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Myanmar’s meme generation mocks the country’s military

Asian Stories • Published on 12 February 2021
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Armed with witty placards — “F**k the military coup! I’m still single!” — and wearing elegant evening dresses, a large group of Burmese women make their way through Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.

They’ve joined thousands of young people who have turned out across Myanmar to protest against the country’s military regime.

“We want to show that young girls are also participating against the military coup,” one woman told Frontier Myanmar.

Video from the "princess protest". “We want to show that young girls are also participating against the military coup. We thought these costumes were the most obvious way to do that,” said one member.#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
Read more on our liveblog: https://t.co/3I5sZ5Pxb4 pic.twitter.com/q3fX9H8MoC

— Frontier Myanmar (@FrontierMM) February 10, 2021

Trolling the military

Irreverent signs and quirky outfits have become a feature of the recent protests, with digital savvy young people taking ‘meme’ humour from their social media feeds to the streets.

Their message is clear: solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi’s deposed civilian government.

But their approach — trolling the military junta — has proved an engaging and effective way of drawing attention to their plight.

Protesters have often tapped into their personal lives for inspiration.

“Getting democracy is [a] bigger concern for us than getting husband[s],” reads one woman’s sign.

People of all ages have joined today’s street protests, but youth make up the biggest chunk. A generation that grew up trading memes on Facebook is taking their wit, irreverence and innuendo to placards mocking the military.

Read more on our liveblog: https://t.co/5PdwAmYlUi pic.twitter.com/uGCzks1nOj

— Frontier Myanmar (@FrontierMM) February 8, 2021

One protester holds a sign pledging to keep up the fight for democracy … at least until his football team wins Europe’s Champions League.

“We will fight for Democracy until Arsenal win the Champion[s] League title.”

His club’s lowly position in England’s Premier League suggests the fight will be a long one.

Hands down best sign. #Myanmar #Myanmarcoup #myanmarmilitarycoup #CivilDisobedienceMyanmar pic.twitter.com/2rcZre1HNi

— Kim Jolliffe (@Kim_Jolliffe) February 10, 2021

Chilled out protest

The protests have mostly been peaceful, with some demonstrators taking a very laid-back approach.

“We don’t want to Netflix and chill”, reads the sign of one protester, sat in an inflatable pool. “We want to protest and chill.”

Others brought their knitting. Some appeared to wear pyjamas.

Myanmar people are protesting peacefully.
HEAR OUR VOICE#WeNeedDemocracy #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #Feb10Coup pic.twitter.com/QNyWwdJsQo

— Moxie Moon (@Claire11890358) February 10, 2021

Mocking the military is unlikely to force a swift return to democracy in Myanmar. But it’s proving an effective method for drawing global attention to the ongoing protests.

More from Myanmar

  • Frontier Myanmar
  • Myanmar Now
Tags: Asian Stories, Myanmar, Social Media
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