"I Do Nation", and Myanmar's Street Vendors

A video of the incident was shared on Facebook over 18,000 times, becoming another episode in the ongoing social-media war between street vendors and city officials.

Usually these slanging matches focus on hygiene and crowded conditions, concern shared by many residents. But this time the vendors garnered more widespread sympathy, given that they were asked to closed down their stalls due to COVID-19.

Though these vendors haven't completely disappeared from the strets, Yangon has become a much emptier place since widespread closures were announced on March 28.

Factory shutdowns have added to the economic uncertainty, leaving many among Yangon's working class wondering exactly how to make ends meet. A health crisis is quickly turning into an economic one.

Technology to the rescue

Yangon's Doh Eain, a participatory design group dedicated to urban regeneration in Yangon, is trying to address both these problems via technology - social media and mobile cash payments. Last week they launched their "I Do Nation" campaign with partners MultiVerse Advertising and Wave Money, focusing on the lives of the city's estimated 70,000 street vendors.