A dense bamboo forest surrounds the training ground in eastern Myanmar where more than 100 young people, most of them in their twenties, are undergoing rigorous military training.
From former chefs to ex-journalists, rappers and poets, people from all walks of life have joined the resistance movement with a single goal: to overthrow the military regime, which seized power following the 2021 coup.
Myanmar, which won independence from Britain in 1948, has long been dominated by its military. A brief spell of civilian rule ended on Feb. 1, 2021 when the military ousted the National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held incommunicado by the regime in Naypyidaw ever since.
The Bamar People’s Liberation Army (BPLA), led by anti-war poet Maung Saungkha, is a prominent force in Myanmar’s resistance movement. Representing the Bamar ethnic majority, the BPLA was formed in April 2021 – after anti-coup street protests were violently suppressed – to challenge the military’s dominance.
Since October, the BPLA joined forces with the Brotherhood Alliance, a coalition of ethnic armed groups including the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA).
The BPLA has fought alongside the MNDAA in a joint offensive in northern Shan State, near the border of China, called Operation 1027 that has significantly weakened the military.
Basic training for BPLA recruits is renowned for its intense brutality and strict discipline. The training spans three months, pushing recruits to their physical and mental limits. Upon arrival at the training camp, all personal belongings, including phones, are confiscated and returned only after the completion of the training period.
The trainees’ daily routine starts at 4 am and ends at 9 pm, with Sunday being their only day off.
A trainer, whistle in hand, commands the synchronised movements of the recruits. Discipline is enforced with harsh blows for any mistake. Under the scorching sun, sweat soaks their bodies, and their skin is marked with bruises from the demanding training, during which they are not allowed a single drop of water.
A 19-year-old female BPLA recruit, who gave her name as Amora and comes from the Sagaing Region located in central Myanmar, said the training was harder than expected.
“I feel depressed sometimes. But I try to encourage myself with my determination to go through this hard training,” she said. More than 20 BPLA soldiers have died in battles since 2021.
“We have paid with a lot of lives and sacrifices. It is thrilling to see the sacrifices and determination from young soldiers,” said Htet Wai Lynn, the BPLA deputy political officer. “The force of young people is also getting very strong.”
David Scott Mathieson, an independent analyst on conflict and human rights issues in Myanmar, said that the military’s brutal attacks against civilians has forced many young people to take up arms to protect their families, their communities and their nation.
“I think there was this initial compulsion, you know, let’s go, let’s fight, let’s train and get back that future that we’ve lost, get back that freedom,” said Mathieson. “I do think that there’s a widespread recognition that we have to keep going, because we’ve got to topple the military once for all.”
REUTERS
