The medical student was taking a shower near his dormitory in the jungles of eastern Myanmar when he heard military planes flying overhead. Wearing only his underwear, he ran to the dugout. But there, he faces another danger: a black snake. He grabbed a stick and killed it before it could bite him.
“It’s terrible,” said Khuu Nay Reh Win, 21, who was inspired to become a surgeon after serving as a rebel medic. “The fear of death from a snake bite is as real as the fear of bombs.”
Such is life as a student at the Karenni Medical College, which was established two years ago in rebel-held territory. Classrooms and dormitories on campus are made of thatched bamboo, built deep in the jungle by professors and students themselves.
The school is one of 18 small universities, colleges and universities established in rebel-controlled areas in the four years since Myanmar’s military overthrew the country’s civilian leaders and seized power in a coup, according to anti-junta officials in five regions. One of the colleges. They lack funds to purchase much-needed equipment and supplies, and their facilities are rudimentary. But it is hoped that these schools will help lay the foundation for a new democratic society in the country.
“We did not wait until the revolution was over to start opening up because we were worried that if young people were disengaged from education for too long, they might change paths, face study delays and miss out on higher education opportunities,” said Dr. Myo Khant Ko Ko, founder of Karenni Medical College Person and dean.
Myanmar’s civil war has disrupted the country’s rhythm of life. Thousands of people were killed by the military. Tens of thousands more were imprisoned. Millions of people became refugees in their own countries. The economy is in ruins.
The anti-junta forces are a loose alliance of different ethnic armed groups that have fought the military for years, as well as forces recently formed from among the ranks of pro-democracy protesters.
Ethnic rebels have scored numerous victories in the countryside over the past 15 months, with anti-junta forces now claiming control of more than half the country, giving supporters optimism.
But the junta still controls Myanmar’s main city and capital Naypyitaw, as well as most of the country’s wealth and air power. Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst at the Janes Group, a military publication, said the insurgents still struggle to achieve a clear victory because they lack significant international support, a stable supply of ammunition and, most importantly, a unified command structure .
Sai Khaing Myo Tun, deputy education minister of the shadow government of national unity, said the 18 schools are located in areas of ethnic rebellion and are recognized by the shadow government of national unity. Students pay little or no cost to participate.
Educators are also trying to establish a school system for primary and secondary school students, many of whom live in displacement camps.
Universities and colleges range in size from dozens to hundreds of students and offer degrees in science, liberal arts, agriculture, law, technology, nursing and music. Some have ties with foreign universities and send students to study abroad.
To avoid air raids, the school was kept as secretive as possible. Some took over buildings partially damaged by the fighting. Others are hidden in residential areas or hidden beneath the jungle canopy.
Some students commute to campus from refugee camps where they live with their parents and siblings. Others joined the rebels and took classes when they weren’t fighting.
One of these schools is the Ta’ang Academy of Arts in Shan State, dedicated to ethnic culture and music. There are 27 students in the first class. Director Owm Sa Ngarr said he hopes to use music “as a medium to heal the psychological trauma faced by people in conflict areas” while preserving local culture.
Administrators say the biggest challenge is a lack of funds to buy equipment, pay salaries and improve facilities.
But everyone lives in fear of the junta’s planes and drones.
“Every day, we teach amidst the constant concerns about aerial bombing,” said Baby Hsan Chit Su, founder (and professor of chemistry) at Phanshaw University in Karenni State. Listening to the sound of planes and anxiously staring at the sky.
Doctors in Mandalay led a strike in the days after the 2021 coup, sparking a nationwide civil disobedience movement. Now some of them are spearheading the establishment of medical schools in rebel-held areas.
Khin Maung Lwin resigned as president of the prestigious Mandalay Medical College to establish a medical college in Kachin State in 2023 and recruited professors involved in the civil disobedience movement.
The school, which has about 100 pupils, was twice forced to close after bombs fell nearby. Professors and students were temporarily moved to a safer area near the Chinese border, where students helped care for the injured.
“Many of these students gained important practical experience in treating trauma,” said Dr. Khin Maung Lwin.
Nelly Phoe, 22, who plans to become a surgeon, is typical of the many students at Karenni State Medical College, the second medical school to open.
Her family’s house was destroyed by military gunfire. Her mother and brother live in a refugee camp. Two older brothers are soldiers in the Karenni National Defense Force.
But her life at Jungle Medical College has not been easy.
Once, while she was sleeping, a giant snake slithered near her pillow. Sometimes, because facilities were insufficient, she bathed in the pond where the cows drank. As drones and jets flew overhead, she quickly interrupted her studies, turned off the lights, and fled to the bomb shelter.
If snakes and air raids weren’t enough, she and other students also had to contend with local cattle that wandered onto campus to eat their laundry. A veterinarian in the area said the cows may have developed a taste for soap due to a lack of salt in their diet.
Mr Khuu Nay Reh Win, a student who encountered the snake in the air-raid shelter, said the cow ate everything but a shirt and school-issued medical coveralls.
“I’ve lost over 10 shirts to cows,” he said.
