“the kids Were alright
– Myanmar 2013v2023”
In 2013, there were the beginnings of hope in some parts of Myanmar.
You could sense that some were starting to breathe just a bit easier. In
2021, the junta again seized power and in massive demonstrations, they
slaughtered unarmed peaceful protesters. A decade after I captured these
images of these marvelous young people, I wondered where they are now.
In this series, I interpose 2013 images with 2023 photographs of
manually typed words from resistance fighters. These words are from
online posts and these words haunt me every day.
Since 1962, Myanmar has been a military dictatorship immersed in war,
genocide, and ethnic conflict. The military closed off Myanmar from the
world and controlled every aspect of life. After Aung San Suu Kyi was
freed from house arrest in 2010, things began to change. Myanmar opened
to the world in 2012.
In 2013, I visited and saw that parts of central Myanmar had new
freedoms. Cell phones were prevalent, and the kids were absorbing
everything they could from the web. They creatively blended influences
by combining a mashup of contemporary elements and Myanmar traditions,
including thanaka face paint. I was inspired because I knew - the kids
are alright.
In 2021, the military junta again seized power in a coup. They
brutally put down massive peaceful protests, and they slaughtered
unarmed civilians in cold blood. The People's Defense Armed Forces (PDF)
was created to be the military for the National Unity Government. Many
joined the war against the military. Two years after the coup, Myanmar
is still immersed in a war and the rest of the world pays little
attention.
As a privileged white American male from outside Myanmar, I know that
my work will be criticized as exploiting my privilege. During my
travels Myanmar, it was never my intention to undertake any kind of
photographic project. My empathy for those enduring brutal hardships in
Myanmar is genuine and deeply felt. I beseech you to seek out and listen
to the stories of those in Myanmar and the diaspora. I ask each of you
to seek out the voices of the Myanmar people who yearn for freedom,
desire justice, and hold on to their dreams. I am committed to
amplifying their voices.
With this series, I hope to raise awareness of the desperate situation in Myanmar.
