Sensing Myanmar – exploring violence and resistance

By pressing play you accept cookies and tracking from the external video-provider.

Find the video here

Violence across Myanmar has increased dramatically in intensity, visibility, and scope since the military coup of 1st February 2021. Various forms of resistance have emerged in response. Resistance has been creative and increasingly militant. Physical, structural, and symbolic violence, including arrest, torture, intimidation, and misinformation has been endemic to the military’s effort to quash dissent.

Cognizant of the fact that recent atrocities are part of a longer history, this webinar explores the exercise and experience of violence with a focus on the forms of violence that the coup has accelerated; and the responses to violence that have emerged. We will explore the implications of these forms and responses to violence for the relationship between state, communities, and people at this time of deep crisis.

Via a lively dialogue between engaged conversation partners this webinar seeks to ‘make sense’ of unfolding events and their effects. This will take outset in a keynote by Ye Moe Hein, exploring the armed resistance since the coup with a particular focus on institutionalised forms of violence. Prominent Myanmar activists and experts will then address questions around: the degree to which forms of violence and resistance are novel; the ripple effects of different types of violence – from open warfare to cyber surveillance and scare-mongering - on communities; the implications and agency of people and communities exposed to the violence and for Myanmar’s future, as well as other pressing matters of concern.

The webinar also marks - one year on – the ongoing struggle for recognition, democracy, and justice in Myanmar.

Speakers
Nick Cheesman, Fellow at the Australian National University
Andrew M. Jefferson, Senior Researcher, DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture and Principal Investigator on research project Legacies of Detention in Myanmar 
Liv Gaborit, Postdoc, Lund University and spokesperson for Myanmar Action Group Denmark
Ye Moe Hein, Fellow with the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former Executive Director, Tagaung Institute of Political Studies
Susanne Kempel, independent anthropologist
Helene Maria Kyed, Head of Research Unit, DIIS – Danish Institute for International Studies
Tomas Max Martin, Senior Researcher, DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture
Lian Hmung Sakhong, Minister of Federal Union Affairs at the National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) and Vice Chairman of Chin National Front (CNF )
Ma Thida Sanchaung, Medical Doctor, writer, human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience. She is a Visiting Research Associate at the Council on Southeast Asia Studies at Yale University
Thinzar Shunlei Yi, democracy activist and advocacy coordinator at Action Committee for Democracy Development, runs a public advocacy campaign at PyiThu Pan Daing (former Peoples' Soldiers) and is a founder of a global campaign for women solidarity with Myanmar #Sisters2Sisters for the revolution 

Programme
13.00-13.05   Welcome, Helene Maria Kyed
13.05-13.10   Introduction, Andrew Jefferson 
13.10-13.30   Keynote speech: The armed resistance after the military coup, Ye Moe Hein
13.30-13.50   Q&A - moderated by Helene Maria Kyed
13.50-14.50   Conversation about violence and resistance

• Lian Hmung Sakhong
• Thinzar Shunlei Yi 
• Ma Thida Sanchaung 
• Liv Gaborit
• Moderated by Susanne Kempel

14.50-15.00   Resistance Art - presentation, Tomas Martin
15.00-15.30   Q&A - moderated by Susanne Kempel
15.30-15.35   Poem reading, Ma Thida Sanchaung
15.35-15.50   Discussion of key takeaways, Nick Cheesman 
15.50-16.00   Wrapping up, Andrew Jefferson

Recorded on Friday 11 February 2022.