Karenni youth fight for freedom at the cost of their lives and limbs

Eighteen-year-old Chit Ko has the letters “KA” tattooed on his arm, an acronym for the Karenni Army guerrilla force, which he joined last year. Just three years earlier, he had been an eighth grade student and a member of his school football team. While schools were shut in Myanmar during the Covid-19 pandemic, he helped his parents with farm work at the family home outside Hpasawng, Bawlakhe Township, about 100 miles south of the Karenni State capital, Loikaw. When the Myanmar military, led by its commander-in-chief Sen.-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, carried out a coup and attacked peaceful protestors and civilians, Chit Ko dropped out of school, choosing instead to undergo a three-month combat training offered by the KA. "I don't like what he is doing,” Chit Ko said, referring to the coup regime’s leader. “Look at what he does. He killed people. They burned and destroyed houses. I didn't like these actions, so I joined the revolution.” He fought in about eight battles after completing his combat training, On August 1, Chit Ko was with the KA guerrillas when they ambushed troops from the army’s Light Infantry Battalion 134 in Hpasawng Township. When they retreated after an exchange of fire, Chit Ko and another fighter triggered a landmine. “We shot at them with all the bullets we had left. When we ran out and their return fire intensified, we were forced to retreat. We retreated in a different direction from the way we approached, and didn't realise there were landmines in our path. The fighter leading us didn't know either, but didn't step on a landmine. The two of us who were following him and stepped triggered the mine, and both of us lost our legs," said Chit Ko. Chit Ko, a football enthusiast and player on his school team who lost one of his legs pictured on August 29 (Myanmar Now) Chit Ko still wants to play football even after losing his left leg. "My passion is no longer possible, but I have no regrets. Many of my comrades have made the ultimate sacrifice, and I will continue to work hard for them,” he said. Another KA fighter, Maung Maung Gyi, was born in Demoso Township, Karenni State into a poor family. He worked as a security guard before the military coup in order to support them. When his friends were shot dead or arrested in anti-junta protests in Demoso, a small town of around 6,000 inhabitants, Maung Maung Gyi was among those who decided to take up arms against the junta. "I was also at the protest. When the army became violent, I contacted some revolutionary comrades and joined them," he said. Maung Maung Gyi participated in several battles throughout Karenni State, which developed into a stronghold for anti-junta forces. He was not able to go back to his hometown. “Before the coup, our town was quite happy. I rode around with my friends on motorbikes. Now my city is overgrown with bushes and there’s a lot of damage. It has reached a stage where even the wide roads are blocked by untrimmed shrubs,” he said. In August, Maung Maung Gyi, who had a strong desire for revolution, was wounded while taking part in an attack on a temporary army base on the border between Karenni and Shan states. "There was not much protection in their temporary encampment. I was hit by a bullet from a light firearm as I advanced. The bullet hit me on the upper left chest. The battle was already almost over when I got hit," he said. In critical condition, he was brought to the Thai border for treatment as he was bleeding out and unable to move his hand. Even after receiving medical treatment, Maung Maung Gyi's mobility is severely limited and he is unable to put on a shirt without help. However, his chief concern seemed to be for the scarce supplies available to his comrades in the resistance. "The most pressing need in the revolution is ammunition. Our guns have improved over the rudimentary hand-made ones they used to use and we have access to good firearms thanks to the people’s generous support. But even with better weapons, we’re still in need of ammunition,” he said. Maung Maung Gyi, whose combat injury paralysed his left hand, pictured on August 29 (Myanmar Now) In June, the KA as well as the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) and People's Defence Force (PDF) escalated their attacks on military and junta-associated targets in Karenni State. In joint assaults near the Thai border, the anti-junta armed groups captured a junta base on the eastern shore of the Salween (Thanlwin) River, a border outpost in Mese Township, and a police station in the town of Mese in Karenni State. KA fighter Lin San Oo, 23, was among those who took part in the attack on the police station on June 13. Leaving their base at around 10am that day, Lin San Oo and his comrades reached the Mese police station in the early evening. However, as it was inopportune to launch an attack near dark, the fighters decided to camp nearby for the night and attack at a more favourable time. "We couldn’t make a sound near the police station. Even if we wanted to cough, we had to put a towel over our mouths to muffle it. We were close enough to the police station to see our enemies’ faces but couldn’t fight yet," Lin San Oo said. When they attacked at dawn, they managed to capture the station in less than 20 minutes, confiscating around 40 small arms, mortars, and more than 180 million kyat in cash (US$85,000 at the current regime-set rate) being held there. Lin San Oo said that about 10 members of the police, including the commanding officer, were killed in the battle. “We closed in on them and attacked, and all of them died. We also got a lot of weapons," he said. Although the battle ended in a triumph for the KA fighters, Lin San Oo was to be one of its casualties. He was shot by a sniper while running ammunition to his comrades. “As I stood up to refill the ammunition supply, a sniper's bullet struck my hip,” Lin San Oo said. “None of my comrades could reach me to help for some time after I was injured. I was lying on the ground with a junta plane firing over me.” "Our team had a doctor, but we didn’t have the medical supplies needed to treat my wound,” he added. Volunteers assist Lin San Oo with rehabilitation exercises following an injury that paralysed one of his legs on August 29 (Myanmar Now) Lin San Oo now has to bear the difficulties of life without the use of one leg, and depends on crutches for mobility. His injury has not yet healed but he does not need much, he said, adding that it is his comrades at the frontline who are in greater need, as they lack supplies ranging from uniforms to medicines. "When we were deployed to the frontlines, we often had only one change of clothes, which we wore regardless of the weather. The lack of proper attire impacted our health. There is also not enough medicine to treat the injured," he said. He added that he felt lucky to have received medical attention on the other side of the Thai border. "In Myanmar, when we heard the sound of a plane, we had to turn off the lights, hide, and wait in fear. I'm happy to be here,” Lin San Oo said. “Also, it’s not as if I have to keep the revolution going on my own. The entire country of Myanmar is fighting.” “And I can also take pride in myself," he added. Karenni State: A small stronghold of the resistance The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), was established in 1957 and has endured for decades as one of Karenni State’s most influential political organisations. The KA, which operates as the KNPP’s armed wing, and the KNDF emerged as the two groups mounting the strongest resistance against the coup regime after the military seized power in 2021. The PDF, operating as the armed wing of the anti-junta, publicly mandated shadow National Unity Government, has also established chapters in the Karenni State towns of Loikaw, Demoso and Nan Mei Khon, as well as in the nearby townships of Moebye and Pekhon, southern Shan State. According to the census carried out in 2014, Karenni State is home to around 300,000 inhabitants. Tens of thousands of them have been displaced from their homes in the tiny state since the 2021 coup, a number that has increased dramatically due to the junta’s deployment of airstrikes. After only two airstrikes were known to have occurred in Karenni State in 2021, there were 182 airstrikes in 2022, according to a report by the Progressive Karenni People's Force, followed by 179 in the first four months of this year. The KNDF also issued a statement in September saying there had been 20 airstrikes by the junta and 29 battles in Karenni State that month. Frano, a native of Demoso, said his hometown was destroyed by junta aerial attacks, heavy artillery strikes, and repeated clashes between the military and anti-junta forces. "In the past, I could return to my hometown. Now there are landmines, and that's why I don't even want to enter the town. It's ruined,” he said. “When their soldiers die, they throw the bodies into civilians’ houses and set fire to them,” he added, referring to the army. Frano, who has difficulty even putting a shirt on unassisted after an injury to his right hand, pictured on August 29 (Myanmar Now) Frano says the junta soldiers’ brutality has only strengthened his resolve to resist them. After fighting in a number of battles, Frano was injured in August during an assault on a junta hill encampment in Mese Township. "Junta troops based in Hpasawng launched an offensive. When we heard about it, we went there to attack them and I was injured in the fight,” he said. Frano suffered a severe injury to his right hand necessitating the surgical insertion of a steel rod, but the hand remained immobile even after the procedure. Treatment in Karenni State was effectively impossible, Frano said, so he was taken to a hospital near the border in Thailand. "It is not practical for us to receive medical treatment in hospitals in our area. The planes drop bombs now and then,” he said. “We couldn’t even keep the lights on at midnight because the planes would drop bombs." Frano's injuries have partially healed, but he is still unable to move his hand. “The doctor said that I would recover. If I can just recover quickly, I will be able to rejoin my comrades,” Frano said. Refuge for the wounded The seriously wounded KA soldiers received initial treatment at local independent clinics and hospitals, then underwent further treatment when necessary at hospitals in Thailand near the border with Myanmar. They go to medical appointments at a Thai hospital most days, and spend the rest of their days resting in a nearby residential building, taking care to avoid being noticed or identified. Just past the main lobby of the building, one of the doors is always closed, with a posted warning sign restricting entry to employees. However, anyone opening the door will find a cramped, dimly lit, and weakly ventilated room occupied not by employees, but people with visible combat injuries. Young fighters, ranging in age from 18 to 25, bear the permanent scars of their struggle: bandaged hands, shielded eyes, immobile limbs, and amputations, all attesting to the sacrifices they have made for the resistance. They lie or sit on the beds, often with crutches within easy reach. In this refuge, where wounded resistance fighters may stay for months while undergoing treatment, three young displaced women work tirelessly to assist with cooking and cleaning. Another dedicated volunteer manages transport to the hospital and procurement of essential supplies. A Burmese doctor regularly visits the wounded patients, some of whom face severely limited mobility. The doctor, a participant in the civil disobedience movement (CDM) that arose in 2021 as part of the anti-coup resistance, also procures the medical supplies needed for their treatment. ““I am providing treatment to them for free. Because when we joined the CDM, we gave up hopes and dreams, but still couldn’t give up our body parts and lives,” said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “These young people sacrifice life and limb to fight the dictatorship, which is nobler, so we help them in any way we can.” A CDM doctor visits wounded fighters regularly to provide much-needed medical treatment on August 29 (Myanmar Now) Some resistance fighters who undergo treatment in Thai hospitals have to return for scheduled follow-up care. According to the CDM doctor, this need requires them to remain discreetly housed in safe buildings within various border towns. "All of them came because their conditions were bad. Among them, there are many patients with damage to their eyes, some whose vision is completely impaired. Some of them can't even be given a glass eye transplant after being hit by shrapnel,” he said. Naw Dada, a member of the Karenni community currently staying in Thailand, said that they have been helping wounded fighters at the Thai border since early 2022. Within that timespan, they have been able to help nearly 100 patients. The average cost per patient is 100,000 Thai baht (US $2,800), with support reportedly provided by a major international civil society organisation to cover the expenses. The number of patients treated varies from month to month depending on the frequency of clashes occurring at the border. "I feel sorry, and I feel a lot of stress. Seeing such severe wounds induces strong anxiety," Naw Dada said. The resistance fighters who spoke with Myanmar Now, all Karenni people from Karenni State, without exception expressed an intent to rejoin the resistance once their injuries heal and continue supporting their comrades however they can. The loss of their limbs, paralysis, eye injuries, and other disabilities have not weakened their resolve to fight for justice against the regime’s brutal abuses.

Karenni youth fight for freedom at the cost of their lives and limbs

Fighters in Karenni State, now unable to take part in combat due severe battle wounds, remain more strongly committed than ever to resisting the military dictatorship

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