02/02/2023
Two years on since the coup, the life of a CDM medical staff still uncertain
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Written by May Thanlwin, Brian Wei/ Than Lwin Khet News
30-years-old Aye spent one month in solitary confinement without sun or air at a jail of a border town in a neighboring country while illegally crossing the border hoping for a job opportunity in order to earn money to treat her 59-year-old father who is a cancer patient.
Aye, who refused to give her full name due to the fear of arrest, is a healthcare worker from Kachin state who joined civil disobedience movement in Myanmar when the military stage the coup about two years ago.
Failing to secure jobs in Myanmar after applying multiple times at six different hospitals in two different towns over one year period, Aye became desperate for her father medical bills. Then, she decided to hunt jobs in neighboring country by illegally crossing the border.
Aye spent last December in the solitary confinement in a foreign country’s jail.
"The private hospitals did not accept my application as there are pressure from military council," Aye explained regarding her failure of job applications.
"The military is pressuring not to allow the CDM health workers to work even at the charity clinics."
The military coup that took place on February 1, 2021, in Myanmar sparked a civil uprising as millions protested the coup. Myanmar's democracy movement is on the rise, and the movement of hundreds of thousands of civil servants walking out from offices refusing to work under the military regime also known as the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), has spread throughout the country.
Medical staffs nationwide were the initiator of CDM spreading the message across the country which then were joined by other departments such as education and railway.
Services at public hospitals have fallen after many doctors, nurses and healthcare staffs massively joined strikes in a Civil Disobedience Movement in the forefront of opposition to military rule.
About 40% of medical staffs have joined CDM in Myanmar according to CDM Medical Network that collects data on the medical staffs.
Myanmar’s health sector which has been in a state of flux since the beginning, has completely collapsed due to the military coup according to medical expert and an author Dr. Phyo Thiha.
“There will be a lot of difficulties in this part of the healthcare sector. But the army doesn't care,” he told Than Lwin Khet.
Since the coup at least 2900 people were killed and more than 17,500 were arrested by the military according to human rights organization that documents junta’s violations in Myanmar, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
Within two years of the coup, 83 health workers died in Myanmar as the military crackdown on them for joining the peaceful resistance. At least 355 health workers are arrested and being detained due to their movements of opposing the military regime according to CDM Medical Network, an independent organization that collects data on the situation of CDM health workers.
“It is not wrong to say that current revolution is continuing because of CDM. Although some government hospitals and clinics have returned their operation, they still cannot provide a good standard healthcare service as they did under civilian government, said Dr. Sit Min Naing who is in charge of CDM Medical Network.
The non-violence protest of Myanmar people refusing to accept the military regime, the CDM movement was also nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize by six academics in Norway.
Many CDM staffs have fled from their homes. Some are hiding in the liberated area controlled by ethnic armed groups. Some others have illegally crossed the borders to the neighboring countries desperately looking for jobs as well as running away from the military.
Myanmar’s parallel government National Unity Government and some organizations have been supporting the livelihood of some CDM healthcare staffs, however it is still not enough for the CDM-ers to continue to survive after losing their jobs.
Aye has received a total of 300,000 MMK (about $ 140) within two years period as a contribution from her friends and a couple of organization.
Working as a healthcare worker has been a dream for Aye since she was young. After experiencing four years in work, she become more certain of her interest in the career and hoping to go back to work one day.
" I am someone who love medicine. Being a staff in healthcare staff is also my hobby and my interest. I only want to do this job."
Aye was transferred back to Myanmar by respective authorities after spending one month in jail and now still looking for jobs hoping to pay medical bills for her father.
Photo - Healthcare CDMmers are seen in a protest on February, 2021.
