My Dangerous, Lonely Life in Myanmar’s Resistance

The New York Times

By Nan Lin
Mr. Nan Lin is a Myanmar activist in hiding in Yangon.
March 19, 2023

Protesters wave the flags of groups opposed to Myanmar’s military during a protest in Yangon in 2021 against the coup that took place three weeks earlier.Credit...USUAF

 

YANGON, Myanmar — When the military seized power in a coup on the morning of Feb. 1, 2021, I grabbed some clothes and other essentials and stumbled out onto the streets of Yangon. I haven’t returned home since.

I lead a group of activists opposed to military rule of Myanmar, and I knew then that the soldiers would soon be coming for me. Since the coup, my colleagues and I have played cat and mouse with security forces in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. We organize nonviolent protests — small, quick demonstrations to remind the military that it is not in complete control and to give hope to our citizens.