An interview with Ma Phoo Pwint Wai, member of Chindwin West Bank Strike’s steering committee
September 26th, 2022
Nineteen months after the military coup, the Chindwin West Bank Strike still takes to the streets every day to continue its protest against the military dictatorship.
Ma Phoo Pwin Wai, a member of the Chindwin West Bank Strike’s steering committee, was interviewed to learn about the difficulties they face in their daily revolution against the military coup and the kind of violence the military council troops are using against the people in the region.
Q: First, tell us about the situation on the ground at the Chindwin West Bank Strike in the Anyar region.
A: Right now, there are many women comrades fighting shoulder to shoulder with the men in Anyar region, and there are also many comrades fighting on the strike lines in this revolution. Occasionally, we also occasionally join other strike lines. We have to ride motorcycles when we go. As women, we have some difficulties riding motorcycles. Another thing is that sometimes we have to spend the night there. So we are looked down upon. In Anyar region, many people still have conservative views. They object when we raise women’s htameins (sarongs) as flags. So as women, we face a lot of challenges and criticisms.
Q: Are there people who were arrested by the military council soldiers when they protested against the coup on a daily basis?
A: As far as I know, many people are arrested in urban areas. But since the junta’s rule in our areas is very weakened, there have been almost no arrests.
Q: What about the military council troops who torch houses and villages, arrest civilians and use them as human shields?
A: The Letpadaung copper mine project is in our region. So they [military council soldiers] are providing its security. They provide tighter security, especially when copper is being transported. In such cases, we have to stop our protest activities. The junta’s military columns go on a rampage when they enter a village. Sometimes they indiscriminately shell the village with artillery or machine guns before entering. They torched valuable houses in front of our eyes. It seems like they are trying to suppress the Anyar region until the people cannot rise up anymore. Therefore, they continue until the people of the region become impoverished.
Q: What difficulties do the women’s strike leaders in the Anyar region currently face when they go on strike?
A: Many of the comrades who are participating in the revolution have their own difficulties. But we continue our activities despite these difficulties. Among them, the financial difficulty is the biggest. It costs us at least 30,000 MMK every time we go on strike. So we have been supporting ourselves by growing and selling crops. With the skyrocketing fuel prices, it is very difficult for us to join other strikes.
Q: In conclusion, what would you like to say about the Spring Revolution to overthrow the military regime that staged the coup?
A: The people of the Anyar region will continue to persevere until victory is achieved. We will continue to fight. We started this revolution not with the thought of whether we can win, but with the conviction that we must win. So we sisters will continue to fight until we win.
Sent by Than Lwin Times