A New Zealander and her UK partner forced out of Myanmar due to escalating military violence are calling for more international support for the Burmese community.
Relatives mourn at the funeral of a person, who was killed during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar on 27 March. Photo: AFP
They are fundraising on social media and are urging the public to keep the issue in the spotlight.
In the eight weeks since the military took power in a coup, more than 400 civilians have been killed, including young children.
At the weekend state security forces killed 114 in one day, prompting defence chiefs from a dozen countries - including the US, the UK, New Zealand and Japan - to condemn Myanmar for its use of force against unarmed civilians.
Hannah Cunneen and Rowan Hamil-McMahon said embassy staff were alarmed enough to prompt warnings to leave the country.
They left when two seats became available on repatriation flights out of the country. There are currently no commercial flights in operation.
"It soon became obvious that it was unmanageable and unsafe to continue. Of course we've had family at home who were worried about our wellbeing as well," Cunneen said.
Rowan Hamil-McMahon said they'd just got back to Myanmar and were both in quarantine when the coup happened.
"In the first couple of weeks were peaceful and it was really amazing to see the size and determination of the initial protest," he said.
"We were always on edge that things might get violent and then a couple of weeks into late February that's when things took a turn for the worst. It's been really awful just to see how affected our friends and colleagues have been as things have got more violent."
He said the terror of arrests at night and attacks by security forces had taken a toll on people they knew.
"We've had colleagues who've had tear gas thrown into their homes."
Photo: AFP
The pair, who met in the Myanmar, had been in the country for several years and Hamil-McMahon said he had regrets leaving a country that had been a huge part of their lives.
"When we see those local people looking for support of the international community it's just such a bad look for foreigners to be leaving in droves, as we have done. So it's just been a really biting feeling of guilt that we've had leaving at this time."
Cunneen acknowledged the frustration of having a system of international diplomacy and security that seemed unable to affect any type of intervention on behalf of the people of Myanmar.
She said the military was not concerned about international relations and regardless of China or Russia's implicit backing of the regime, the junta would continue its agenda of control and political repression.
"They've operated in what they've deemed to be in an effective manner for many decades in the past and they'll do it again we they need to," she said.
"It was Armed Forced on Saturday and it was really disappointing to see countries show up to observe it and I guess what that says implicitly is there is support there for the military, but regardless of that, I do think the military are willing to do what they want to do regardless of what the international community is saying.
"The UN are bound by their own internal protocol and countries are forcing economic sanctions and there are talks about the ICC (International Criminal Court) down the line, but that more immediate pressure is not being felt in the country yet.
However, she said it was important to raise awareness of the plight and help in any way possible. She is currently helping to raise money to send to people in Myanmar who need it.
Protesters have been taking to the streets for the past two months calling for an end to military rule and the release of the country's elected government leaders - including Aung San Suu Kyi - who were overthrown and detained in the coup.
"The important thing is private citizens, people like us, we can actually do something, we have the ability and power to fundraise and continue talking about it and talking about it on social media. We are organising a fundraiser to support people on the ground."
