Philippine labor groups said that the Myanmar coup serves as an important lesson to governments around the world – that the people will not accept military rule.

Trade unions and civil society groups in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and General Santos City on Thursday evening, February 11, joined the global noise barrage condemning the military takeover of the Myanmar government.

Labor group Sentro secretary-general Josua Mata, speaking for Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa, said that Malacañang and other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should condemn the coup in Myanmar, instead of calling it an “internal matter.”

“What happened in Myanmar can happen anywhere, and we don’t want that. It is an important lesson for any government around the world. The people will not readily accept the rise of any military rule,” Mata said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The labor groups also called on governments to stop providing financial aid or arms to the Myanmar army. They noted the importance of having a unified ASEAN against the Myanmar junta.

In separate statements, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) called for an immediate end to the coup and the release of political detainees.

“Any and all attempts by the military to take over the civilian and democratically established governments around the world, much to the detriment of the working people and the citizenry, must be quashed,” Nagkaisa said.

For KMU, the real losers in this war are the workers and the marginalized.

“The brazen act put the nation again into the hands of military rule after gaining wider democratic space in the past decade.… This move will burden primarily the workers, peasants, and other toiling people of Myanmar,” KMU said.

Photo by Jire Carreon/Rappler

Lesson for Filipinos

On Thursday, Pakisama executive director Soc Banzuela said that the plight of Burmese people is also relevant for Filipinos.

“Para ngang may military junta [dito] dahil ang Cabinet members natin mga dating general. (It’s as if there’s a military junta here with the number of Cabinet members who are retired generals),” Banzuela said.

Banzuela said that there had been moves to install a revolutionary government, plus the suppression of activism and freedom of speech with the controversial anti-terror law.

“Tayo ay natatakot din na ito ay mangyari sa atin, magkaron din ng military junta. Alam natin ang nangyayari sa ating panahon mula ng mahalal ang kasalukuyang Pangulo. Pasikip ng pasikip ang democratic space natin,” Banzuela said.

(We are afraid that a military junta might also happen here. We know what’s been happening since the current President was elected. Our democratic space is shrinking.)

KMU also said that the presence of retired generals in Philippine civilian posts paved the way for red-tagging and the illegal arrests of activists.

Must Read

Dateline Southeast Asia – Updates on Myanmar military coup

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and top officials of the ruling National League for Demoracy party were imprisoned as the military took over the government on February 1.

Despite the country’s internet ban, thousands have protested in Yangon to demand for the release of Suu Kyi and a return to democracy.

While the West seems to be keen on punishing the brains behind the junta through sanctions, a consensus has not been reached among ASEAN member states. Cambodia and Thailand insisted it’s an internal matter, while Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia expressed concerns over the coup. – Rappler.com