‘A comedy show’: Myanmar youth in exile slam military-run ‘sham’ election

‘A comedy show’: Myanmar youth in exile slam military-run ‘sham’ election Myanmar tattooist Ng La cares little for Sunday’s national election organised by his country’s despised military leaders. Mae Sot, Thailand - On the outskirts of this small Thai town on the border with Myanmar, a tattoo artist’s gun buzzes alongside a blaring punk music soundtrack. “Punk means freedom,” says Ng La, his face and body covered heavily in tattoos. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Belarus president becomes only second leader to visit Myanmar since coup list 2 of 4 Myanmar’s military rulers grant amnesty to thousands ahead of election list 3 of 4 Trump administration ends temporary immigration status for Myanmar citizens list 4 of 4 Explosive weapons caused record child deaths last year: Save the Children “It’s more than just music or fashion - it’s a way of life,” he tells Al Jazeera while tattooing a fellow Myanmar national-in-exile at the back of his “punk bar” in Mae Sot, in Thailand. To live free was one of the reasons Ng La fled his home in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. But the 28-year-old now lives precariously as an undocumented Myanmar national in Thailand, though that is, he says, better than being captured by the military regime that he first resisted, fled from and then fought against. “The biggest fear was that if I got arrested, I would be deported back into the hands of the Myanmar military,” Ng La said. “We are no longer afraid of dying,” he said, but getting caught by the military would be worse than death. Ng La’s journey into exile in Mae Sot is not uncommon for many young people from Myanmar who have fled the civil war back home. His journey began when he joined demonstrations in February 2021 after Myanmar’s military toppled the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup overturned the results of Myanmar’s 2015 and 2020 elections, which were considered the first fair elections in Myanmar’s history and were easily won by Aung San Suu Kyi - a longtime democracy activist and hero to many in Myanmar. The military takeover also triggered a civil conflict that has killed thousands and seen horror engulf much of the countryside, including air strikes on rural populations, the use of landmines, oppressive conscription laws enacted by the military regime and widespread political oppression - including executions. “When the coup first began, the fascist military ordered the people not to go outside or protest for 72 hours,” Ng La recounted. “During that 72-hour period, me and two of my friends protested on the street with handmade banners,” he said. Fearing arrest, Ng La fled to the jungle along Myanmar’s border with Thailand to join the People’s Defence Force (PDF), one of the many armed groups that emerged to fight military rule. But, after heavy clashes in February 2022 between the PDF and the Myanmar military, Ng La was forced to flee once again and secretly crossed into...

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