Another July 7th has come and gone in Myanmar, and yet, the shadow of the military dictatorship still looms over our beloved country. As I write this, my heart aches deeply for the people of Myanmar, who have endured decades of suffering under a regime that continues to oppress, brutalize, and silence. Today, I reflect not only on the horrors of the past but also on the enduring strength of the people who, despite the iron fist of dictatorship, continue to resist, continue to hope, and continue to fight.
On this solemn day, we remember the July 7, 1962 massacre—when the military, then newly in power, brutally cracked down on peaceful student protesters at Rangoon University. What was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration against General Ne Win’s new regime turned into a bloodbath. The military opened fire on unarmed students, killing many and demolishing the historic student union building. The violence and cruelty of that day left a permanent scar on the collective memory of Myanmar, marking the beginning of a long and painful struggle for freedom.
But what’s happening in Myanmar today is heartbreakingly similar.
### The Unhealed Wound: July 7, 1962
The events of July 7, 1962, serve as a stark reminder of the military’s disregard for human life and its thirst for power at any cost. For those unfamiliar with Myanmar’s history, that day was a tragic turning point, when the dreams of students who only sought a better future were crushed under the boots of a regime that would go on to rule Myanmar with brutality for decades. The student union building, once a symbol of hope and unity, was blown to pieces by Ne Win’s army—an act that symbolized the military’s desire to obliterate not only opposition but also the spirit of resistance.
For many of us, July 7 is more than just a historical event—it is a wound that has never healed. Our parents and grandparents still speak of it in hushed tones, remembering the bright young lives that were extinguished that day. It was not only an attack on students; it was an attack on the very idea of freedom, an attempt to stamp out the revolutionary spirit that has long been part of Myanmar’s soul.
### July 7, 2023: The Fight Continues
And yet, here we are in 2023, over 60 years later, and what’s happening in Myanmar? The same violence, the same oppression, the same disregard for human life continues. The Myanmar military, now under the guise of the State Administration Council (SAC), has once again unleashed terror on its own people. From airstrikes on civilian villages to arbitrary arrests and executions, the junta has shown that it has learned nothing from the past and that its cruelty knows no bounds.
On July 7, 2023, the people of Myanmar once again marked the anniversary of the 1962 massacre, not with peace, but under the suffocating weight of military rule. The streets that should be filled with students, teachers, and families remembering the fallen were instead patrolled by soldiers, ensuring that no public memorials took place. Even now, the military continues to silence the voices of those who dare to remember, who dare to resist.
But the spirit of resistance cannot be bombed, burned, or buried. For over six decades, Myanmar’s people have fought back. The military’s brutal attempts to destroy the revolutionary spirit that arose on July 7, 1962, have only fanned the flames of defiance.
### What’s Happening in Myanmar Today Is a Repeat of the Past
In 2023, Myanmar is still suffering. Our people are still under the wrath of a dictatorship that values power over lives. Just as they did in 1962, the military views Myanmar’s citizens as obstacles, threats to be eliminated. We have seen the use of the same tactics—violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters, the destruction of homes and villages, and the silencing of voices that dare to speak out. The bloodshed that began in the streets of Rangoon on that fateful day in 1962 is still staining the soil of Myanmar in 2023.
We have endured airstrikes on our homes, military raids in our towns, and the murder of our children. Hospitals have been bombed, teachers have been jailed, and activists have been executed. It is almost as if the military has been repeating its tactics of terror from 1962—only now, they have deadlier weapons and an even tighter grip on power. The people of Myanmar have not been allowed to heal from the trauma of the past because the nightmare has never ended.
### The Spirit of July 7 Lives On
Yet despite everything, the spirit of July 7 lives on in every Myanmar citizen who refuses to give up the fight for freedom. The students who stood up in 1962 inspired generations of activists, protesters, and ordinary people to resist the dictatorship, even at the cost of their lives. Today, young people continue to stand on the front lines, just as their ancestors did, demanding democracy, justice, and peace.
In 2023, the revolution sparked by the bloodshed of July 7 is far from over. Across Myanmar, people continue to resist, using whatever means they have—whether it is through protests, strikes, art, or simply the act of surviving. Every day that the junta remains in power, the people of Myanmar refuse to be silenced.
### What’s Happening in Myanmar Must End
But we cannot continue to fight this fight alone. The international community must stand with Myanmar in its struggle for freedom. What’s happening in Myanmar is not just a national crisis—it is a human rights disaster that demands global attention. The military’s reign of terror must end, and those responsible for the atrocities, both past and present, must be held accountable.
As we remember the fallen students of July 7, 1962, let us also remember the countless others who have been lost in the decades of violence since. And let us vow to continue the fight—for them, for us, and for the future of a free Myanmar.
We are still here. We are still fighting. And we will not stop until the military dictatorship is gone for good.
Sources:
- The Irrawaddy: [July 7 Memorial: Recalling the Source of Myanmar’s Revolutionary Spirit](https://www.irrawaddy.com/in-person/interview/july-7-memorial-recalling-the-source-of-myanmars-revolutionary-spirit)
Photo Source: The Irrawaddy
