Myanmar regime makes pre-election attempt to lure students back to Loikaw

Myanmar’s military junta is pressuring students of Loikaw University to return to the Karenni (Kayah) State capital ahead of elections slated for the end of this year, according to sources. State media reported the reopening of the university on Monday, as the state’s junta-appointed chief minister, Zaw Myo Tin, carried out an inspection of the campus under heavy security. The move is seen as part of an effort by the regime to strengthen its hold over the largely depopulated town, in a state that is largely under resistance control. Students of the university taking classes through a distance-learning program have been told they must go to Loikaw to take their exams. According to one student based in the Shan State capital Taunggyi, arrangements have been made to accommodate returning students. “For those who don’t have homes in Loikaw, the university is providing free dormitories—brand new single rooms with bathrooms and toilets, even better than the dormitories in Taunggyi,” he said. However, many remain reluctant to return due to concerns about continued instability, and fears of forcible recruitment into the military under the regime’s conscription law. “It’s easy enough to reopen the school, but there won’t be anyone to attend,” said one resident of the town, noting that an earlier attempt to entice young people back to Loikaw for the annual Thingyan festival in April was mostly unsuccessful. “Right now they’re just trying to create the impression that people are coming back and that life is returning to normal for the election,” he added. While there have been no reports so far of anyone being forced into military service, that could change if enough people return, according to the resident. “We’ve seen things saying the junta won’t conscript anybody. But the only reason they haven’t done so yet is that they still don’t have the numbers they want. Loikaw has already suffered greatly from the war, so we’re all just watching and waiting,” he said. Campus battleground On November 11, 2023, ethnic Karenni resistance forces launched an offensive against the junta’s Loikaw Regional Operations Command headquarters. Regime troops stationed at Loikaw University also came under attack, suffering heavy casualties. About 200 members of the university’s staff, including its rector, were subsequently taken into custody and moved to resistance-controlled territory along with their families. The rector, Aung Khin Myint, and four lecturers were found guilty of unlawful association with the regime, while the others were required to sign pledges to stand with the anti-junta movement. After losing control of most of Loikaw, the regime launched intense aerial bombings, forcing thousands of locals to flee. Since then, it has managed to reoccupy the town, even as resistance forces maintain their hold over most of the surrounding area. In recent months, however, Karenni resistance forces have faced setbacks in other areas. In July, they lost control of the southern Shan State town of Moebye, the main gateway into Karenni State, and the following month the regime claimed that it had recaptured Demoso, just 10 miles from Loikaw. Resistance sources deny this, however, saying that junta forces have only taken some camps along the main road to Demoso. This was confirmed by a resident of Demoso involved in efforts to assist local war-displaced civilians, who said that the regime now controls the road from Demoso to Hpruso in the south, but has yet to take full control of the town. He also warned that with the regime’s offensive coming closer to Loikaw, students who return could suddenly find themselves on the frontlines of the conflict. “Only when enough people have gathered to make the area look populated will they start arresting them. If they really reopen the university, they can arrest students at any time,” he said.

Myanmar regime makes pre-election attempt to lure students back to Loikaw

The move comes amid fears that students who return could be forced to fight in the junta’s ongoing offensive in Karenni State

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