Hi all,

I was busy in Boston on Sunday, so I wasn’t able to get this post out then, but Sunday marked the 5th anniversary of the military coup in my native country of Burma (Myanmar). I’ve talked about it on occasion on Twitter, but this was a very, very bad thing. This is also part of the reason why I’m in the United States right now. Unfortunately, the current government of the United States has made it quite difficult for some other people of Burmese nationality to remain in the country, as a few months ago, Burma was declared as “safe” by the Department of Homeland Securty on 25 November of last year due to the (now concluded) General Election, of which is a total sham orchastrated by the State Security and Peace Commission, the ruling military junta under Min Aung Hlaing, to “legitimise” their power. Because of this, the DHS decided to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Burmese nationals in the country on TPS effective 26 January.

This did not affect me. I wasn’t here under TPS in the first place. But this affected 4,000 other Burmese people in the United States, all of whom have no reason to return to Burma lest they end up in a country that is currently in a civil war that has killed over 80,000 people since it began in 2021. Every single person who was in the US under TPS is now subject to deportation if they have not already switched to a visa or other legal residency type. I believe there has been a lawsuit initiated against the current US government for this, however, I need to look into it more.

Nonetheless, the United States currently has a frankly schizophrenic relationship with Burma as of writing. Over the past year, Mr. Trump has effectively begun to warm slightly to Min Aung Hlaing’s dictatorship by allowing communication over tariffs during the summer, while also invoking a ban on all entries from Burma on the grounds of a high visa overstay rate (this I am also not subject to, as I’m exempt due to my previous visa). Meanwhile, you also have The Hon. Marco Rubio writing somewhat touching messages on 4 January, Burma’s independence day, reaffirming US support for democracy and rule of law.

It’s almost insulting, really. But besides that, I just hope the SSPC falls before the end of the decade.

This has been a nightmarish 5 years. Infinitely more so for people who are still in Burma today. Nonetheless, Burma will always remain as a beautiful little country with the most resilient people known to man calling it home, whether it has to be inside or outside of its borders. I am very proud to call such a country my birthplace, even if it’s no longer my home.

That’s all I really have to say.

Chatian