Mid Missouri refugees from the southeast Asian country of Myanmar protest the military coup in their homeland formerly known as Burma. Hundreds of ethnic minorities have lost their lives in the violence since the coup overturned democratic elections in November.
COLUMBIA – As the situation in Myanmar worsens, local refugees are doing everything they can to raise people’s awareness here and to support the anti-military movement in their country of birth.
“We do the protest, … we do fundraise and [we’re] sending money to the [movement], or to the people for everything that they need,” said Zosang Zo, a local Myanmar refugee. “This is the only thing we can do from here.”
Myanmar’s political reforms from 2011 to 2015 marked the country’s new beginning after almost five decades of military dictatorship and provided a ray of hope for Myanmar refugees in the U.S. However, this hope was crushed by a coup d’état led by Myanmar’s military junta in February.
Zo explained what’s happening in Myanmar in an interview March 22.
“In my hometown, I think three days ago, four people are [shot] dead and 17 people are injured,” Zo said. “The military government, they always took the power and they do whatever they want. [Whoever] they don’t like, they just bury and just kill them.”
Zosang fled Myanmar via Malaysia in living in 2008 and now lives in Columbia. He laments the military coup in his home country.
Zo is the chef of EatWell’s Ramen & Sushi Bar on South Providence Road. His family moved to Columbia from Malaysia in 2008. His daughter, Hiillary Zo, is one of the organizers of the recent protests in Columbia against the coup. She created “Everything Will Be Okay,” a GoFundMe page to help victims of the coup and support the nationwide anti-coup movement in Myanmar.
Her activism pleased Zosang Zo, as he did not expect his American-raised daughter to care about Myanmar as much as he did.
Hiilary Zo speaks to KOMU 8 News at a Myanmar protest at Columbia City Hall on February 17.
“First, I was surprised,” Zosang Zo said. “[My children] all grew up in the United States, so their mindset is kind of, like, more American than Burmese. ... I’m proud of her.”
According to Zosang Zo, there are around 150 Myanmar families in Columbia. Among them is John Seng’s; they moved to Columbia in 2019. Seng currently works as a cook for Tiger Chef on Rain Forest Parkway. He’s been enjoying his new life in the U.S. with his family.
“It’s really the best in here,” Seng said. “In Myanmar, we always feel fear. We fear the military will come and take us to do forced labor or sending [us] to the front line, because we are in a civil war . . . it’s not safe in there.”
Rosalie Metro, an assistant teaching professor at MU’s College of Education with a background in interpreting Burmese and teaching English as a second language to Myanmar refugees, sympathizes with the recent protests. Metro offered insight into the circumstances behind their arrival in Columbia.
MU Assistant Professor Rosalie Metro meets with student activist Phyoe Aung while on a history teaching presentation in Yangon in 2016.
“A lot of the refugees have come from areas where ethnic minorities live: Karen, Kachin, Shan, Rakhine, Rohingya,” Metro said. “Often, their villages or homes have been burned. Sometimes, people are conscripted into armies that they don't want to be in. They've experienced all kinds of human rights abuses that made it really impossible for them to stay in their homes. And so, they fled to other countries - Thailand or Bangladesh or Malaysia in some cases - and then came to the U.S. from there.”
The situation in Myanmar reflects a painful reality for local Myanmar refugees who long to return and rebuild their home.
“I always miss Myanmar,” Zosang Zo said, “We have a dream, you know, to become a real democracy. … And we were planning to retire in Myanmar. But right now, all our dreams are gone.”
Regardless, their determination to make a difference remains strong. According to Hiillary Zo, the local Myanmar community is planning another protest in Jefferson City in the near future.
“We’re not gonna give up easily,” Zosang Zo said. “We’re gonna fight until we win this time.”
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April 04, 2021 at 06:00AM
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Local Myanmar refugees fight hard for their countrymen from across the world - KOMU 8
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