Sixth Generation
The role of the generations unfolds in the civic spaces and is elucidated by the political events that shape the storyline and are identified as important places by the speakers. These significant political events are for the second generation are:
Golden Spring 2021
1st February 2021 Military Coup
The revolution from 2021, the so-called Golden Spring, the second coup d’état after 1988, resulted from the election in 2020 when the NLD won sky rocking votes. It was clear that the Military Regime would not have any chances to remain in their dominant role.
The military coup took place on the 1st of February 2021 to prevent the NLD from further success. It seized control on 1 February 2021 following a general election in which Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD party won by a landslide.
It had backed the opposition, demanding a vote re-run, claiming widespread fraud. The election commission said there was no evidence to support these claims. Opposition activists have formed the Campaign for Civil Disobedience (CDM) and have helped organise strikes and mass protests against the coup. The Military has put them down with live fire, water cannons and rubber bullets.
What started as civil disobedience has now turned into a civil war across Myanmar. Local militias calling themselves People’s Defence Forces, or PDFs, have attacked military convoys and assassinated officials. The streetscape seems to be the only rally place that has not been under the control or radar of the military, and by the nature of the street as urban circulation, the space to protest becomes vast.
Civic Spaces
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First Generation
The 1947 Pinlon Agreement, championed by General Aung San, established a framework for Myanmar's multi-ethnic federal state, celebrated annually as "Union Day" on February 12th, but lat
Second Generation
Following the 1962 coup d'état, General Ne Win suppressed student activism by destroying RUSU and closing universities. This sparked underground resistance culminating in 1988 protests.
Third Generation
The 1974 U Thant Crisis erupted when Ne Win refused proper burial for the former UN Secretary-General, sparking student protests that led to a memorial built in 1975.
Fourth Generation
The 8888 Uprising saw massive protests against General Ne Win's 26-year military rule in Myanmar, marking Aung San Suu Kyi's emergence as a democratic leader.
Fifth Generation
The 2007 Saffron Revolution saw Myanmar monks protesting rising prices, facing military blockades at key pagodas.