Yes! Although Burmese hunger strikers have often referred to fasts performed by Gandhi and Irish republicans, a comparison with another Buddhist society would be nice!

The data I collected from interviews with #Burmese activists and ex-prisoners, and colonial records, point to similar patterns in the 1920s-1930s, mid-1950s, the Coco Islands strikes of 1969-71, the 1974-76 upheavals, in 1988 & since the 2021 coup. Free download doi.org/10.1177/18681034251363997 5/5

Rejecting ‘fast-to-death’ forms of hunger strikes, some #Burmese dissidents have instead performed short-term, repeated, yet non-life-threatening fasts to pay tribute to martyrs, remember past contentious events, to sustain their movement and strengthen its collective identity 4/5

Hunger strikes occupy a prominent place in #Myanmar repertoire of contention, but remain a contested tactic, especially in a society where Buddhism is so prevalent, and where suicidal behaviours are often viewed unfavourably 3/5

Departing from classic views on hunger strikes, I conceptualise contentious acts of fasting as commemorative strategies and performances seeking to build solidarity and a collective memory of past protest actions and events in #Myanmar 2/5

Thanks!