9-3-2024 (YANGON) In the heart of Myanmar’s political unrest, student activist Lin Lin emerged as a symbol of defiance against the military junta. Despite being apprehended and currently serving a 15-year sentence, the 25-year-old psychology student remains resolute, expressing no regrets for her activism.
Lin Lin, who grew up during a brief period of semi-democracy in Myanmar, joined the massive protests that erupted following the military coup in February 2021. Undeterred by the junta’s brutal crackdown, she sought innovative ways to sustain resistance.
Inspired by democracy flashmobs seen in places like Hong Kong, Lin Lin organised spontaneous protests across Yangon. Using messaging apps, she summoned young protesters to gather in various locations, employing tactics to quickly disperse before security forces could intervene. The events, featuring flares, banners, and the three-finger salute, were documented and shared on social media, ensuring the junta’s actions remained in the public eye.
Despite facing the constant threat of arrest, Lin Lin persisted until her capture by plainclothes police in December 2021. Subsequently, she received a three-year sentence under a law broadly criminalising actions deemed to undermine the military. This law, dating back to the British colonial era, has become a tool for the junta to suppress dissent.
In March 2022, Lin Lin was sentenced to an additional 10 years for alleged contact with a “terrorist” organisation. Over 26,000 political prisoners have been detained by the junta since the coup.
Life in prison is punctuated by occasional food parcels from family, and court hearings provide brief moments to learn about the ongoing turmoil in Myanmar. Lin Lin remains steadfast, refusing to count down the days until her release and stating, “I just accept I can come back home after the revolution (against the junta) has won.”
