Abstract:
The paper details conditions in Myanmar resulting from the combined calamities of COVID-19 and the military coup (Feb. 2021). The loss of social interaction has weakened communications and made people feel more isolated: places of religious worship are closed, wedding ceremonies canceled, traditional funerals disallowed, home visits prohibited, and village development activities interdicted. Social interaction between coup-supporters and coup-opponents has practically ceased. In villages the fear of military informers has suppressed willingness to collaborate, other than on health-related issues (‘cevit’ is ascorbic acid/Vitamin C and is recommended as part of COVID-19 treatment). People’s distrust in government has extended to distrust in the vaccination program. The debt-harvest-repayment cycle is broken in all research villages.
