Myanmar Student Union (MSU) commemorated the 4th anniversary of the Myanmar Spring Revolution at the Fireside Dining on Feb. 3.

The event involved a political skit, symbolic songs, Burmese food, and a gallery called the Museum of Myanmar Spring Revolution.

There was also a tabling event led by student and youth organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Filipinx Student Union, and Anakbayan Daly City.  

MSU President Martin Tun briefly explained the history behind the military coup.

“Since our independence from colonialism, the military then went to power…there was a coup. They arrested all the political rivals and leaders and then took complete control of the country and they did whatever they [wanted] for their own profits and benefits for a small group of military, their families, and some of [the] very big cronies and capitalists,” Tun said.

Tun also mentioned that as a club, they have to think of the logistics of the event, but they are also trying not to lose track of the fact that they are a political organization so they try their best to also work on the educational aspect of their group’s goal.

MSU general member Me Me Hlaing Oo highlighted the importance of this kind of event not just for the Burmese community but also for different communities in Skyline who are experiencing parallel social issues.
“At this event, we wanted to dedicate at least two hours of the event time including the preparation dedicated to kind of remember what happened four years ago and the years before,” Hlaing Oo said.
Hlaing Oo explained how they planned the plays, poems, and songs to mirror the events in the coup to their current experiences.
Hlaing Oo also said that while they do not have the exact data on how many Burmese students attend Skyline College, they witnessed how the population grew after the military coup which makes the event relevant at this point in the semester.

“Sometimes we tend to forget what has pushed us to be here while struggling… So to remind them once again that we’re here because this political force pushed us out of home, it may look like we came here voluntarily,” Hlaing Oo said. “I think the entire Skyline community should understand our struggles, this political struggle. You can’t really separate our identity from the struggle, the political situation.”

“We also want to raise concerns of the issues that we have in or we just want [to] raise our voice that there’s a country that’s being oppressed by the military,” Pyae Phyo Lin–former MSU secretary general said.

To keep track of what is happening with the situation in Myanmar, Tun discussed how the club invited a student member of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions to one of their events to give a political perspective on what is happening.

Tun elaborated on how the events in Myanmar led to actual murders as the people dedicated their lives as they tried to fight back the military and how situations are more difficult due to recent events.

Tun also emphasized how youths sacrificed their future as they joined the revolution. 

To elaborate more on the matter, Tun talked about the conscription law where civilians and youth from 18 to 35 years old were kidnapped to join the military. 

According to the Associated Press, the military government of Myanmar enforced the conscription law on Feb. 10, 2024, following a series of setbacks.

“And now it is even worse because at the start of this year… they put out a new law that is restricting all the youths who are within the age range of the conscription to not be able to leave the country anymore,” Tun said.

In light of the events, Lin reminded the Skyline students to look back at history and never forget about the past and current events that are happening both in Myanmar and the U.S.

Tun encouraged Skyline students to organize and speak up against the oppressors.

“The people need to unite now more than ever,” Tun said.

This story has been edited to correct an error in the headline and a grammatical error in the text.