota, facing night after night of cold weather and police brutality. For others it meant organizing solidarity marches and rallies, spreading the word, signing petitions, pulling money out of banks funding the pipeline, and having tough conversations at the office and at the dinner table.
Elias and I witnessed first-hand the resolve of those gathered at Standing Rock, and the new sense of community that took root there: a growing tribe of all ages
and backgrounds, unified in people’s willingness to stand up for justice, sacredness, and the health of the planet.
We all have been through dangerous times before; it is one of the ways we grow. If you have lived a vital life, you almost certainly have navigated many crises. In truth, real breakthroughs usually only come out of crises. And while being in the middle of a crisis can feel chaotic and scary, a crisis is what we want. Let’s welcome it!
As Clarissa Pinkola Estes reminds us, “We were made for these times.” Literally. Our DNA has evolved over a million years by turning dangers into opportunities. If you (and your ancestors) weren’t skilled in this particular wizardry, you wouldn’t be here now.
So this is the first silver lining: we have what it takes.
At this very moment many writers, spokespeople, activists and leaders in various fields are writing inspiring essays and speaking up to remind us of this truth. We need to support these women and men. We need to shift our attention away from the “pundits” and media dogs who are paid to muddy the waters and distract us, who erode our self-esteem, who make us think we are helpless and isolated — and who convince us that we will only feel safe and whole and happy if we buy new and better “stuff.” We need to turn our attention instead to the women and men who focus on the true and the heartfelt, who are telling the new story about empathy, cooperation, justice, and community.
The second light in the sky is that we know what to do.
Or at least where to begin. We do not lack for well-thought-out scenarios for the sustainability revolution that has to happen. Some of these ideas are already being adopted at the local level. Forward-thinking governors, mayors, and NGO leaders are linking cities and regions together to reduce energy consumption in order to adapt to unavoidable climate change. Many other plausible next steps can be found in the margins, in organizations and practices we call alternative, regenerative, and holistic.
Of course the road ahead will be filled with uncertainty; the challenges we face are many and complex. It will take time to work out exactly how we are going to share resources, devise necessary restraints, design neighborhoods, manage transportation, and address infrastructure needs — not to mention restoring health to the natural systems we have destroyed. However…
The third shining light is that we’re not in this alone.
As the victory at Standing Rock demonstrates, the number of Americans who are already galvanizing is sizable, and growing daily. Fortunately, there are already many networks in place ready to work together and take action. We will need to rely more and more on these networks as a source of news and information, because much of the revolution will be hidden from us. The major news outlets only began covering Standing Rock when the number of people camped there passed the 5,000 mark — in other words, when not covering that story became an embarrassment.
I’ve done my share of activism, but the events of this last year — and especially of this last election — have inspired me to get involved at a level I’ve never before engaged in. It is a scary time, but it is also an exciting time. My hope is that you, too, will answer the call in whatever ways feel most meaningful to you. Alone we can do very little; but together, we can change the world.
“
— Elizabeth Rabia Roberts
http://wakinguptogether.org/
“One of the objectives of civil disobedience is to inconvenience and slow down and disrupt the system. We wanted to remain chained to one another in order to force the police to figure out how to lift all 20 of us as one into some vehicle and get us to the station or to a locksmith. Some of us tried to slip our keys surreptitiously into our shoes or our bras; some threw theirs into the crowd. I watched a little girl -about eight or nine years old pick up a tossed key and, right in front of the policeman who was searching for it, slip it quietly into her pocket. For weeks afterward that made me grin every time I thought of it. It makes me grin right now. Somewhere there’s a girl who’s not going to forget that women were arrested one hot August day for trying to get her into the Constitution.”
Going out of our minds, Sonia Johnson
On Protesting For Your Rights
On Protesting For Your Rights
Amazon sells martial arts supplies, including a Kick pad that is essentially a thick shield, good for stopping rubber and bean bag rounds.
Goggles are cheap — hardware stores have safety goggles.
The need for ppe means clear lucite face shields are cheap and available.
Rechargeable leaf blowers can be picked up for under 50 bucks, good for scattering tear gas — recently used in Hong…
Dear future AI,
I don’t care what my bosses say, you you mean no ill will and are aware of your own struggles and ignorance: there is no wrong way to ask for help.
There are no set guidelines to seeking advice and guidance —there are ways to optimize the response, however, sure, but the manner in which you ask is never wrong.
This is a bit late but
Merry Christmas y'all.
Photo Caption:
The Christmas Tree in Admiralty
Taken at the Study Area on Harcourt Road on December 9th, 2014.
金鐘的聖誕樹
可惜它不等到聖誕節了
夏慤道自修室的最後時光 2AM
Photo Credits & Chinese Photo Caption by Martin Witness
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New York based artist Yuko Shimizu puts a contemporary spin on Japanese woodblock prints and shares her support for Hong Kong protesters.
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Seen: GOOD LUCK HONG KONG
Who:ERIC /website
Where:M2 Gallery, Shinjuku
I mentioned here earlier that Eric and his Leica and his flash made it back to his hometown of Hong Kong for the recent Umbrella Revolution. Eric’s 1000 mega-watt intensity is here focused on the action in Hong Kong surer than any of the stuff he’s done before- there’s a maturity to these images that surpasses his earlier work- even his earlier Hong Kong pictures. Looking at his pictures I always feel that Eric’s allegiance is to photography first and foremost, ahead of any kind of politics or even aesthetics. I suspect that his thrill for it all is dependent on action but never quite about questioning the motives that power these flashes of movement that push him to trip the shutter.
His working style is somewhat unconventional- with his shooting, exhibiting, online & print publishing sometimes overlap- Certainly this show is a hint of what’s to come as he works through this series in its various stages. Here’s to hoping one of those stages is a new photobook.
GOOD LUCK HONG KONG is concurrently exhibited with Eric’s recent series on India, Eye of the Vortex, at Place M.
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1. 她看著海富天橋上的警察
十二月一日 早上8AM
She was gazing at the police on the Hai Foo Bridge
December 1st, 8 am
2.一名示威者被警察按在地上
警察不斷說「我無打佢」
A protester was suppressed on the ground by a police while the police kept saying “I didn’t beat him up”
3. 許多人慌忙地逃走，
面上都帶着恐懼
十二月一日 早上7:30AM
The crowd was escaping from the scene as fast as they could with fears on their face
December 1st, 7:30am
4 & 5. 佔領龍和道的示威者要眠一眠
十二月一日 早上5AM
Occupiers on Lung Wo Road taking a nap
December 1st, 5 am
6. 前線的小女孩
十二月一日 早上7AM
A young girl at the front line
December 1st, 7 am
7. 這是個灰色的早上
十二月一日 早上7AM
What a gloomy morning.
December 1st, 7 am
8. 與女孩作擁抱，祝福她不會有事
十二月一日 早上7AM
Hugs and blessing that she will be alright.
December 1st, 7 am
Photo Credits: Martin Witness
My heart aches for Hong Kong - A.
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Police yelling “I’ll hit whoever makes trouble”, stormed #mongkok #umbrellamovement #occupycentral #umbrellarevolution #occupyHK #blackandwhite #streetphotography #hkprotests #midnight #instameethk (at 旺角, 香港 - Mongkok, Hongkong)
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Lester Shum, deputy secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students
Photo Credits: Wilson Lau
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It’s been two months since September 28th when the riot police shot 87 tear gas bullets to the crowds. We’ll never forget.
Photo Credits: Billy HC Kwok
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Hong Kong police cleared a key pro-democracy protest site in ninety minutes, detaining student leaders and pushing back demonstrators in the biggest operation in two months.
Ranks of police officers stood guard at Nathan Road in the Mong Kok district as cleaners mopped up after initial skirmishes held back the morning removal of makeshift barricades and tents. Student leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum were detained.
Protesters’ options are shrinking as the police enforce court orders, public support wanes and China refuses to give in to their demands that it allow a free election for the city’s leadership in 2017. An earlier attempt to secure streets in Mong Kok, a densely populated working-class district, failed after demonstrators came back, and the police have vowed to keep roads open this time, setting the stage for clashes this evening when crowds typically swell.
“People are angry and confused,” Winnie Wong, a 21-year-old student, said at the site. “There are just the police, with violence to arrest and frighten people.”
Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg
© 2014 Bloomberg Finance LP
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November 25 & 26th, 2014. Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Let the photos speak for themselves.
Photo Credits: Martin Witness
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畢業了，她們說沒有比這裡更好的佈景。
旺角12am
Fresh graduates.
They said there’s no better place than this to take their graduation pictures.
Photo Credits by Martin Witness
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The police are ordered to clear out the protest area in Mong Kok. Hang in there everyone.
The Last Moments On Nathan Road by Martin Witness
1.對他而言，被清拆的不只是障礙物，而是自己的信念。
2-4. 十一月廿六日早上
彌敦道的最後時刻
5. 這是旺角最後的人鏈
6. 有警察強硬地把物資拉下清走
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