Listeners tuned in to the sound of resistance today as Myanmar’s parallel government launched its first radio channel.
The National Unity Government aired Radio NUG at 8am, with another 30-minute slot broadcast at 16SW and 17.71 megahertz (MHz) tonight at 8pm.
While their competitor – the warped babbling of Min Aung Hlaing – won’t be winning anyone over, the inaugural news programme drew praise from an audience desperate to see the back of a murderous regime.
“A very good programme,” wrote one reviewer. “It will be useful when the military dogs cut the internet. I respect this smart move by the NUG.”
“I commend the NUG for starting this radio during the spring revolution for the people to stay connected. May the uprising prevail,” added another listener.
Amid the launch, The Irrawaddy reported a spike in demand for shortwave radios, reflecting the strength of support for the NUG. With the military prone to shutting down the internet, the broadcasts seek to reach the public and consider FM the best way to do so.
The NUG posted on Facebook that the channel will feature songs about the mushrooming People’s Defence Forces that comprise civilians bearing arms to overthrow the junta. The programmes will also air words of encouragement from participants in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and, for a bit of variation, “songs in general”.
Pro-democracy activists have launched other radio stations since the coup, including Federal FM Radio, which went live on April 1 at 90.2 MHz. Another initiative to undermine the regime, Operation Hanoi Hannah, plays broadcasts over pirate radio encouraging soldiers to side with the people.
But people are willing to support the Spring Revolution with more than their ears. Launching its Spring Lottery on August 15, the NUG said all 50,000 tickets of the initial tickets sold out within hours. It has since flogged an overall of 200,000 tickets as of yesterday, according to the Democratic Voice of Burma. The success means a substantial amount of money was raised for striking civil servants, despite the regime threatening mobile services that facilitate the lottery with “legal action”.
Meanwhile, boycotts of anything military-related have pushed the regime-controlled Aung Bar Lay Lottery into a miserable state. The junta recently postponed the lottery draw and dropped the jackpot from 1.5-billion-kyat (about US$911,000) first prize to 500 million kyats. Winners are not even guaranteed to receive their full prizes due to cash shortages.
Two days ago, the Aung Bar Lay Lottery announced its prizes would increase from 60 percent of sales revenues to 70 percent in a bid to counter the NUG’s initiative but – given the response to the Spring Lottery and revolution radio – the odds are against it.
