The last time Soe Ko Ko Naing saw his great-uncle was in July, at his home by the banks of the Irrawaddy River. As a staunch supporter of Myanmar's resistance against the military junta, Ko Naing was preparing to flee the country. Residing in Min Kun, a small town within the military stronghold area of Sagaing, he felt he couldn't trust anyone with his plans—except for his beloved Oo Oo (meaning 'uncle' in Burmese). "I told him I was going to Thailand. He thought it was a good plan. He wished me good health and safety," recalled Ko Naing, a 35-year-old labor rights activist.
Nearly a year later, Ko Naing is safe in Thailand, but his Oo Oo tragically lost his life in the powerful earthquake that struck Sagaing near Mandalay last Friday, claiming at least 2,000 lives. "I have sleepless nights. I'm still suffering," Ko Naing shared. "I have no remorse for leaving the country, because I had to. But I feel guilty because our people need us the most now. I feel helpless." Ko Naing represents millions of Myanmar's diaspora, anxiously observing from afar as their homeland grapples with the aftermath of its most devastating earthquake in a century.
Many in the diaspora, like Ko Naing, are grappling with feelings of survivor's guilt and helplessness. Some face additional challenges, as returning home to assist in rescue efforts could lead to political persecution. Thailand is home to the world's largest Myanmar diaspora community, with approximately 4.3 million Myanmar nationals residing there, a number that is likely much higher when accounting for undocumented migrants. As a more prosperous neighbor, Thailand has historically attracted individuals from Myanmar, who now constitute a significant part of its migrant workforce.
The military coup in 2021 and the ensuing civil war have further increased the number of Myanmar nationals seeking refuge in Thailand. Many work in construction, agriculture, and seafood industries. Tragically, some of the 400 workers at a Bangkok skyscraper that collapsed due to the earthquake were believed to be from Myanmar. On a drizzly Monday morning in Samut Sakhon, a fishing port near Bangkok housing many Myanmar workers, men dressed in traditional Burmese longgyi and women adorned with thanaka on their cheeks filled the streets of a bustling market. Banners advertising SIM cards for cheap calls to Myanmar adorned buildings, while shops displayed signs in both Thai and Burmese.
The earthquake was so powerful that it was felt across Thailand, India, and China. On that fateful day, as Ko Naing lay in bed in Samut Sakhon—hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter—he felt the room shake for about 30 seconds. He quickly turned to social media, discovering the quake had struck near Min Kun. Shockingly, he came across a photo of Sagaing's Ava Bridge, a local landmark, lying in ruins in the Irrawaddy River. "I was shocked and devastated; I have a lot of relatives in that area. I thought, 'it must be fake news.' But it was real," he recounted.
Due to slow communication in Myanmar immediately following the quake, Ko Naing only heard from his relatives the following day. Almost everyone was safe, except for a distant great-aunt who died in Mandalay—and his Oo Oo. Just a week prior, Min Kun and its surroundings had been shelled by the military, targeting the People's Defence Forces resistance. Almost all of Ko Naing's family in the town fled to Sagaing city or to a military-controlled area in Mandalay. His Oo Oo, however, refused to leave, opting to take shelter in the village monastery, believing it would be safe from military attacks. Tragically, the monastery collapsed during the earthquake, and his body was found in the rubble on Monday.
Ko Naing remembers Oo Oo as an open-minded and outspoken 60-year-old. In an area dominated by the military, the two bonded over their shared support for the resistance, especially after the coup. In the summer, they would spend afternoons by the river, enjoying lunch and catching up on the latest news. His great-uncle, who had no phone or social media, relied on Ko Naing to help him stay informed about the civil war. "I was his personal news agency," he joked. Despite suffering a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, Oo Oo would shuffle to the family tea shop every morning to fry up ee kyar kwe, traditional dough sticks. "He was my source of inspiration, especially in difficult times… he was the only one I could talk to. I got my resilience from him," said Ko Naing.
That resilience became crucial when Ko Naing made the perilous decision to escape Myanmar with his wife and five-year-old son. He was wanted by the military, which had issued a warrant for his arrest due to his participation in peaceful protests. The family journeyed to the border, crossing into Thailand illegally. As they ran past a Thai border police station in the dark, they stumbled over a large pipe, causing them to fall. Ko Naing feared for his son's safety when his child fell backward onto his head. "To my relief, he let out a loud cry," Ko Naing recounted. He quickly covered his son's mouth, picked him up, and sprinted toward a people smuggler waiting with a motorcycle. They first reached the Thai town of Mae Sot before eventually arriving in Samut Sakhon, where they secured the right to stay in Thailand.
Although he is now safe and has a stable job, Ko Naing admitted, "To be honest, I'm very depressed at the moment. First there was the pandemic, then the coup, then the military has been killing people who oppose them. People have been displaced. Then the earthquake has added to the suffering. Even after the earthquake, the military keeps bombing areas. I keep thinking it would be good if we can be there, if we can do something… it's depressing living here, seeing the news about my country."
In response to the tragedy, Ko Naing is collaborating with the Myanmar diaspora to collect donations and provide humanitarian assistance to earthquake victims back home. They are also supporting the Myanmar construction workers affected by the recent building collapse in Bangkok. "If we always feel depressed, nobody will help our people… it's good that we're alive. We can still do something. We have to make up our mind on how to rebuild, how we can move on," he affirmed, embodying the spirit of resilience that he learned from his beloved Oo Oo.
