The Unheard Voices: Structural Violence, Memory, and Civilian Resistance in Contemporary Myanmar Society

Abstract

This article examines contemporary Myanmar through the lens of political humanities, focusing on the interconnections between structural violence, memory, and civilian resistance under military rule. It introduces the concept of “voices that are not counted,” referring to civilian voices that are systematically marginalized within political institutions, legal frameworks, and official public memory. Although these voices are silenced or rendered invisible by the state, they persist and re-emerge as forms of bottom-up political engagement. The article argues that violence in Myanmar should not be understood solely as direct physical repression, but as a form of structural violence embedded in state institutions, laws, and political culture. Such normalization of violence continuously undermines human dignity by depriving civilians of voice, agency, and the ability to define the meaning of their own lived experiences. At the same time, the article highlights memory as a crucial political terrain. State efforts to erase or control memories of past violence are challenged by community-based memories articulated through storytelling, art, alternative media, and civilian networks. These memories function as a form of moral resistance, preventing injustice from being silenced or forgotten. Furthermore, the article reframes civilian resistance in Myanmar not merely as confrontation with state power, but as a process of meaning-making. Civilians are not passive victims of structural violence; rather, they act as social agents who negotiate, resist, and reimagine political possibilities through everyday practices. By foregrounding civilian voices and memories, this study positions Myanmar as a critical case for understanding contemporary political humanities, particularly debates on power, violence, memory, and human dignity.