20-year old Protester killed in Myanmar’s anti-coup protests

Gen Z youth activist becomes the first protester to die in the anti-coup demonstrations after being shot in the head by Myanmar military.

Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing was on life-support on her twentieth birthday, two days after being shot in the head by Myanmar military during a peaceful anti-coup protest.

The military denies using live ammunition to disperse protesters on February 9th in the capital, Nyapyidaw, but human rights groups and doctors report differently.

Who’s to say which is true? Though it should be noted that the military has yet to provide an alternate theory explaining the video of Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing being shot and her subsequent death, ten days after being hospitalized.

Brave, savvy Gen Z activists have built a resilient movement

As reported by our guest on ‘He’s Fighting the Myanmar Military Coup, This Is How’ (listen here), youth activists like Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing have risen to lead thousands of Myanmar citizens in a civil disobedience movement.

They have found ways to circumvent internet outages imposed by the military and organize smaller protests.

This diffuse power structure has made it difficult for the military, who have already arrested prominent leaders and activists, to choke off the movement.

What Does This Mean For The Protests?

Martyrs in movements past, like George Floyd in the Black Lives Matter movement, have served as a reminder of the injustice being fought and have driven droves of people into the street.

Though it may be too soon to tell, Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing is likely to do just that. People have already taken to the streets, holding pictures of her and her sister has urged people to join the protests.

Ironically, the attempt to disperse protesters that resulted in Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing’s death has only emboldened them further.