Resource Availability and Mobilisation in Myanmar’s Anti-Coup Protests (2021)

The mass mobilization of Burmese citizens that ensued the 2021 coup developed on a scale unseen in decades. This paper leverages a case study of this anti-coup movement to investigate the validity of classic resource mobilization hypotheses developed by the social movement literature. In particular, it seeks to identify the various material and symbolic resources available to Burmese protesters at the time of the army takeover in 2021, to then examine their impact on the collective action built up against the new military regime. The study tests two central propositions: (1) pre-existing social networks, structures and organizations which emerged, or were consolidated, during Myanmar’s decade of democratic experiment (2011-2021) provided Burmese social actors with the necessary resources for mobilizing against the breakdown of democratization; (2) the types of resources available and aggregated during the early phases of contention in 2021 decisively influenced the tactical action, technique of resistance, and innovative strategies then deployed by anti-coup protesters. The paper hopes to advance ongoing conceptual discussions about the resources and attributes that can most effectively explain the development of political contention, particularly in the context of a democratic breakdown. It also aims to rehabilitate the disputed resource mobilization paradigm, which remains grounded on the idea that newly acquired resources are critical to the emergence and sustainability, if not success, of protest movements.