On Saturday 4 March 2023, 16abermarle Project Space presented a talk with Sydney-based Myanmar activist Mon Zin and Australian unionist and activist Kate Lee, moderated by Dr Susan Banki.
February 2023 marks two years since the Myanmar military attempted a coup d’état, initiating a GEN-Z led revolution that has now come to be known as the Spring Revolution. Currently, Myanmar is facing a refugee crisis, with more than two million people displaced, thousands of political prisoners, including the country's most prominent leaders, and an intensifying civil war. Those politicians and thought leaders who evade arrest have established a parallel government overseas backed by the international community, and with the support of the Myanmar diaspora. This National Unity Government has opened an office in Canberra, Australia, signifying early signs of legitimacy for the parallel government in the Asia Pacific. Similarly, the Myanmar diaspora in Australia has become a significant source of financial support for refugees and freedom fighters.
Art has long played an important role in Myanmar's political movements, serving as a powerful tool of cultural expression and a way to quickly move a message. The works currently on display in Fighting Fear II: It Goes Without Saying are especially important as they provide a context for Myanmar's Generation Z to find identity and form their own value systems. These works by the Myanmar artists set a backdrop for our public program Myanmar in Australia: Fighting for Freedom in the Homeland, a conversation between a Myanmar activist from the Sydney Myanmar community, and an Australian activist, to explore and share knowledge on how we can work in solidarity to help the people of Myanmar fighting for freedom in their homeland.
More information about the artists and exhibition can be found here