The New York Times
By Zin Mar Aung
April 16, 2021
Ms. Zin Mar Aung, a former political prisoner, is an elected member of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Parliament) of Myanmar and the acting foreign minister of the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.
Elected legislators deposed in the February coup have a plan for building a new federal democratic union. We need help.Protesters prayed in Yangon, Myanmar, in March for demonstrators who died during demonstrations against the military coup.Credit...Theint Mon Soe/SOPA Images and LightRocket, via Getty Images
The people of Myanmar have been fighting for the life of our nation since the military, or Tatmadaw, seized power on Feb. 1. We have been protesting peacefully, risking our lives to protect neighborhoods, cities and towns — fighting not for any---one political party, ethnic group or leader, but for freedom and a genuine federal democracy.
This is why those of us who were duly elected to office by the people of Myanmar, and who continue to act for their interests, are now asking for direct help.