Myanmar, Let’s Bring Our Youth Home

In the early stages of Myanmar’s resistance movement, as thousands of young people were flocking to the borders to take up arms, I had a conversation with a friend from abroad. I showed them a video of men and women in the jungle, whose ages not too distant from us, preparing for combat. They remarked something along the lines of, “Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.” Asking for elaboration, they continued, “I don’t know; the fact that people our age are out there fighting at such a young age..it doesn’t sit well with me.” Indeed, to any neutral bystander, what’s going on in the country is disturbing beyond belief.

Out there in the jungles are students, journalists, accomplished professionals, community representatives, and activists — none of whom belong in the jungle. Yet, when their country’s freedom was being encroached upon, they stepped up to the unenviable task and volunteered to fight for democracy. This is a natural evolutionary instinct; to defend one’s community when it is being threatened and attacked.

This is a natural evolutionary instinct; to defend one’s community when it is being threatened and attacked.

However, as heroic as their actions may be, it has been especially painful to see our youth out of place. There’s a Burmese saying – လူမှန်နေရာမှန်– which roughly translates to the right person in the right place. Certainly, those revolutionary fighters are not where they should be. Some of them are students just like me, who should be pursuing higher education. There are activists who are better served helping their communities and celebrities who should instead be shaping Myanmar’s art culture.

It is hard not to have an extra sense of sympathy for the students in the jungle. The quarter system of UCLA may have me complaining, but I am constantly reminded that there are many others back home that don’t even have access to any education at all. I may not know them personally, but they have definitely humbled me, even from halfway across the world. Their work is noble and patriotic, but I sure hope they can get back into classrooms, laughing and bantering with friends. I hope they can be reunited with their families whom they have not seen for over a year. I hope they can go back to being stupid teenagers; no one should be deprived of that experience.

Unfortunately, however, some families have been torn apart forever. My sincerest condolences to everyone who has given their lives to this cause.

If you understand Burmese, I hope you take some time to check this video out. This video is of a son in the jungle calling his widowed mother for the first time in more than a year, trying to hold back tears during the call.