That large swathes of Myanmar have come together to oppose the military’s rule since it seized power on February 1, is not entirely surprising.

 

Having experienced decades of military rule roiled by bouts of brutal, often bloody, repression leavened with economic stagnation, people of varied ethnic backgrounds, social stratas, and cultural affiliations around the country have come together to resist, whether actively or passively, the junta’s power grab. If anything has united varied groups across the country in the past few decades, it has been military rule.

 

One group that has taken up the banner of  resistance, perhaps surprising some people, is the local fans of South Korean pop music - universally known as K-pop, short for Korean popular music.

 

The genre encompasses styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, experimental, rock, jazz, gospel, hip hop, R&B, reggae, electronic dance, folk, country, and classical mixed with traditional South Korean music roots.

 

One defining aspect of K-pop is the passion of its fans around the world, and those in Myanmar are no different. South Korean music groups such as BTS, EXO, Black Pink, Big Bang, iKon,Treasure,Twice, and Got-7 have huge fandoms locally.

 

Famous for their fervour - fans of rival K-pop groups have been known to get into feuds - K-pop fans in Myanmar, who are mainly youths, are now a surprisingly influential force opposing the military’s rule.

 

So fervent are the fans that supporters of South Korean groups BTS and EXO got into fights on January 31, over which band deserved more prominence on a giant digital display at the Times City shopping mall in Yangon.

 

All that changed drastically, however, just one month later when the military seized power of February 1. K-pop fans across the country set aside their rivalries to oppose military rule.

 

Their rise is all the more startling when you consider that K-pop fandom in Myanmar had only developed over the last decade or so, long after previous uprisings in the country such as the 8888 Revolution of 1988 or the Saffron Revolution of 2007.

 

“The military takeover did more than anything else to bring together K-pop fans in Myanmar,” said one local fan of BTS, one of the biggest K-pop acts in the world.

 

“The military takeover did more than anything else to bring together K-pop fans in Myanmar,” said one local fan of BTS, one of the biggest K-pop acts in the world.

 

Beyond taking to the streets to join protests that were prominent in the early days of the takeover, the young fans, who were born in the internet age and grew up with social media, have become keyboard warriors.

 

Taking to their laptops and smartphones, they have been using apps such as Twitter, Telegram, and Facebook, to organise, raise funds, and broadcast what has been happening in Myanmar to the rest of the world.

 

“If the fan clubs of EXO and Blackpink can donate K10 million (about US$6,000) to those opposing military rule, we BTS fans should be able to do the same. That is a good aim. Fandom wars are immature. If rival fan groups can unify, we might be able to overthrow the dictatorship,” said another fan of BTS.

 

“Of course K-poppers aren’t the only ones doing what they can to oppose the military, but their efforts have led to publicity about what’s going on in Myanmar to spread around the world on Twitter, thanks to the geographical footprint of K-pop fans around the world,  said one girl who has been a K-pop fan for the past five years.

 

While many of them are so young that they do not yet have jobs, this has not stopped them from doing whatever they can to raise funds for the opposition.

 

They have gone so far as to sell precious symbols of their fandom such as band merchandise.

 

“T-shirts, albums, even things like water bottles, can be quite expensive and cost as much as K70,000 or K80,000. They have been selling such things from their collections to raise funds since they are not yet employed,” said one fan who is old enough to be part of the workforce.

 

While many of them are doing whatever they can to back the opposition, a few do not and a vanishingly small number may even support the military.

 

Their peers have promised that these holdouts will be ostracised and punished.

 

“They are on our blacklists and won’t be forgotten.When the country is back to normal, there will be a price to be paid. Especially, considering that some among us fans have been killed during the protests,” said one fan.

 

K-pop fans who had no interest whatsoever in politics before the takeover were incensed when Wai Yan Tun and Kyal Sin, two well-known K-pop fans, were killed by the military.

 

"I was not interested in politics before the revolution. Honestly, I had no idea about military coups, I am ashamed to say. I was mostly worrying since the miltirary shut down the internet, cutting my access to Youtube.Then I realised how stupid I was. I don’t want to get back a life of watching television at 7pm. While I don’t want to be cut off from my idols, I realised there are more important things going on now, so I started taking part in the opposition movement,” said a fan in Mon.

 

While widely popular with many youngsters, K-pop fandom is still viewed as a sub-culture in Myanmar, especially among the older generation.

 

“Many of us wear fashionable, strange and colourful clothes. Even boys wear make-up and dye their hair. Some think it is just a fashion phase and not a movement, but the music can be meaningful,” said one girl who has been a fan of K-pop for 10 years.

 

While many of the older generation might view K-pop as frivolous and its fans as going through a youthful phase, there can be no doubt that their actions since the military came to power has been opening eyes around the country and the world.

 

"K-pop culture and fans have gained recognition and more acceptance since the civil disobedience movement sprang up. Previously, we were dismissed or ignored. Then people’s opinions of us began to change. The world heard about Myanmar on Twitter, which was widely used here before, thanks to K-pop fans. I am proud of this,” said one female fan from Mandalay.

 

Whatever the views of K-pop fandom in Myanmar, there can be no doubting the impact it has had.

 

"We always donate necessary supplies and  provide funeral assistance to the families of those who were killed. We support and donate to the opposition organisations such as the National Unity Government and the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Myanmar’s parliament). K-poppers have been involved since the beginning of the civil disobedience movement. We’ll fight till the end,” a fan said.

 

Burma Associated Press