When I started painting my three finger salutes, the last thing on my mind was an interview with BBC World News. 100 days after the coup in Burma and 100 three finger salutes later, after my remarkable appearance on the news occurred, the top question from my parents and various cousins, aunts, friends, and followers was how did you manage to attract an interview with the BBC? My answer, in its most basic form: I created my own luck.

Let me start by explaining the origins of the three finger salute. The salute was conceived in the popular franchise The Hunger Games, in which the three middle fingers are raised, and the thumb crosses over to reach the pinky finger. In the fictional world it was displayed by oppressed people to express solidarity in a dystopian future ruled by a totalitarian dictator. The salute was a way for the oppressed people to show their solidarity against the tyrannical rulers.

The Salute was first used in Thailand during a military coup in 2014, then later in Hong Kong among people protesting against the interference of the Chinese government. The gesture has become a powerful symbol of courageous defiance, a challenge to repressive regimes that transcends borders.

In case you didn’t know, I am a Burmese-born artist and illustrator who moved to the UK when I was five. Subsequently, my father, brothers and sister emigrated either to the UK or the USA, whilst my mother’s entire family remains in Burma. 

Late on the evening of January 31 there were rumours circulating on Twitter of a coup in Burma. In the early hours of the morning (UK time) it was reported that this was indeed true, with democratically elected members of the country's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), deposed and detained by the Tatmadaw—Myanmar's military. Unless you have meaningful connections with Burma it’s difficult to explain why this was such a shocking turn of events. 

The political history of Burma is incredibly complex and difficult to explain in a short blog post, so I’m only going to give a very brief background. After a century of British colonial rule, Burma gained independence in 1948, with a short spell under a civilian government until a coup d'etat in 1962. There followed decades of repressive military rule and poverty due to years of isolationist economic policies, and civil war with ethnic minority groups. The transfer to civilian leadership in 2011 spurred hopes of democratic reforms implementing economic policies to encourage foreign investment, as well as relaxing media censorship. Things were really looking up as the population started to enjoy relative freedoms, and I was even considering taking my children there next year. However, the February 1st coup by the military junta has put a stop to all of this. 

I started painting 3 finger salutes after recovering from tonsillitis on my birthday, entering the second week of the coup. I found it difficult to speak, and to communicate whilst trying to recover. This was like a sign, or lightbulb moment as communication with the outside world was severely limited due to internet shutdown by the military. On a different level I felt the pain in my throat, which made it very difficult to talk, as a symbol of unexpressed anger or unexpressed sadness. The Civil Disobedience movement was gathering pace and it just felt different with its colorful and energetic displays of protesters lining the streets with slogans like ‘You’ve messed with the wrong generation.’ A brilliant inventiveness and distinctive Burmese sense of humour were evident.

I’m old enough to remember similar pro-democracy movements from 1988 and 2007, before they were viciously suppressed by the military. In 1988 I was a teenage school girl and recollect seeing grainy photos of student protestors appearing in the newspapers of the time. The information coming out of the country in those days would often be several days old. My dad’s parents and youngest brother were still working in Yangon (the capital at the time) and there were frantic phone calls that would only connect for a few minutes, then silence. When we realised the bloody crackdowns had started there was hardly any news as photographs (or the negative film from cameras) had to be smuggled out of the country and reached media outlets many weeks later. By that stage, the movement had been crushed with 3,000-10,000 people killed.

In 2007 I was a young mum when the short-lived ‘Saffron Revolution’ took place. These were the biggest demonstrations in Burma since the 1988 uprising. Tens of thousands of monks and nuns led massive demonstrations in towns and cities across Burma to again protest and to call for an end to military rule. I desperately hoped perhaps this time they could carry enough momentum to see it through. It was not to be as monks and other protestors were shot, beaten and arrested in a massive show of force by the military. And as a side note in 2008, after Cyclone Nargis devastated large parts of Burma, with over 100,000 people missing and killed, the military government said it could cope with the cyclone aftermath without foreign help. 

Three things I learnt were firstly, the cycle of pro-democracy protests seemed to occur every 15-19 years. Secondly the military government is heartless. They only know how to use force, and will stop at nothing to suppress democracy protests. And thirdly, although the media was initially interested in these uprisings, after the crackdowns there was very little about the aftermath. They would move onto the next new story, while those in Myanmar continue to deal with brutality and hardship.

I like to think I’m a realist verging on being an optimist. I’m in my mid 40’s now, so I feel if this attempt to bring about true and lasting democracy doesn’t succeed, I might have to wait another 15-19 years for another opportunity, when I might not be in such an advantageous position. In 1988 I was too young, and in 2007 I didn’t have a platform as I wasn’t even working as an illustrator. This 2021 attempt might be the very best chance I have to add my voice, and to ask others to lend their voice too for those who are living with brutality and fearing for their lives. This aspect has also been a strong motivating factor for me.

As I’m known for very lengthy daily sketchbook projects that span 100 and even 365 days realised creating the symbolic 3 finger salutes could serve as a daily reminder to my IG followers not to forget the suffering and unfolding situation in Burma. I hoped by posting them on IG stories everyday it would keep up a certain level of awareness and allow me to give updates on the situation and ask for help with petitions (from the ICC, to the UN to the EU). 

To begin with I cut up brand new pieces of card to paint and collage on, but on day 15 I decided to cut up old watercolour sketches and test pieces I no longer needed. They added another dimension to the drama and often inspired the medium or colours I decided to use that day. Most salutes take between 5-10 minutes to complete as they’re not meant to be complicated. They’re intended more as a means to keep me present and a humble acknowledgment to those who continue to protest and take part in CDM, risking their own lives to stand up against tyranny

Fast forward to Day 56 (and 56 salutes on my wall) and I received an email from a client with whom I had the pleasure of working on a bowl for UNICEF a few years back. They had seen my 3 finger salutes on IG and wanted to put me in touch with an art coalition that was trying to start a global artists campaign which would join artists from around the world in solidarity with Myanmar. By that stage, creatives, including artists, were being systematically detained and largely cut off from the Internet. So they wanted me to be an ambassador of sorts and use my position to be a voice for those who felt they had none. 

Raise Three Fingers invites artists and allies from across the globe to join in a global three finger salute to continue to raise awareness for Myanmar at this time. Their mission is to seek contributions from artists in over 100 countries and through the work created, they will continue to build support and raise funds for Myanmar at this time. They scanned my 3 finger salute artwork from the first 60 days and made it into a slideshow video with music which they posted on their IG and Twitter, where they tagged a whole load to people including a BBC journalist who had taken a special interest in Burma. Freya Cole expressed a passing interest in interviewing me (around day 62) but I heard nothing until the morning of day 94 when she asked if I was still creating a three finger salute everyday. I provided her with photos of my wall covered in salutes in my return email just to be sure she understood I was!

She felt this would be a great way to end a news piece they wanted to air about the first 100 days of the coup. Each salute isn’t dreadfully remarkable on its own, but viewed together as a whole after 100 days it is quite impressive. It echoes all the little ways that people in Burma are contributing to the movement—they all add up to a tremendous joint effort that cannot be underestimated. 

Each 5 or 10 minute salute has become such a consistent part of my daily practice now. Even as the protests turned into another set of bloody crackdowns and I’d need to cry at the end of each day, I told myself I WAS making a difference.

Those little bits of watercolor paper, which amount to a maximum of an hour a week to create are worth so much more. They are greater than the sum of their parts. Over the last 100 days they have proved to work in ways that I could not have predicted. This ritual—chipping away every day diligently, reminding myself of my motivation, finding a myriad of ways to depict three fingers pointing upwards—has transformed into something very different.

I told myself that such a tiny action on my part was part of the collective movement which would keep building up momentum over time. If we talk about consistency in a wider creative practice, coupled with a strong motivation then so much can be achieved. If I had stopped at day 70 or 80, quitting because of discomfort or uncertainty, then I’m not sure the interview with the BBC would have happened. 

My 20 minute interview with Freya was condensed into 2 minutes but a very important two minutes for me (my piece comes just after 5 minutes) Family, friends and followers were overwhelmingly moved by what I was doing and deeply touched that such a simple idea could be such a force for good.

Slow and incremental progress IS progress, even if you think nobody is taking notice or they’re tired of seeing your art. Progress happens in every step, even when we don't feel as if we are moving forward. All individual efforts weave together to ultimately create a breakthrough after what is sometimes a tough journey. I HAVE to believe this.

Art can be such a powerful tool on many levels and we can all play our part to keep up awareness of Myanmar's fight for a true and lasting democracy. I see it as a collective practice that links all of us, because we can use our freedoms and privileges to be present. We are at a crucial juncture in terms of climate change, animal extinction, and fighting for our liberties in many parts of the world. We all want a brighter future for our children and the next generations. Art is a wonderful way to express ourselves, and help us grow and understand the world around us. It's a special type of communication that doesn’t need language, yet can deliver very powerful messages, empower and inform. Always create art from the heart and send it out into the world with love, and it will do its work.

I have a YouTube video where you see me get very emotional as I talk about why I need to keep up awareness through my daily salutes so future generations in Burma can live in freedom. I would be so very grateful if you could join me by creating a small 3 finger salute to show solidarity with the people of Burma in their fight for true democracy against the brutal military rulers . Tag Raise 3 Fingers on Instagram and upload your art to Raise Three Fingers website . I give many thanks in advance.