Issue Briefing No. 71

Generational Resistance for
Democracy: Three Generations'Resistance Against the Military
Junta in Myanmar
Interviewer and writer: Hnin Htet Htet Aung
(Master’s student, School of International and Public Policy, HitotsubashiUniversity)
June 19, 2024

*The paper was written based on an interview conducted on March 11, 2024.

Thant Zaw Htet, a Myanmar activist basedin Japan, plays an active role in the Myanmar
movement,

assuming

disseminating

responsibility

information

aboutforthesituation in Myanmar to Japanese society.
Thant is from a mixed ethnic background,with heritage rooted in both the Rakhine andBama ethnic groups, originating from theYangon region. The Institute for GlobalGovernanceResearch

conducted

aninformative interview with Thant Zaw Htet,with the objective of uncovering the dynamic
experiences of the Myanmar activist in Japan.
In 2006, Thant made the move to Japan with the intention of reuniting
with his father, marking the end of a 19-year separation. His father had fled
to Japan after participating in the 1988 uprising movements as a civil servant

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Generational Resistance for Democracy

Issue Briefing No. 71
from the Ministry of Electric Power. “When my father fled Myanmar, I wasonly 2 years old. Since his national identification number was removed fromthe list of Myanmar immigration, it took 19 years to reunite with him when I
came to Japan. While I was in Myanmar, I was not allowed to have a nationalidentification number due to my father's participation in the 1988 movement.
Every time my mother and I went to the immigration office, we were asked
about my father's national identification number. Consequently, I was unable
to provide my father's information on the application form," Thant recalled,reflecting on the obstacles he faced. His story illustrates how Myanmar
people’s fundamental human rights are violated by being rejected to hold anational identity card, even though he is a Myanmar citizen.
Throughout the interview, Thant frequently references his father, who
served as his initial guide into political activism. “Honestly, I wasn't involvedin politics in Myanmar before. But after coming to Japan, I noticed thatpeoplecriticize

Myanmarthemilitary

government a lot here,
and my father mademe close to politicians
who visited Japan soit's helping me learn
more," he said. Whendiscussing

Myanmarpolitics, he reflectedon his political stanceduring the years 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2020. “I joined movements in Japanagainst the 2008 constitution made by the military. That's why I didn't votein the 2010, 2012 by-elections, and 2015. Even though I support Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi, I can't accept elections under the 2008 constitution. Likewise,some people in Japan from different ethnic groups don't believe she canamend it. However, in 2020, we voted for the National League for Democracy
in support of democratic promotion. But unfortunately, the will of the people
was neglected when the military coup occurred before the elected
parliamentarians could convene," he said. Witnessing his experience makes
it clear to see how people placed hope in the 2020 election results, despite
not accepting the existence of the 2008 constitution, and how those hopes
were destroyed by the military coup.
While Thant's father guided him in political activities, Thant also assumes
the same role as his father in leading his daughter to know about Myanmar

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Issue Briefing No. 71
and to spread information about what is happening in Myanmar. “Mydaughter was born and raised in Japan. She is now a junior high school
student. We always let her know about
Myanmar culture, food and democratic
leaders. It helps her to make presentationsat school. As my father and I are involved inpolitical activities, she came to know whatis happening in Myanmar and why we areworking on Myanmar issues,” he stated. In
this scenario, we observe the enduringresistance of the Myanmar people againstthe dictatorship regime spanning three
generations: from grandfather, to father, togranddaughter.
In discussing the various initiatives
aimed at combating the military coup, providing aid to internally displaced
individuals, and raising awareness about the ongoing situation in Myanmar,
he elaborated on his involvement: “I am one of the founding members of‘Revolution Tokyo Myanmar.’ Our group emerged on May 9, 2021, right infront of Nakano station, marking the inception of a grassroots movement. Our
primary objective was twofold: to discourage the Japanese government fromsupporting the military junta, and to mobilize support from both the Myanmar
diaspora and the Japanese community. Beyond fundraising efforts, wesought to shed light on the plight of Myanmar by distributing informative
pamphlets. Through our collective endeavors, we aimed to amplify the voicesof those affected by the crisis and galvanize solidarity both locally andinternationally. In addition to donations from others, I have been regularly
contributing
memberasofatheOur

primary

objective

wastwofold:todiscourage the Japanese government fromMyanmar diaspora.”
At the conclusion

supporting the military junta, and to mobilizeof the interview, Thantsupport from both the Myanmar diaspora andearnestly

the Japanese community.

his

expressedgratitude

totheJapanese people for their generous contributions to the people of Myanmar
amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis and resistance against the military
junta. "We cannot express enough gratitude to the Japanese people,
particularly those who rally others to join them in supporting the people ofMyanmar. At this critical moment, I urge and encourage the Japanese3

Generational Resistance for Democracy

Issue Briefing No. 71
population to take a closer look at how their tax contributions are allocated.
It's crucial to understand that Official Development Assistance may aid themilitary junta responsible for the atrocities inflicted upon our people,
including killings, arson of civilian homes, and airstrikes on villages," heemphasized. In regard to gathering accurate information about the situation
in Myanmar, Thant suggested, "as a Myanmar activist residing in Japan, I
would advise the Japanese government to actively collect ground-level
information about the ongoing events in Myanmar. Such efforts wouldundoubtedly support the aspirations of the Myanmar people in their quest toreclaim democracy.”Thant Zaw Htet Profile
Thant Zaw Htet is an office worker living in Japan with his family. He studied
mechanical engineering at Thanlyin Technological University in 2003 andcame to Japan in 2006. In 2021, after the military coup, he joined Revolution
Tokyo Myanmar – RTM, and is a member of the National Unity Government ofMyanmar. Since the military coup in 2021, he is currently a member of theNational Unity Government of Myanmar Representative Office – Japan.

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Generational Resistance for Democracy