As Myanmar spent a third year under military rule, 2023 has been tough for Myanmar’s people with deepening economic, social and humanitarian crises.
But 2023 has also brought encouragement as revolutionary groups found fresh momentum and seized towns from the regime after October. Civilians and members of revolutionary groups recently talked to The Irrawaddy about their New Year’s wishes.
Ma Thuzar
27, trader, Loikaw, Karenni (Kayah) State
Business was rather good in 2023. We have got a new house. As things started to get better, we had to flee when fighting broke out at the end of the year. We want to move back to the city with stability. We want to be safe and free.
Daw Myo Myo Aye
Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar
The year saw a crackdown on trade unions. Food prices have soared but salaries did not increase in factories. Employers did not increase pay, saying the minimum wage had not increased. There is still no clear answer about the new minimum wage. There is no legal protection for workers to form and join trade unions. I hope we have stability in 2024. Everything depends on the security landscape, if there is no stability, everything will be shaky.
Ma Ei Mon
17, Depayin Township, Sagaing Region
We have had a lot of difficulties in 2023. We could not study well. We fled our classroom when soldiers came and when the military fired shells from Ye-U. I have spent the whole year in fear. In 2024, I don’t want to live in fear anymore. I want to live and study peacefully.
Ko Win Myint Oo
Yangon resident
We have had to struggle in 2023 to earn a living. Some left to work in Singapore and Japan. As they work, they assist the revolution when they can. Those left behind also support the revolution as they scrape a living. But we are not feeling down. We are prepared to endure, hoping that the revolt against the dictatorship will finally succeed in 2024. I am concerned about the young people fighting in the revolution. I don’t want the fighting to drag on. I nervously hope that we will be able to celebrate together in 2024.
Duwa Lashi La
Acting President of the National Unity Government
There is a special need to review our actions and efforts across 2023 and analyze our shortcomings and weaknesses. People should prepare for many new challenges and military turning points in 2024. We have to prepare with farsightedness as a new year begins.
Salai Htet Ni
Chin National Army spokesman
We will try to escalate fighting in 2024 by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of our forces and those of our enemy in 2023. I hope that besides the armed organizations that have already joined the revolution, other armed organizations will also actively participate in the revolution to root out the regime. I believe we will install civilian administrations in harmony with our military operations in 2024.
Julia
Beautifier of Diversity Network spokeswoman
It was a tough year. The year started with a cooking oil crisis and ended with a fuel crisis. Prices further increased in response to news about the planned introduction of a new [20,000-kyat] banknote and prices did not go down until the end of the year. Some commodity prices have quadrupled since the 2021 coup. We have had to struggle to make ends meet amid increased robberies and muggings. We have lived in constant fear of arrest, beatings or killings. There was nothing good to expect. We have endured this with our determination to fight the dictatorship until the end, no matter what happens.
Human rights declined in 2023. We lost any freedom of expression and many people have been arrested for just changing their Facebook profile photos to black when their personal data was exposed by pro-junta Telegram channels. People were questioned for allegedly participating in the flower strike when they went to markets to buy flowers for their homes. As a civilian, I want the entire military dictatorship removed in 2024. I want to reunite with people who have been parted. I want to welcome those who would return home with victory. I want to see Myanmar as a peaceful country with social cohesion under a civilian government that respects human rights.
Ko Nan Lin
Anti-Junta Alliance, Yangon
The failures of the regime were clearly visible in 2023, which has dispelled the general notion that the military is strong, and it would win control in the end. At the same time, hardships have worsened for people day by day.
Despite those crises, all could shape together the best possible opportunity to end the military dictatorship and Min Aung Hlaing’s regime and rebuild the country with a new system for a new era.
I think the defeat of the regime will become more visible in 2024 and we will have to go through the toughest period of the revolution.
The fighting will be more intense the closer we get to victory. We have to make sure we achieve victory. It is our goal to end the dictatorship and build a federal democracy. While fighting the military dictatorship, there is a need to systematically establish an administrative system based on pragmatism and federal principles, and provide humanitarian assistance in areas controlled by resistance forces. I hope the NUG and revolutionary organizations have a strategy to eliminate the military dictatorship and there will be more definitive political agreement between them for the transition period.
