Rangoon’s New Year Wishes

By Yeni

April 19, 2007—Burma’s former capital Rangoon celebrated this year’s Thingyan, or water festival, not only with the predictable rock concerts, DJs, dance music and chaotic water-throwing events, many of which were sponsored by commercial interests or the military government.

The country’s democracy movement—comprising activists and family members of the country’s many political prisoners—also took to the streets to usher in the traditional New Year.

On April 17, activists led by the 88 Generation Students group carried fish-pots and bird-cages to Rangoon’s landmark Inya lake near the house of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. They held a ceremony during which they symbolically released the animals into the lake and into the air.

“The suspicion, hatred, intimidation and fear encountered throughout last year has obstructed our progress,” the 88 Generation Students said in a released statement. “We must brush off these evils by ourselves. We must build up our political, economic and social life. Understanding must be built among each citizen, among ethnic nationalities and among all parties. We must have negotiation. This year is a new year of negotiation.”

Will Burma’s ruling generals take this message to heart? Many doubt they will. In fact, numerous jokes circulated about Burma’s aging rulers being fearful of the water during Thingyan because they could catch cold—at their age, a fearful prospect. Snr-Gen Than Shwe kept a safe distance from the revelers by attending a Buddhist ceremony in Maymyo, Mandalay Division, during which he received religious instruction from the chief of Burma’s revered monks.