The Myanmar military regime is once again forcing its civil servants to take part in the country’s traditional New Year Thingyan water festival to create the false impression that the situation in post-coup conflict-torn Myanmar is back to normal under military rule.
Thingyan celebrations, which take place in the second week of April, were canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19 and boycotted by the people in 2021 after the military coup.
The regime tried to hold the water festival last year by bringing in its followers and pro-regime entertainers in Yangon and persuading local residents to join the festival. However, the majority of the people avoided the regime-organized Thingyan, regarding it as the junta’s propaganda attempt to show the world the situation in Myanmar was under control.
In Yangon this year, civil servants from the city’s municipal body, the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), say they are being forced to participate in the Thingyan events.
“I have to go to the Yangon’s mayor pavilion for two days to take part in the festival. We need to present the image of a crowded water festival,” a YCDC staff member told The Irrawaddy.
The same is happening in the administrative capital Naypyitaw, the junta’s seat of power. Here the regime has ordered each ministry to assign 60 staff to join the festival. Any ministry that fails to do so will be punished, according to civil servants in the capital.
Despite the junta’s ongoing violence, arson attacks, and airstrikes across the country, the regime has announced that Thingyan will be happily celebrated by large crowds nationwide.
In Yangon, the central pavilion has been built in a public park together with 10 pavilions of government departments.
The public Thingyan festival will be held at the park and near the mayor’s Thingyan pavilion outside Yangon City Hall. The regime has announced it will also allow the public to set up pavilions upon request. However, the YCDC staff member said there are almost no applicants for the private pavilions.
Resistance forces are urging the people to avoid festival events organized by a regime that has killed more than 3,000 people and detained over 17,000.
The resistance groups want to rebrand this year’s New Year celebration as “Revolutionary Thingyan” out of sympathy for those who have sacrificed their lives in the revolution, those who have lost their homes and property in regime arson attacks, and those who have been detained and repressed in prisons.
Yangon residents who spoke to The Irrawaddy said they were in no mood to take part in the country’s largest celebration, citing the climate of violence and instability. Yangon has been hit by frequent bomb blasts and the regime has stepped up arrests of young people it accuses of anti-regime activities, they pointed out.
“I will not go outside during the day of the Thingyan festival. No one can tell whether there will be attacks targeting regime followers during the Thingyan holidays,” a 26- year-old Yangon resident told The Irrawaddy.
Possible violence is also a major concern for those being forced to attend.
“I’m afraid about going to the Yangon’s mayor’s pavilion. No one can guarantee our safety,” said a YCDC staff member.
