News

On February 1 a military coup took place in Myanmar. The country, that was slowly wrenching its way out of the tight grip of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) was now again under full military control. With the return of a political situation much like the past decades of military dictatorship came also the return of a resistance movement. Around Myanmar people expressed their contempt for the coup through banging pots and pans, street protests and civil disobedience.

While people in Myanmar courageously took to the streets to confront the military, people around the world gathered in solidarity. In Denmark, refugees from Myanmar and Danish friends of Myanmar, who were only too familiar with the cruelty of the Tatmadaw rallied in street protests, collections of funds for those now oppressed by the Tatmadaw and spoke up in the media to increase awareness of the military coup among danish people. In the midst of this momentum for supporting the people of Myanmar in their fight against yet another authoritarian regime, a group of people realized that Denmark lacked an organization focused on Danish support to Myanmar. In our neighboring countries Burma Committees work for the continued support for democracy in Myanmar. In Denmark, there had been no such organization for the last decade. Therefore, we decided to establish a new organization to facilitate Danish support for the people in Myanmar as they fight for democracy in the current crisis and in the future as they rebuild the country and take steps towards a democracy where human rights are respected and equality of all people in Myanmar is a main priority. We established Myanmar Action Group Denmark.

Myanmar Action Group Denmark is established by a group of volunteers who care deeply for the people in Myanmar. We care, because some of us were born in Myanmar and had to flee to seek protection in other countries. We care, because some of us came to Myanmar as foreigners and were greeted by a kindness and hospitality that made us feel at home and fall in love with the people of Myanmar. We care, because we believe all people should have the right to live freely and feel safe in their own home.

Myanmar Action Group Denmark is created as a platform through which to provide resources for people in Myanmar and increase awareness in Denmark about the situation in Myanmar. Additionally, we seek to strengthen connections between Myanmar people in Denmark and Danish people who have strong ties to Myanmar. Representation of Myanmar people in the organisation is a foundational value of MAGD.

We, the board of Myanmar Action Group Denmark, hope the establishment of this organisation will generate support that enables the people of Myanmar to continue taking action against the military regime.