{"id":5742,"date":"2025-04-17T04:22:29","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T21:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=5742"},"modified":"2025-04-17T04:22:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T21:52:29","slug":"a-thingyan-unlike-the-traditional-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/04\/a-thingyan-unlike-the-traditional-one\/","title":{"rendered":"A Thingyan, Unlike the Traditional One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5743\" src=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"842\" height=\"632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2.png 842w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2-560x420.png 560w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2-260x195.png 260w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2-160x120.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 April 15 Overview&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>published by <em>MoeMaKa<\/em> on April 16, 2025:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83c\udf0a <strong>A Thingyan, Unlike the Traditional One<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This year\u2019s <strong>Myanmar New Year Water Festival (Thingyan)<\/strong>, traditionally held from April 12 or 13 for four days of celebration, has taken on a drastically different meaning for many. While some regions are caught in the violence of civil war, others continue to suffer deeply from the aftermath of the March 28 earthquake \u2014 leading to vastly different experiences and perspectives during what is usually a joyful national holiday.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>March 28 earthquake<\/strong> struck Mandalay, Sagaing, Pyinmana, Naypyitaw, and other regions, with official figures reporting <strong>over 3,700 deaths<\/strong> and hundreds of injuries and missing persons.<\/p>\n<p>Mandalay \u2014 often seen as the cultural heart of Myanmar and of Thingyan \u2014 was one of the hardest-hit cities, suffering massive destruction and loss of life. As a result, residents have observed the festival quietly, foregoing traditional celebrations.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83d\udcc9 Thingyan in Crisis: A Timeline of Disruption<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>In <strong>2020<\/strong>, COVID-19 forced a scaled-down Thingyan.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>In <strong>2021<\/strong>, the military coup led to violent crackdowns on protesters during Thingyan week \u2014 turning the holiday into a time of mourning.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>From <strong>2021 to 2024<\/strong>, the junta tried to <strong>revive the festival<\/strong> to show normalcy, even encouraging public participation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Resistance movements, on the other hand, urged people to <strong>boycott junta-led celebrations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Although the COVID threat has since waned, <strong>Thingyan in major cities has never fully returned to its pre-coup vibrancy<\/strong>. In places like Yangon, celebrations are no longer publicly open but instead held in <strong>private, gated areas<\/strong>. Participating in high-profile events now carries <strong>social and political risk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In Yangon this year:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>No major public pavilions (mandats) were set up.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Celebrations were minimal in public places, including typically festive streets like <strong>19th Street in Chinatown<\/strong>, <strong>City Hall Road<\/strong>, <strong>Kabar Aye Pagoda Road<\/strong>, and <strong>University Avenue<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Only after Thingyan\u2019s second day did the <strong>Yangon Mayor and City Development Committee<\/strong> announce a &#8220;walking Thingyan&#8221; in central Yangon \u2014 likely an attempt to boost morale.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83d\udcac Divided Perspectives<\/h3>\n<p>Some believe that Thingyan should remain a time for joy and emotional relief, especially for a population mentally drained by war and economic hardship. Others see celebration during such times as inappropriate or politically insensitive.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83d\udd25 In Conflict Zones: No Pause for Thingyan<\/h3>\n<p>In active war zones, <strong>Thingyan has no presence<\/strong>. Military airstrikes, shelling, and village burnings continue:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Earthquake survivors are still <strong>sleeping in open fields<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Fighting to seize Bhamo in Kachin State<\/strong> has not stopped.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Just days before Thingyan, <strong>Indaw Town in Sagaing<\/strong> fell to resistance forces, followed by junta <strong>airstrikes<\/strong> killing many civilians.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Ongoing battles<\/strong> are reported in Naungcho, Thabeikkyin (Mandalay), Myingyan, and Taungtha.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>In <strong>Karen State<\/strong>, airstrikes also continue.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83d\udccd Two Worlds, One Country<\/h3>\n<p>Across Myanmar, the contrast is stark:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Some cities observe Thingyan in silence due to <strong>grief and destruction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Others are too engulfed in war to celebrate at all.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Some areas have tried to reclaim the festival\u2019s spirit \u2014 though often behind closed doors.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>Myanmar diaspora communities abroad<\/strong> continue to celebrate Thingyan in their own ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>As cultural gatherings \ud83e\udd41<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>As fundraisers \ud83d\udcb8<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>As reunions for communities scattered by displacement \ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But the <strong>festive mood overseas<\/strong> contrasts sharply with the <strong>gloom cast by civil war and disaster<\/strong> at home.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 April 15 Overview&#8221; published by MoeMaKa on April 16, 2025: \ud83c\udf0a A Thingyan, Unlike the Traditional One This year\u2019s Myanmar New Year Water Festival (Thingyan), traditionally held from April 12 or 13 for four days of&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/04\/a-thingyan-unlike-the-traditional-one\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,58],"tags":[100],"class_list":["post-5742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current","category-features","tag-myanmar-spring-revolution"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-2-2.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3RDLm-1uC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5742"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5744,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5742\/revisions\/5744"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}