Reclaiming the Future: Waiting, Resistance, and Expectations in Myanmar’s Post-Coup University Boycotts

Abstract

University boycotts have been used by students to champion change and challenge oppressive systems around the world. This article focuses on the boycotts carried out by university students in Myanmar to support teachers participating in the civil disobedience movement sparked by the military coup of February 2021. Based on 15 months of remote research in 2021–2022, this article demonstrates that by putting their formal education on hold, university students have employed “waiting” as a form of resistance against the military regime. It also shows that university students’ commitment to resistance through boycotts threatens to compromise their academic progress and career prospects, prompting some to reconsider their tactics in the face of limited international support and prolonged military rule. In so doing, this article highlights how waiting can be a widely shared yet isolating experience, and adds to the understanding of how resistance evolves in response to the uncertainties and challenges imposed by the military state, examining individual decisions within the broader context of collective resistance by university students in Myanmar.