Mizzima-Dec 18
Democracy has taken a turn for the worse under the Myanmar military that illegally grabbed power in February 2021 and the country’s youth are suffering as a result. Local and international attention is focused on the military’s planned elections set to start on December 28 that the generals hope will place a civilian fig leaf over military rule. While ASEAN has largely dismissed the poll, and many critics claim it will be a “sham,” Myanmar Gen Z civilians have other more pressing issues to deal with, with little or no interest in voting. After all, their choice of government under Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was axed in the wake of the coup, their elected leader jailed under trumped up charges. Take the situation of 20-year-old Hnin, a pseudonym. She fled
Myanmar to the border town of Mae Sot in Thailand. “I left my home because my mom was so afraid. After my older brother joined the resistance, the fear grew worse. People were saying it was the girls’ turn for (forced) military conscription. My mom brought me to Thailand so I could study for the GED (General Educational Development). For the first month, I was sad and wanted to go home every day. Now I am focused on my studies for IT, but if my mom said it was safe to return, I would go back immediately.” For many in Myanmar, life under the military junta is dire. Representatives of six ASEAN newsrooms met last November at the Rappler headquarters in Manila, Philippines to discuss common nagging challenges that have affected operations and revenues in recent years. Indonesia’s Tempo, Malaysia’s Malaysiakini, Myanmar’s Mizzima, Cambodia’s Kiripost, Singapore’s Straits Times, and Rappler were present during conversations on the rapidly changing media landscape, newsroom best practices, and possible areas of collaboration. The above is an excerpt of a contribution from SRI from Mizzima. Read more at: https://eng.mizzima.com/2025/12/17/29272#google_vignette
