Student Life in Rebel Territory: Bombs, Snakes and Hungry Cows
The New York Times
As Myanmar’s civil war heads into a fifth year, anti-junta forces are opening universities and colleges as part of their pursuit of a federal democracy.
The medical student was showering near his dormitory in the jungles of eastern Myanmar when he heard military jets flying overhead. Wearing only undershorts, he raced to a bomb shelter. But there, he faced another danger: a black snake. Grabbing a stick, he killed it before it could bite him.
“It was terrifying,” said Khuu Nay Reh Win, 21, who was inspired to become a surgeon after working as a rebel army medic. “The fear of dying from a snakebite is as real as the fear of bombs.”
Such is student life at Karenni Medical College, a school founded two years ago in territory controlled by rebel forces. The campus, with classrooms and dorms made of thatched bamboo, was built deep in the jungle by the professors and students themselves.
It is one of 18 small universities, colleges and academies established in rebel-held territory in the four years since Myanmar’s military ousted the country’s civilian leaders and seized power in a coup, according to anti-junta officials in five regions of the country. They lack funds for much-needed equipment and supplies, and their facilities are simple. But the hope is that these schools can help create the foundation for a new democratic society in the country.
“We opened without waiting for the revolution to end because we were concerned that if young people were cut off from education for too long, they might change paths, face delays in their learning and miss out on higher education opportunities,” said Dr. Myo Khant Ko Ko, the founder and president of Karenni Medical College.
Myanmar’s civil war has shattered the rhythms of life in the country. Thousands of people have been killed by the military. Tens of thousands more have been imprisoned. Millions have become refugees in their own country. And the economy lies in ruins.
