Residents of Karenni State have been speaking to NMG about how they have suffered since the February 2021 coup and their hopes for peace.
Conflict in Karenni State since the coup has left the people of Karenni State grappling with severe challenges, including livelihood crises, lack of education, inadequate healthcare, limited social services and death.
A midwife from Loinanhpa Village in Demoso Township, Karenni State, who participated in the anti-coup Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) spoke to NMG about her hopes for 2025.
She said: “I hope that in 2025, the dictator will fall, and our people will regain full freedom. I dream of a time when we can operate with complete security across all parts of society, the economy, and work once again. We long to be free from the constant fear of airstrikes, artillery shelling, and landmines. My decision to join the CDM was a stand against the dictatorship. If we can strengthen the unity and effectiveness that were weakened in 2024, I believe a concrete and hopeful solution will emerge in 2025 for the people who have sacrificed so much, including their lives and property, during these nightmarish years.”
A resistance fighter from Karenni State who also spoke to NMG about his hopes for the future said: “Having been involved in the resistance movement, I share the same hope as the public: the swift collapse of the junta. Only then can Myanmar, including Karenni State, experience true peace. When that day comes, I will embrace freedom and move forward with an ordinary life.”
Since the coup, the junta has carried out indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery bombardments on civilian areas killing many civilians including children, women, pregnant women, and the elderly.
These attacks have also targeted schools and left students feeling insecure and scared of attending school.
A student studying at a college run by the Seh Theh Foundation in Karenni State, near the border with Thailand spoke to NMG about the difficulties faced by students in Karenni State.
She said: “Here, schools are forced to close for several days whenever we hear the sound of planes or spot drones. While students in other countries study peacefully with full facilities, we live in overcrowded, makeshift shelters in jungles and bamboo forests, striving to continue our studies. Every time we hear the sound of planes in the distance, we rush to bomb shelter trenches with our emergency bags. In addition, we are facing a livelihood crisis. Therefore, we hope the revolution will succeed and peace will be achieved in 2025.”
A resident of Demso Township emphasised that everyone will have to collectively work together to make sure the revolution succeeds.
He said: “As a citizen, I too want to see the revolution come to an end, but in a successful way. If each of us effectively fulfils our responsibilities, we will be closer to achieving that goal. We must understand that the revolution is not only about armed resistance. It is a revolution that involves all the people, and no one can remain detached, acting as though it has nothing to do with them. Now is the time for everyone to put in more effort. The participation of all will help the revolution succeed more quickly.”
