The Crisis in Burma

Last night, my mother hosted an event for a woman named Khinsandi Lwin, who is from Burma. The Los Angeles Chapter of American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) hosts chapter events, and this was one of them. I, being a teenager, am not usually invited, but since this one was at our house, I luckily was able to attend. 

Khinsandi came to the United States after the first government take over, which was in the early 1960s. She was ten years old and was able to get out because of her parent's connections. Others, she noted, were not as fortunate. 

Since she left, Burma has been under a military regime, relatively cut off from the rest of the world. And, there was another takeover in the 1980s while she was in the US.

Last night, she was at our house to discuss the current Burmese crisis. In 2021, there was yet another military coup. Although there have been many, she believes this one will be different. 

Read about the current issue here 
- the article is from April, but it covers the basics. 

She and her husband used to both be involved in the UN but retired in 2017. She has worked with Unicef too, however, and founded a women's leadership training retreat for Burmese women. 

Since the start of the 2021 coup, Khinsandi and her husband have taken to fundraising for the Burmese community. People have been losing their jobs, access to food, and family members. It's been around 8 months without foreign aid as the UN cannot recognize the new "government" as legitimate. So, people in Burma have been left without any help. 

What was the most interesting to me, however, was Khinsandi's emphasis on community and volunteerism. People without food put red flags on their houses, and by the end of the day, food has arrived. If someone needs medical assistance, doctors help, despite the risk of imprisonment. Khinsandi says that it's absolutely overwhelming, and the people helping themselves in any way makes her want to do even more for them. 

This is why Khinsandi believes that this coup will be different. Volunteerism, she says, is something that is new this time around. People are over it, and they want a new, democratic government. 

I for sure hope that this coup will be the last coup.