It is reported that The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has shut down a secondary school in Mong Yu Lay village, Kutkai Township, Shan State on the grounds that the teachers had been appointed by the Junta.

According to accounts from local residents shared with the Shan Herald, on June 5, KIA troops arrived at the secondary school in Mong Yu Lay village, Kutkai Township. They informed the school that teachers appointed by the Military Council would no longer be permitted to teach.

They also stated that if the school wishes to reopen, the  it must exclusively hire teachers who have participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

Kutkai Township is an area where Military Council troops and their subordinate militias, along with various ethnic armed forces such as TNLA, MNDAA, KIA, and SSPP/SSA, are actively operating.

A resident in Kutkai township informed the Shan Herald "The school was forced to close as it is under the control of the Military Council's education system. To reopen the school, only teachers who have joined the CDM are permitted, and they also demand villagers to pay their salaries. Due to the forced closure, over 300 students are missing out  on their right to education," a resident in Kutkai township informed the Shan Herald.

The school in Mong Yu Lay, which was compelled to shut down by the KIA, had just been re-opened on June 3.

The aforementioned woman stated that at present, the village residents and school committee members are actively planning to submit a petition to the KIO/KIA, urging them to reconsider their decision and reopen the school.

"We will approach them and request them to resume the school operations. Last year, they were reluctant to open, but we insisted and managed to keep it running for a year. If the school remains closed this year, over 300 children will be denied education. Those who have financial resources can switch to other schools, but daily wage workers cannot afford such alternatives," explained the woman mentioned earlier.

The students enrolled at Mong Yu Lay Secondary School primarily consist of local students hailing from Pang Lawt village-tract and Mong Yu Lay village-tract.

We tried to contact  KIO/KIA spokesman Colonel Naw Bu by phone regarding the closure of the secondary school in Mong Yu Lay village but we were unable to get the KIA side of the story.

Within the Mong Yu Lay village-tract, there are a total of six primary schools and a single secondary school. This village-tract encompasses 13 villages and is located approximately 20 miles away from Kutkai Township.