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  Ko Nwe's Oral History, Round 2

  • Male, 56 • Ethnic Karen farmer and Christian leader • Lives in a rural village within a contested region • Previously interviewed October and November 2020 • Had not been offered a COVID-19 vaccine as of January 2022 by any authority. • Feels that restrictions on movement and road closures ostensibly due to COVID-19 severely impacted livelihoods and restricted access to critical medicines. • Is pessimistic about improvement of conditions due to the pandemic and political crisis following the February 2021 coup.
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  Daw Shwe Shwe's Oral History, Round 2

  • Daw Shwe Shwe, Female aged 68 • Ethnic Burmese Buddhist • Previously interviewed October and December 2020 • Previously ran a mall snack shop owner on peri-urban area of central Myanmar town, but had to close it due to collapse in demand for snacks after the economic crisis since military coup of February 2021. • Has been relying on income sent by her son who works as a driver in Yangon and is seeking to sell land to provide some funds for the family. • Received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered by Ministry of Health. • Has not received any support from government or charitable groups in 2021 since the military coup. • Contributed repeatedly to local welfare groups throughout 2021, especially for funeral funds. However, there are a variety of new restrictions by the military authorities on charity work and funerals. • Avoids government health facilities as believe it has been starved of funds since the coup and that treatment there is now very risky. • Fear the country is being sent back to the “dark age” by the pandemic and return to military rule. • Fears for her safety as she lives next to military regime officials and a police officer who may be targets for bombing [by anti-military armed groups]. • Would be grateful if authorities could bring down the costs of food stuff and enable employment opportunities.
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  Ko Lin Lin's Oral History, Round 2

  • Ko Lin Lin, Male aged 30. • Ethnic Myanmar, Muslim. • Previously interviewed November and December 2020. • Prior to COVID-19 he was seaman working on a cruise-ship in the Caribbean but returned to Myanmar as his company terminated his contract. • Hopes to return to go back to work on the cruise-ship, but has so far been unable to do so due to travel restrictions and limited opportunities for Myanmar employees. • Caught COVID-19 in August 2021 along with this entire family. Struggled with breathing but recovered within a few days. • Sourced oxygen cannisters from local Muslim and Buddhist charity groups, but did not seek any treatment from public health facilities due to boycotting government services following the February 2021 coup. • Ran through much of his savings from working abroad and on cruise ships to help his family survive through the COVID-19 downturn. • Witnessed significant inflation in food stuff since early 2021, especially during Delta wave of mid-2021. Very sympathetic for poorer families without savings who could not afford to eat. • Supported needy relatives but was not asked to donate to any charity groups directly. • Got married amid COVID-19 lockdown in September 2021, with twenty people at an Islamic wedding ceremony at the mosque and a smaller wedding ceremony at his wife’s house. • Was vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine at a Ministry of Health facility for free but had doubts about its effectiveness. His family including wife got COVID Shield vaccine at a private clinic at a cost of 200,000 MMK [US$112] for both shots. • Had to bribe many officials to renew his passport to travel abroad, he felt due to his identity as a Muslim. As most Embassies remain closed due to the coup, however, has struggled to get a visa to travel abroad.
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  Mi Su Su's Oral History, Round 2

  • Mi Su Su, Female aged 33 • Ethnic Mon Buddhist • Primary school teacher and polling staff worker at 2020 election • Previously interviewed November 2020 • Her school has largely remained opened, except for period of peak COVID been recurrently closed since end of 2020 • Has experienced conflict with other teachers as she has chosen not to go on strike against the military dictatorship that seized power in February 2021. • Local police have been stationed at her school to protect against potential attacks on teachers or students. • Received an extra 30,000 kyats [around US$17] from the Ministry of Education for serving as a teacher after the February 2021 coup. • Did not receive any assistance from the military government in 2021, including at the peak of the Delta outbreak.
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  U Maung Win's Oral History

  • Male aged 50 • Ethnic Kachin, Christian businessman • Resides in Yangon • His retail shop had to close and adapt to online sales after lockdown • Led government neighbourhood-level COVID-19 response along with a charitable initiative distributing rice, oil and household items to trishaw drivers. • Received no government support as he is too affluent for criteria. • Witnessed both major political parties distributing food and relief to people in the neighbourhood and spraying streets with disinfectant. • Feels the government was careful and honest in communicating about the COVID-19 pandemic with citizens. • Worked at the polling station and distributed masks and face shields to the people who came to vote on the election day. • Feels people were not swayed to vote for any particular party by the COVID-19 social support as people can “separate the things that are important and unimportant” and had already made up their minds to vote for the NLD. • Thinks the government should do more for COVID-19 response including through tax reductions and loans to business people.
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  Ko Lin Lin's Oral History, Round 1

  • Ko Lin Lin, Male aged 29 • Ethnic Myanmar, Muslim • Seaman working on a cruise-ship in Caribbean and returned to Myanmar as his company terminated his contract due to COVID. • Was on the ship for four months without job or income for four months, until he could return to Myanmar. • Feels Muslim people have been discriminated on the grounds of ‘race and religion’. • Private donors came to community to distribute rice and other basic food items. • Felt people wanted to party and gather in the name of ‘election campaign’ because festivals like Thingyan [Burmese New Year] were cancelled due to COVID-19. • Could not convince his mother not to join election gatherings. • Thinks the government COVID strategy could be more effective but “if we were still under military rule they would just abandon all of us” as it would be far worse. • Feels the government should create job opportunities, ensure job security and protect the rights of labourers in order to promote post-COVID recovery. • Feels that a pandemic election was ‘risky’ but fears that if elections were not held and “someone else” gains power “it means the end for all generations in Myanmar”. • Voted for National League for Democracy in November 2020 election partly as he felt the government supported the return of migrant workers as COVID-19 worsened across the globe. • “It is better that NLD party win most of the seats because our fight is against the military.”
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  Daw Than Than Aye’s Oral History

  • Female, 54 • Ethnic Bamar, Buddhist • Yangon-based civil servant • Continued to receive salary as public servant so could support family during the pandemic. • Had to spend extra money to stockpile food during lockdowns, buying more than was necessary. • Experienced 14 days lockdown of her apartment building due to a neighbour catching COVID-19. • Neighbours broke rules several times to sell product in order to earn money for survival, resulting in a second case of COVID-19 and a subsequent second two week lockdown. • Local administrators distributed rice, oil and eggs to all apartments in her building during lockdown. Local donors also gave medicines and vitamins while family and friends gave meat and a company sprayed anti-virus solution on nearby roads. • Feels COVID-19 brought her family member together, especially as her mother’s dementia worsened during the pandemic requiring additional care. Government provided one-off cash payment for her mother during second wave. • Donated to monastery as monks were not able to collect donations house to house as usual. Took a loan from the government which will need to be paid back in a years’ time. • Thinks the government “did its best at supporting people” and managing COVID health and lockdown responses even though there “is not enough budget to support every household”. • Worked at the polling station for November election, distributing masks and face shields to voters. • Voted in 2020 with the hope of ending the involvement of the military in politics.
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  Ko Hla Maung’s Oral History

  • Male, 39 • Lives in provincial Myanmar city • Muslim community leader and businessman • Actively involved in welfare activities prior to the pandemic • Invited employees to move into the staff quarter of his business compound to prevent spread of COVID and enable business to continue during lockdown. • Business lost a lot of money during COVID as buyers could not make repayments on their past purchases • Donated to the Health Department and to charity groups involved in COVID relief via Muslim Association and individually • Distributed rice and cooking oil three times to 70 needy families in the neighbourhood during second wave • Had to intervene and explain to a Muslim man (now COVID patient) that his positive swab test administered in the presence of a Buddhist monk volunteering at a testing centre had nothing to do with religion. • Not worried about catching COVID-19 from voting because he wore and then was given an additional facemask on – plus the number of COVID cases was very low. • Hope that the next government continues to support the grassroots people to get through this difficult time, to create job opportunities for unemployed people when conditions improve and to offer more loans to business people. • Hopes that the NLD government would be able to foster diversity and equality in the next term, especially for Muslim community.
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  Mi Su Su's Oral History, Round 1

  • Mi Su Su, Female aged 31 • Ethnic Mon Buddhist • Teacher and polling staff worker • Concerned about people travelling before election, coming back to the village without staying at local quarantine centers. • Felt she was treated differently as a teacher because people thought she was taking a salary without any tasks and efforts for it during Covid-19 school closures. • Heard cases of financial support from the government mixing with election campaigning, or being directed to people who are ‘middle class’ and not ‘poor’. • Hope the new elected parliamentarians will create more job opportunities for people effected by COVID-19.
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  Michael’s Oral History

  • Male aged 32 • Ethnic Kachin Christian • Leader of Youth Department at a church in Yangon • Volunteered at a medical quarantine center. • Due to closure of churches, his family relied more on their farm though trade is disrupted. As a result, family is struggling financially. • Witnessed an increase in crime, associating this with the loss of income due to COVID-19 • Received one-off support from the church of food and cash initially during first wave and then again during second wave of COVID • Saw neighbors receive support from the government during the first wave but he did not receive as he did not fit their criteria. • Felt socially isolated as friends and colleagues avoided him because of the fear of catching the COVID-19 virus from him as he volunteered at the quarantine centre. • During the 2020 election he voted “to finish the business we started during 2015”.
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  Khin Hlaing’s Oral History

  • Businessperson and candidate for a minor political party in Yangon at November 2020 election. • Family company closed during the pandemic and children missed school. • Had to stop most party campaign activities during the pandemic, and instead erected billboards with the party’s logo and agendas ahead of the election. • Felt the restrictions on campaigning imposed by the Ministry of Health and Sport were not fair as it did not give permission to opposition parties to organize campaigns of their own. • Helped distribute masks to workless and lower income families like trishaw drivers and people struggling to earn money. Party also assisted in PPE and medical supply distribution to hospitals around Myanmar.
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  Thin Min Paing's Oral History

  • Male aged 25 • Ethnic Burmese Buddhist • English teacher in Yangon • One of his students was infected with the virus during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and he had to quarantine. • Contributed masks, food and money to COVID-19 patients who are workless and struggling to earn money and also donated money to buy surgical masks and PPE for doctors at Yangon Hospital. • Thinks the government should increase their support toward the workless and hungry, but understands their tight budget. • COVID fears created family tensions as his uncle chastised him for visiting his elderly grandfather after he completed quarantine. He felt this was unfair as he had tested negative to COVID twice and was taking precautions. • Was concerned about catching COVID whilst voting but felt he wanted to be a responsible citizen and he trusted the government’s preparation. • Does not think distribution of COVID-19 support from the government impacted how he or others voted because he had already decided his loyalty to vote National League for Democracy from 2015. Besides, feels the government is responsible for providing these supports during the COVID-19 pandemic anyhow and was just doing its job. • Feels Christians were singled out for gathering during COVID while violations of social distancing regulations by others communities were ignored.
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  Daw Shwe Shwe's Oral History, Round 1

  • Daw Shwe Shwe, Female aged 67 • Ethnic Burmese Buddhist • Small snack shop owner on peri-urban area of central Myanmar town • Family business impacted by drop in economy • Wants her son working in Yangon to return home as she is concerned about pandemic but he must continue to try and provide for his family • Grateful for receiving cash and in-kind government support even though it was not sufficient • Frustrated that urban monasteries closed but she instead went to monasteries in rural areas. Felt there was some discrimination: “Even the Buddhist can go to monasteries in secret, but I feel sad that Muslims cannot even go to mosques because they are shut down.” • A bit afraid to vote during COVID but wore a facemask to protect herself. • Feels there is more domestic violence/fighting in the village now because of economic hardship. • Wants the government to focus more on creating job opportunities for unemployed people as well as improving health care services in the next term.
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  Ko Nwe's Oral History, Round 1

  • Male, 54 • Ethnic Karen farmer and Christian leader • Lives in a rural village within a contested region • Government and armed group authorities both involved in imposing lockdowns • Prior experience of conflict meant most villagers had stockpiled food and staples already so were partly prepared when lockdowns were imposed. • Viewed lockdowns as difficult yet necessary to prevent “uncontrollable” spread of COVID-19. • Villagers raised funds to support COVID-19 prevention efforts elsewhere in Myanmar but not to support families impacted locally. • Concerned that closure of churches and resulting lack of donations restricts their capacity to support local families who may be struggling in the future. • Thinks government support to the needy should continue beyond COVID-19: “I think that the government is doing a fine job, but what worries me is food security for next year.”