CIVICUS speaks about innovative strategies young people are using to resist the military regime and push for democracy in Myanmar with a youth activist who requested to stay anonymous for security reasons.

Nearly four years after its military coup, Myanmar remains in deep crisis. The junta continues to use extreme violence, carrying out airstrikes on civilian areas, along with arbitrary arrests and internet shutdowns to silence dissent ahead of a sham election it seeks to use to gain legitimacy in December. Despite the risks, civil society keeps supporting those affected by violence, documenting human rights violations and pushing for a democratic transition. Young people are at the forefront of this struggle, finding innovative strategies to keep demands for democracy alive in the face of immense personal risks.

What’s the situation in Myanmar?

Myanmar is living under a fully closed civic space. Since the February 2021 military coup, all basic freedoms have been systematically dismantled: free expression and peaceful assembly have been suppressed, and political violence and surveillance have spread into everyday life.

This repression has only intensified as the regime prepares for the upcoming election. Instead of opening space, the authorities are tightening control and limiting any form of civic participation. There is no real opposition or international recognition of this process.

These conditions have forced countless pro-democracy activists, students and families to flee, creating a large diaspora scattered across borders. But even in exile, we remain connected through a shared struggle and a common hope for dignity, justice and future liberation.

How are people able to express dissent and mobilise under these conditions?

Inside Myanmar, physical spaces for dissent have largely been eliminated. Gathering in public can mean you end up arrested or assaulted, so people had to rethink how they engage and learn to adapt.

In exile communities, including in Thailand where I’m based, mobilisation now happens in simple, everyday places: at community events, through cultural exchanges or around dinner tables. These moments create spaces to connect, organise and support each other. But the real challenge isn’t just finding somewhere to meet; it’s creating safe conditions where people can participate without putting themselves or others in danger.

Technology has become a key tool. We developed Hit Tine, a digital civic engagement platform designed specifically for organising in conflict-affected areas. It includes safety protocols that allow people to hold discussions, plan activities and mobilise more securely. It fills part of the gap left by shrinking physical space and helps keep democratic conversations alive.

What initiatives have you developed to keep democratic values alive?

We’ve found that food can open doors that politics often closes. It’s a universal language that helps people connect without fear. That’s why we created the Flavor Frontiers campaign through the CIVICUS WeRise! Initiative. Instead of relying on traditional protest methods that can put people at risk, we use Myanmar cuisine as a bridge to build alliances with Thai youth and create natural, low-risk spaces for people to gather.

A ‘Flavor Frontier’ means using food to cross cultural boundaries, build friendships and open space for connection. People share their own traditions while discovering others. To support this idea, we developed an interactive digital map that highlights Myanmar restaurants and informal gathering places. These spots act as safe organising hubs, helping young people from Myanmar and Thailand learn from each other in a relaxed environment.

When Thai students try mohinga at a restaurant on our map, they’re not just tasting our food: they’re learning about our homeland, our identity and our journey. For many Thai people, it’s their first direct exposure to our culture and history, and it shifts how they understand the crisis.

But the exchange works both ways: Myanmar youth in exile find a sense of belonging, while Thai people understand better our struggles and learn more about democratic values. Through Flavor Frontiers, cultural exchange becomes civic engagement, and shared meals become a quiet but powerful form of democratic resistance.

What are your hopes for the future?

We hope these connections we’re building through one shared meal at a time will lead to long-term solidarity networks between Myanmar and Thai communities. Today, much of the global narrative around Myanmar focuses only on crisis and instability, overlooking the richness of our culture and the contributions migrants make to the countries where they live.

Our goal is to shift this narrative through community gatherings, digital engagement and storytelling. These tools allow us to create protected assembly spaces, reshape perceptions and emphasise shared values. They also help build the trust needed for deeper cooperation among young people across the region.

We want this model to extend beyond Myanmar and Thailand. Many democratic movements across Asia face similar challenges, and cultural bridge-building can strengthen collective action. We picture a future where Myanmar’s struggle for democracy is linked to regional youth movements, supported by strong alliances that defend peaceful assembly, legally and socially.

What message would you share with the international community and world leaders?

Democracy is built through human relationships, and these relationships start with understanding. We need the international community to recognise the value of grassroots organising and cultural initiatives that build trust from the ground up.

Our message is simple: stand with movements that centre people, culture and innovation. Across the world – in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Myanmar, Palestine, Sudan and the USA – excluded communities are being discriminated against, put under surveillance and silenced. But we also know that shared culture can build trust, technology – when used well – can create safe spaces and storytelling has the power to challenge dominant narratives.

At the end of the day, we’re all fighting for the same basic rights: to live without fear, express who we are and build liberation from the ground up. Support for these connections is crucial if the international community truly wants to protect civic freedoms and strengthen global democracy.

This interview was conducted during International Civil Society Week 2025, a five-day gathering in Bangkok that brought together activists, movements and organisations defending civic freedoms and democracy around the world. International Civil Society Week was co-hosted by CIVICUS and the Asia Democracy Network.