The medical student was taking a shower near his dormitory in the jungles of eastern Myanmar when he heard military jets flying overhead. Wearing only undershorts, he raced to the bomb shelter. But there he faced another danger: a black snake. Grabbing a stick, he killed it before it could bite him.
“It was scary,” said Ku Nay Le Win, 21, who was inspired to become a surgeon after working as a medic in the rebel army. “The fear of dying from a snake bite is as real as the fear of a bomb.”
This is student life at Karenni Medical College, a school founded two years ago in territory controlled by rebel forces. The campus, where classrooms and dormitories are made of sharded bamboo, was built deep in the jungle by the professors and the students themselves.
It is one of 18 small colleges, universities and academies established by rebels in the four years since Myanmar's military ousted the country's civilian leaders and seized power in a coup. They lack funds for much needed equipment and supplies, and their facilities are simple. But these schools hope to help lay the foundations for a new democratic society in the country.
“We opened without waiting for the revolution to end, because we were worried that if young people were cut off from education for a long time, they might change their path, fall behind in learning, miss out on opportunities for higher education. ” said Dr. Myo. Khant Ko Ko, Founder and President of Karenni Medical College;
Myanmar's civil war has shattered the country's rhythm of life. Thousands of people were killed by the army. Tens of thousands more are in prison. Millions became refugees in their own countries. And the economy is in ruins.
The anti-Yunta forces are a loose alliance of different groups of armed ethnic minorities who have been fighting the army for many years, and more recently of units formed from the ranks of pro-democracy protesters.
Over the past 15 months, ethnic rebels have won a number of victories in the countryside, and anti-Yonta forces now claim control over more than half of the country's territory, sparking optimism among their supporters. I am.
However, the military junta retains control of Myanmar's main cities and capital, Nay Pyi Daw, as well as much of the country's wealth and air force. Anthony Davis, a security analyst with the Bangkok-based Military Publications Group, said a clear victory would mean an insurgency that lacks significant international support, a steady flow of ammunition, and most importantly a unified command structure. remains elusive to the powers that be.
The 18 schools, all located in ethnic rebel territory, are recognized by the Shadow National Unity Government, said Mu Tun, Deputy Minister of Education Sai Khanh. Students pay little or no money to attend.
Educators are also trying to establish school systems for elementary and middle school students. Many of them live in camps for displaced people.
Colleges and universities offer degrees in science, liberal arts, agriculture, law, technology, nursing, and music, with student populations ranging from the tens to the hundreds. Some have connections with foreign universities and have sent students abroad to study.
The school remains hidden as much as possible to avoid air strikes. Some took over buildings that were partially damaged by the fighting. Others are hidden in residential areas or under the jungle canopy.
Some students commute to campus from refugee camps where they live with parents or siblings. Others enlisted in the rebel army and joined the ranks when they were not fighting.
One school in Shan State's Ta'ang Arts Academy is dedicated to ethnic culture and music. There are 27 students in that first class. Director OWM Sa Ngarr said they wanted to preserve local culture while using music “as a medium to heal the psychological trauma faced by people living in conflict zones.”
According to administrators, the biggest challenge was a lack of funds to purchase equipment, pay salaries and improve facilities.
But everyone lives in fear of held juntas and drones.
“Every day I teach under the constant worry of aerial bombardment, listening carefully to the sounds of planes and looking anxiously at the sky,” said Baby, founder and professor of chemistry at Fanshawe College in Karenni. Hasan Tito Su said. A liberal arts college that opened in March.
Days after the 2021 coup, doctors in Mandalay led a strike that prompted a nationwide civil disobedience movement. Some of them are currently major efforts to establish medical schools in rebel-held territory.
Khin Maung Lwin resigned in protest as president of the prestigious medical university, Mandalay, to establish a medical school in Kachin State in 2023 and recruit professors who participated in the civil disobedience movement.
The school, which has about 100 students, was forced to close twice when bombs began falling nearby. The professor and student were temporarily moved to a safer area near the Chinese border, where the student helped care for the injured.
“Many of these students have gained considerable practical experience in treating trauma,” said Dr. Khin Maung Lwin.
Nellie Fee, a 22-year-old who plans to become a surgeon, is typical of many students at Karenni State's medical school, with a second opening.
Her family's home was destroyed by military artillery. Her mother and brother live in a refugee camp. His two older brothers are soldiers in the Karenni National Defense Force.
But her life is not easy in jungle medical school.
While she was sleeping, a huge snake slithered near her pillow. Sometimes, due to insufficient facilities, she bathes in the pond where the cows drink. She quickly interrupts her research, turns off the light, and flees to a bomb shelter as drones and jets fly overhead.
And if snakes and air raids aren't enough, she and other students have to contend with local cows that wander onto campus and eat their laundry. A veterinarian in the area said the cows may have developed an appetite for soap due to the lack of salt in their diets.
Khoo Nei Le, the student who encountered the snake at the bomb shelter, said the cow ate everything except one shirt and his school-issued medical scrubs.
“I lost more than 10 shirts to cows,” he said.