My last trip to a township in Kayah State in Myanmar was to take part in a three-day youth gathering. Attendance was lower than expected due to the current political situation. For the past three years, I have been frequently travelling to and from various townships. These journeys come with risks: inspections, confiscations, and even arrest.
Recently, travelling has become even more dangerous. There have been reports of innocent people being robbed and kidnapped by a military-affiliated armed group. Fortunately, some victims have been rescued by another armed group. People from Kayah State are especially vulnerable in these areas. It was only with the protection and guidance of those who rescued a local man that I was able to make this last trip.
During the gathering, many young people described feeling helpless, angry, hurt, and hopeless. After their small group sharing, several of them stood up to share their common feelings. One young woman spoke, “I used to dream of becoming a teacher so I could help other children learn. But now, I feel like that dream has been shattered.” She realises the importance of education, and yet, the lack of opportunity to study for three consecutive years now is killing her spirit. The tears in her eyes caused tears to well up in my own eyes. Dead silence fell upon us all as we listened to her speak.
Many young people feel that a bright future has been robbed from them. They feel a profound sense of loss. Some are very angry, and rightly so. Others are resilient and hopeful. Another young man declared, “We can’t and won’t give up but must keep fighting.” He sounded very determined and stammered through his speech from overexcitement, which aroused some laughter from the crowd. It was a light moment during that emotionally charged morning.
I held my tears back as I listened to them. I could only encourage them to acknowledge their feelings and realities while remaining resilient. I presented to them figures like Buddha, Jesus, and Victor Frankl, hoping that their tenacious spirits would inspire these young people. This session resonated so deeply that they talked much about it during the evaluation.
Despite the hardship, our people remain resilient and hopeful. Local resistance groups have pushed back the armed forces, allowing some villages to cautiously return and resume farming. However, the danger of aerial bombings is still imminent. A recent attack killed four people and injured 10 more.
It is about time to think about the rehabilitation process for the internally displaced people. A lot of healings will have to be done, spiritually, psychologically, economically, and so on. We will have to build up significant resources (both human and financial) in order to take part in responding to the needs of the people.
By Titus