Most people all throughout the world are amazed to see something moving in the sky. Adults and children, mesmerized  by the enchantment of flight. Planes, however, now represent something extremely sinister in Myanmar.

In Myanmar, planes have transformed from marvels of technology into harbingers of death and destruction. Over three years of relentless airstrikes by the military regime against civilian targets have made aircraft in the sky a source of terror. These violent raids have claimed the lives of countless civilians and children, and the sound of engines overhead now suggests imminent danger, calling back memories of suffering.

The Myanmar Artistic Collective New Burma has organized an exhibition in Bangkok to draw focus to the catastrophic effects of these attacks and highlight the resolve of survivors. The exhibition, titled "When We See the Planes," showcases a wide range of creations from Myanmar artists, encompassing photographers, painters, filmmakers, and photojournalists. The goal of the show, which is on display at Studio Fluff through June 2, is to draw attention to the brutal realities that civilians have to endure and to implore the whole community to take action.

A focal point of the display includes a touching assortment of photographs depicting the consequences of the military regime's random bombings on populated areas. These pictures show the damage done to educational institutions, places of worship, and medical facilities in Karenni, Karen, Kachin, and Shan states. Paintings, illustrations, collage works, short documentaries, video pieces, and sound installations accompany the photographs, each conveying a part of the tragic narrative.

During a panel discussion held as part of the exhibition, Shin Thant, a member of an anti-coup protest committee in Sagaing Region, shared heartbreaking insights. "Before the coup, children in the Anyar region would wave and chase planes with excitement. Now, they run for cover, haunted by past traumas every time they see or hear a plane," he said. Sagaing Region, a stronghold of resistance, has been particularly devastated by junta airstrikes.

According to the research group Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, the regime conducted 2,471 airstrikes between February 1, 2021, and April 30, 2024, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,295 people. The first four months of this year alone saw 359 civilians, including 61 children, killed in airstrikes.

Ma Hnin, a founder of New Burma, emphasized the exhibition's dual purpose: to raise awareness of the junta's atrocities and to galvanize international efforts to cut off the regime's supply of jet fuel. "Only if we can stop the supply of jet fuel will the deadly airstrikes be reduced," she said. The exhibition has drawn over a hundred viewers in its first days, including young Thai activists, members of the Myanmar diaspora, diplomats, academics, and international visitors.

In a symbolic gesture of creative resistance, the exhibition features paper planes, representing the stark contrast between the regime's lethal force and the people's fragile hopes. "They have jet fighters. But we only have paper flights," Ma Hnin poignantly remarked during the panel. Attendees were invited to write messages of solidarity on the paper planes, which were then displayed as part of the exhibit.

BOB Post