Coup—“A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.”

31 January 2021

[Above photo:  Yet another morning visitor to our bathroom. I think they are now accustomed to using a toilet and must feel it is crude or uncivilized to empty their cloaca outdoors. We are civilizing amphibians.]

A more appealing definition: Coup—“an act of touching an armed enemy in battle as an act of bravery.” {from Native Americans}

After rumors of the same, we awoke this morning to news that the State Counselor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has been arrested by the military along with other members of the government and some active members of her political party, the NLD (National League for Democracy). There are many speculations about why this has happened at this time, which I won’t explore here for obvious reasons. In practical terms, the phone service was shut down for several hours, although rumors that the internet would also be shut down have not yet materialized. Grocery stores have been very busy. It has been non-violent. There is supposed to be a “Stay-at-Home Order“ for a couple of weeks and a “State of Emergency” in place for a year, meaning that the Constitution will be suspended and the military will retain total control of the government for that period. The excellent Minister of Health and Sports, Minister Dr. Myint Htwe, has unfortunately resigned.

It doesn’t feel frightening. It feels sad. And it makes me think of what could too easily occur in the US, given the conviction of tens of millions of Americans that DT actually won the election and was cheated out of it, despite all valid evidence and all 86 court challenges dismissed, often by Republican, Trump-administration-appointed judges. I am to lead a training on Job Satisfaction this afternoon for directors of international NGO’s. I think that it is often best to continue scheduled activities in situations like this, rather than indulging in speculation that tends to ramp up everyone’s anxiety. But I’ll see what the group would like.

It may have bearing on my teaching here, although I do not know. At supper last week with Professor Tin Oo and three others, I enquired about my course for this year. “Oh, we won’t have it. We’ll start next January with a year-long diploma course.” I was stunned and hurt. I slept on it and realized I had impulsively brought it on myself.  Feeling lonely for friends and family and having missed the past two summers on the Island, I announced in an email to Professor Tin Oo that I’d be gone for 4 months this summer. I didn’t discuss it with him, the Professor of Psychiatry at the most prestigious medical school in the country, the President of the Myanmar Mental Health Association, and the National Program Manager for Mental Health, and my primary contact, if not Boss. I then wrote an apology, explaining what propelled me, and offered to be gone for only 1 month for which I could arrange to have the lectures covered by interested academics in several different countries. He later mentioned to me that he was reconsidering continuing the course this year. I’d like to get to 25 graduates as a total for my 3 years work here. My impulsivity has caused me to err at different times in my life but this incident was a wakeup call. If only I can live another 80 years to further perfect myself!

Kelly has a humorous way of expressing things. For example, “We’re at DEFCON-1!”, said with desperation and conviction. (We’re out of banana bread.)  Or, “It’s a wrap.” (We’ve finished cleaning up after the Saturday night poker cum supper gathering.) “Take a downer.” (Often said to me when I am speaking rapidly or with passion. I get to say it to him at deserved times, as well.) “Get in the game.” (If I am languidly engaged in a book and we have planned to head out.) “Check’s in the mail.” [He’s already washed the hand towels in the kitchen.] “Lashing out again.” [I suggest to Kelly that I’ll wash the dishes if he puts the food away and cleans the counters.]  We do laugh and I enjoy giving as well as taking. One of his favorites derives from a first trip to Pro 1 Global Home Center, a Home Depot analog with an additional floor of furniture. I needed to buy caulk for my toilet and couldn’t find it or clearly explain myself. I was loudly saying to a young male employee, “I want caulk. I want caulk.” Kelly heard me from several aisles over and totally exploded in laughter. Say it aloud to yourself and you’ll catch on.

With the coup, Connor, a young ex-Peace Corps volunteer who currently works at PLAN International, has moved in with us. He lives alone in an apartment. He has a Myanmar girlfriend about whom he is serious. She lives with her parents, as unmarried young women here do. It seems better for him to be here, with food and company, in case we really are locked down tight for a period of time. He’s part of our regular poker contingent, previously worked for Kelly at PLAN, and is sweet and lively. He is from the middle of Florida; both parents are Democrats but are surrounded by ever-Trumpers. He has chilling tales to relate about the beliefs of their neighbors.

Tim Cook’s criticism of social media algorithms, which select for intense engagement, rings true. Disinformation often is sensational and explosively prominent on the Internet so people believe it to be fact. I know several people who fear the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines because they “change your DNA”. They have read this in articles on the internet.  If you know a bit about DNA, Messenger RNA, and how they function, it is clear that the vaccines cannot alter your DNA. But most people don’t know that, so many, naturally, are wary. I don’t know how this can be solved, short of censorship of sorts. Someone could write, with phony substantiation, that our water supply is poisoned or that this or that person is a witch (In Malawi, this was a common accusation). Could? Have written. Are writing. Shall write.  

Or that the Democratic leadership is a secret cabal of pedophilic, Satan-worshipping [communist] cannibals. And that DT was here to expose and root them out. DT rooting out corruption? [Raucous laughter.] He has welcomed so many corrupt people into our government, and then pardoned their crimes when he was walking out the door. What worries me is that the perfidious snakes in Congress seem convinced that if they lie hard and repeatedly enough they can own public opinion, which they appear to have done, given the reality of the election results, as an example.  Apologies to our legless friends.

The first stanza of “The Second Coming” by WB Yeats describes for me the maw into which we are now peering. It certainly isn’t the first time we humans have done this. Think of the Inquisition, McCarthyism.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity. 

Breathe deeply.