A protester outside of the Myanmar embassy in Tokyo, Japan holds a sign with lyrics from the famous Burmese protest song “Kabar Ma Kyay Bu [Until the End of the World],” which reads: “The blood of the people on the pavements has not yet dried.”
She is accompanied by four others holding black umbrellas with the Burmese numeral for “8” emblazoned on it to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the “8888” Uprising for democracy in Myanmar on Aug. 8.
“[On this date], we will continue to march together until the very end of this unfinished, arduous, journey toward [completing] the people’s revolution [for democracy],” Tayzar San, a pro-democracy leader, physician, and librarian from Mandalay, shared on social media.
Similar rallies with four black umbrellas, now known as the Umbrella Strike, took place in the U.S., Australia, the U.A.E., and South Korea from Aug. 5-7 to commemorate the pro-democracy protests in Myanmar, which began on Aug. 8, 1988 and led to a violent crackdown by soldiers with thousands reportedly killed.
Commemorative events for the ‘8888’ Uprising have been reported in resistance-controlled areas of Sagaing Region. The Yangon Strike Group called on citizens to mobilise and raise awareness about Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, writing: “The unfinished 8888 — Together we struggle for people’s liberation.”
Every Aug. 8, the ‘8888’ Uprising is commemorated with pro-democracy rallies both inside and outside of the country. But it has become even more relevant over the last four years, since the military coup that ousted the democratically-elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government on Feb. 1, 2021.
The National Unity Government (NUG), which is led by jailed NLD State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, stated that “the people of Myanmar, who are now waging the Spring Revolution, are fighting with unshakable determination which is built on the democratic spirit forged in the 8.8.88 Uprising and decades of resistance.”
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has documented a total of 7,043 people have been killed in Myanmar by pro-regime forces since the 2021 coup. It adds that 22,276 are currently in prison for resisting the coup with 10,960 serving sentences.
The embassies of the U.S., the U.K, and Sweden, in Myanmar, commemorated the 37th ‘8888’ Uprising anniversary on Friday.
“On August 8, 1988, people across Myanmar bravely demanded economic reforms, sparking the 8888 pro-democracy movement. Thirty-seven years later, the courage of the millions involved continues to inspire,” the U.S. embassy in Myanmar shared on social media, adding that it honors and stands with the people “in pursuit of peace and self-determination.”
