Education in the Shadows: School Assembly Held in Forests of Yaw Region Amid Airstrike Fears
While junta leader Min Aung Hlaing repeatedly emphasizes the importance of education and children’s right to learn in public speeches, the reality on the ground remains starkly different as military airstrikes continue to target schools across the country.
Recent images from the Yaw region capture a bittersweet scene: a school’s annual educational assembly being held deep in the forest. Instead of the carefree joy typical of such events, these children live in constant fear, scanning the sky for the sight of military aircraft and the threat of falling bombs. Their parents and teachers share this profound anxiety, balancing the desire to celebrate academic achievement with the urgent need for survival.
During the ceremony, parents and teachers were seen clutching walkie-talkies (locally known as “icons”). These devices are not tools of war; they are life-saving early warning systems used to receive immediate alerts if junta planes are spotted taking off or heading toward the area. For these educators, the “icon” is a vital instrument to ensure children can be rushed to safety at a moment’s notice.
The inability to hold this assembly within the safety of a traditional school building serves as a chilling testament to how the fundamental right to education is being systematically threatened and suppressed in Myanmar’s conflict zones.
