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Five years after the coup: Women in Resistance
February 1, 2026 marked the fifth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar. Many people fighting for democracy and a better future now live in the jungle or organize underground. It is often overlooked that workers in border regions have been resisting for decades – mostly invisibly and without recognition. Their stories show how diverse, persevering and courageous the struggle for freedom in Myanmar is.
“For me, the revolution in Myanmar is like a blind horse: A powerful movement, but without a clear direction.” says Ohnmar Khin, employee at FEMNET. She has lived in Germany for many years. However, her family and many of her friends continue to live in Myanmar.
At the end of January, the third phase of the parliamentary elections in Myanmar, which had begun in December, came to an end. However, there was no question of free and democratic elections: It was a clearly recognizable sham vote, a political spectacle that served primarily to legitimize the ruling military junta. "The parties that have run for office work hand in hand with the military," reports Khin. The main opposition force, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was not even admitted to the election. International observers and regional organisations such as ASEAN therefore did not recognise the process and unanimously classified it as undemocratic.
Nevertheless, the resistance is alive, even abroad. The Burmese community in Germany, for example in Cologne/Bonn, organizes monthly fundraising campaigns to support the democracy movement, according to Khin. It is above all the women who do this work. Women who have a double burden: Wage work and unpaid care work. Many work full-time in hospitals or gastronomy, care for their families and still engage politically. Some have lived in Germany since the 1980s and have long held German citizenship. Nevertheless, they continue to fight out of solidarity with the workers in Myanmar and in the awareness that their struggles are interconnected. “I am incredibly proud of these women. They are committed, although what is happening in Myanmar does not directly affect their own lives here.”, Khin said.
Meanwhile, textile factories in Myanmar continue to operate and working conditions are catastrophic: Overseers threaten the workers. Those who organize themselves or address grievances risk a lot. The government and an exploitative economic system systematically suppress their organization. When workers try to organize, the factory owners report them to the police. They are often arrested the next day under flimsy pretexts. Most of the unions had to close after the coup, and many activists fled the country. Nevertheless, workers continue to resist and support the revolution, often at high personal risk.
The clothes they produce end up in the global North, while the profits flow to international corporations and the military junta. The exploitation of Burmese workers is part of a global economic system that pushes women into precarious work worldwide and makes their reproductive work invisible.
Since the 2021 coup, FEMNET e.V. has been supporting Burmese workers who have to go into hiding or flee the country. “This work is not a charity, but an expression of international solidarity. The struggle of women in Myanmar is inextricably linked to the struggle of women worldwide. Their liberation is linked to ours.” says Khin.