Worried about Myanmar’s future

Cyber protests: Than Phe Lay says they will make their feelings heard via online protests.

PETALING JAYA: Myanmar nationals in Malaysia are very worried about the political situation back home, saying that they are losing hope on the future of their country.

They believe that the military coup has reversed the little freedom the country had achieved a few years ago.

NGO worker Nanj Moon, 42, said there was a feeling of doom and gloom among the Myanmar community in Malaysia.

“People are worried about their families back home. It is hard for us to eat.

“This is the first time I have ever shed tears because of the political situation in the country, ” said Moon, who is from the Shan state in northern Myanmar.

Than Phe Lay, who is a representative of the National League of Democracy (NLD), said they would make their feelings heard via online protests.

He said because of the movement control order, they were not able to send a memorandum to the Myanmar embassy.

“The military government should release all the detained leaders immediately, ” he said.

Aung Aung, 60, is scheduled to go back to Myanmar within the next few days, and for him it is a bittersweet feeling of returning home after 30 years.

He fled Myanmar for Malaysia in 1989 following civil unrest in the country.

“I want to return to my motherland, but I don’t agree with the military government. I have no choice but to go back as I want to see my sisters who are very old, ” he said.

Malaysia has a sizeable population of Myanmar nationals who mostly come here for economic reasons. There is also a huge refugee community of people from Myanmar.

Kyaw Than, 37, who works at a chicken rice shop in Kuala Lumpur said he was elated with the results of the election in November last year but these feelings have now changed with the coup.

“I am very angry. When are things going to get any better?” said Kyaw Than, who has been in Malaysia for five years.

On Monday, a year-long state of emergency was declared in Myanmar hours after leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling NLD party were detained in an early morning raid.

Myanmar’s army have said that power was handed to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Min Aung Hlaing.