Myanmar: The Weight of Freedom

Insight Myanmar

“You know, I’m not a superwoman or anything, but at least I can do what I can do.” Humble and understated, Moe Thae Say’s quiet confidence belies her courage. She lived a comfortable life in Yangon, surrounded by friends and family who even in the fog of wartime continue to enjoy the luxuries of a middle-class lifestyle. Soon after the coup, the war raging on, something began to stir in her. Soon enough, Moe Thae Say found herself in the jungle, having committed herself to helping and training with the People’s Defense Force (PDF).

Before the coup, she was deeply embedded in the Yangon creative industry, a digital creator who rose to become a Creative Director. During the pandemic, a new entrepreneurial side emerged as she created a successful business crafting unique decorative items from concrete and cement. Moe Thae Say’s life was on a clear trajectory, but when the military took control in February 2021, she was unwilling to normalize the dictatorship.

Feeling unable to stand by while her fellow civilians suffered, she made the irreversible decision to leave Yangon, joining her comrades at the border. She used profits from her business to support the resistance efforts, ultimately sacrificing her livelihood to join the PDF. Her journey began with a grueling two-month combat training course deep in the jungle.

Disconnected from the world, she faced extreme psychological challenges, struggling with pre-existing PTSD and the harsh physical demands of the camp. Training was led by Myanmar military defectors, giving Moe Thae Say an unprecedented look into the inner workings, weapons and tactics of the professional army she was now preparing to fight.

At first, the most challenging experience was handling a weapon. Having never touched a gun before, she recalled feeling terrified, being told by one of the trainers that her heart was beating “louder than the gunfire.” Discrimination was also rife, as she was one of only seven women among sixty trainees. The leaders initially attempted to segregate them, assuming they lacked the capacity for frontline service. But she and the other women challenged this prejudice directly, determined to be treated equally and undertake training alongside the men. “Most of the service women in the military, they just worked in the backline,” she notes.

Even after Moe Thay Say completed her combat training and expressed her wish to go to the front line, gender norms continued to restrict her ability to contribute to the struggle. Her service shifted to essential management, medic training and administrative support – vital yet unglamorous work. Despite the hardships, the presence of her fiancé and the overwhelming sense of purpose carried her through the most extreme period of her life