A journalist who joined the armed resistance against the military coup
December 28th, 2021
Since the beginning of the Spring Revolution after the 1st Feb coup in Myanmar, the junta troops have been carrying out the shootings, killings, arrests and imprisonment of anti-coup protestors. Many journalists who covered the Spring Revolution are arrested and jailed.
Some journalists fled to the liberation areas. Now those who held the pen are revolutionizing the dictatorship by taking up arms. Chin youth journalist Salai Ebenezer is one of them.
He worked as a reporter at Eleven, the DVB, the Chinland Post, the Chin World and the Khonumthung media. After the Spring Revolution, he quitted his career and joined the Chin National Front/Chin National Army (CNF/CNA). The Khonumthung media interviewed him on why he chose the armed revolution by quitting his career and his future ambition and dream.
Q: Why did you choose the armed revolution instead of a reporter?
A: Since the coup, I have been covering the news. I haven’t liked the dictatorship before. I felt sorry when I saw the protestors. I wanted to participate in the protests. At the beginning, I covered the news as I thought that I may have a role to play in as a reporter. I have joined this revolution after quitting the media field as I have a burning desire to revolutionize the military council.
Q: Do you regret your decision to join the revolution?
A: No. I don’t repent because I myself have a burning desire to revolutionize the military government. I don’t regret my decision although I love my job too much.
Q: What is your future expectation?
A: Since joining this revolution, I have no future expectations. Because I may die at any time. Or else, something may happen. So, I have no future expectations. But what I expect is that I will revolutionize the military council. I have decided to work for Chin national affairs till the end of my life as being a Chin ethnic.
Q: If the coup did not happen, what would you have been doing at this time?
A: I have a desire to continue to work in the media field as I am a reporter. I had a dream to set up a media outlet for Chin State. I have no such dream now as I have joined the revolution.
Q: Did you have any enormous sacrifices when you started joining the revolution?
A: The enormous sacrifice is because my family did not agree to it. Every parent and family don’t want their blood relation to become like this. Joining this revolution by giving up my professional work is the biggest sacrifice.
Q: You had to undergo training when you joined the armed revolution. What difficulties did you face in the training?
A: The difficulty is I have not done sports since my childhood. As I was not familiar with exercises, I was very tired during the training. I felt patient as I myself committed to doing it.
Q: Under these circumstances, do you miss your home? What is your challenge?
A: I know that I may face difficulties. So, I didn’t give up my struggle. I don’t regret my decision how difficult the problem is.
Q: What do you want to give encouragement to your friends, journalists and those from social organizations who joined the revolution like you?
A: The main point is that many people joined the revolution as nobody wanted the military dictatorship since the coup. There are a lot of people who did not expect such a situation. There may be many difficulties they face. But we don’t need to forget our ambition, what kinds of difficulties we face and how we feel depressed. Our ambition is to overthrow the military dictatorship and build up a federal union. Many people joined the revolution by risking their lives. Whatever difficulty we face, we will achieve success through collective and united efforts. We need to be patient whatever plight we face. I would like to urge my colleagues to fight against the junta by paying attention only to our ambition.
Q: What is your ambition and dream when the revolution comes to an end?
A: I don’t have many expectations for it. My conviction is that my sacrifice for the revolution is for my whole life. After the end of the revolution, I have decided to work for Chin national affairs.
Sent by the KMG.
