Universities raided ; teaching personnel vulnerably arrested by PDF terrorists
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Tun Mon Thet (NP News) - March 2
Like other human rights, the right to education is applicable to all without discrimination at all time, even in insecurity and armed conflict.
Lately, the classrooms in Myanmar have become misused by the PDF terrorists as the battleground and shields. The PDF terrorists, under varieties of names, continuously target and attack the basic education schools, systems and higher education (the universities) not to open to provide public education services since 2021 when youths in Myanmar have equipped themselves with armed after the 2021 political transition.
Tactics used by the terrorists in intimidating the right to education involve raiding, blackmailing, set ablaze and sabotaging the schools and universities, arresting teachers and students, and killing the teachers.
It has been nearly 100 schoolteachers of both males and females including university faculty members and professors brutally killed by the PDFs and affiliated ethnic insurgents within three years.
On 25 February, the PDF terrorists raided the Kalay University in Sagaing University and abducted nearly 300 faculty members by force. The Tatmadaw security forces could save and rescue some of the abductees. However, many are still remained abducted by the terrorists at the time being.
Three days later, on 28 February, the terrorists in Dawei Town who claim themselves as ‘Ba Htoo Army’ with at least 70 forces raided the Dawei Technology University and abducted three faculty members and the Rector of it.
The Dawei Technology University is located on Dawei-Yayphyu highway road.
The report states that the terrorists took cover the fence of the university stadium and fired at the security outposts that took security guard-posts just outside the university. Which means, the PDF launched firing at the Tatmadaw security members taking the university compound as the shield.
After cross-firing between Tatmadaw and PDF terrorists for a while, the reports further state that the PDF terrorists forcibly abducted the rector and faculty members.
With regard to these terroristic acts, the PDFs who called themselves as ‘Ba Htoo Army’ claimed the responsibility of the arrest by releasing the statement.
I hereby directly translate the second paragraph of the terrorists’ statement with respect to the Dawei Technology University. It states, “Subsequently, we arrested three non-CDM teaching personnel who vitalize the Military Slave Education at the Technological University (Dawei) involving the Pro-rector U Kyaw Aung, Professor Daw Su Su Latt and Professor Daw Nandar Lwin.”
Following the Operation 1027, the terroristic attempts by the PDFs and their affiliated ethnic armed forces were escalated. On 13 November 2023, the Kayah PDF, locally known as KNDF abducted 204 faculty members and families of the Loikaw University, including the rector.
After they arrested the educational personnels from Loikaw University, the illegally-organized Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC) disclosed that the five educational personnel including the Rector and Pro-rector of the Loikaw University and their families have been transferred to the judicial department. They will be charged after prosecution.
The statement was released in late 2023. However, no update news or follow-up information about the teachers has been reported so far. It means, the rector, pro-rector and faculty members are missing at the time being.