Mawlamyine, 5 December
The former Mon State’s civil servants involved in the nonviolent civil disobedience movement (CDM) announced the formation of the Mon State CDM Civil Servants Council (CSC-MON) on December 1.
According to the release, the council connected with former civil servants from various departments and formed an organization representing CDMs in Mon State on November 23.
The CSC-MON is composed of 3 groups: Educational CDM Civil Servants, Health CDM Civil Servants, and CDM Civil Servants from other departments.
A CDM staff told Than Lwin Times that, it would be possible to, settle disagreements amongst the CDMs, and work together on the process moving forward by forming the council.
According to the statement, the purpose of the organization is to enable CDM staff to participate more widely, to develop an interim staffing mechanism and other necessary policies for CDMs, non-CDMs, and other participants in Mon State, and to make them efficient employees. The statement also stated that they will work together with revolutionary forces that share common goals to accomplish these objectives.
An educational CDM staff teacher said she also welcomed the formation of the CSC-MON so that CDMs can work together. As a state, there should be such an organization.
During the coup, the military council used various methods to pressure CDM staff to return to work, including interrogating them, limiting their permission to travel abroad, evicting them from their housings, and arbitrarily arresting and imprisoning them.
Some CDM staff returned to work due to the military council’s repression and family issues, but the majority continued to engage in civil disobedience.
Thousands of civil servants in Mon State participated in the nonviolent civil disobedience movement (CDM) during the coup, the majority of whom were academic staff.
The National Unity Government (NUG) announced in August that more than 300,000 civil servants had joined the CDM during the nearly three-year coup.
News-Than Lwin Times
Photo-Getty Image