Shan State university students are refusing to return to class after the military council reopened schools on May 5.
“Under the military regime, we won’t attend class…After our civilian government is restored, we will come back,” a fourth-year female university student from Panglon University, told SHAN, explaining that teachers are also refusing to work during the dictatorship.
The military council announced a hiring scheme for postgraduate students completing their bachelor degrees in two months.
“The military regime needs government servants,” she explained after many instructors joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
She said the only students returning to university last week are from military families or have parents who are police.
Another student said many who joined the protest movement are hiding. “They are issuing arrest warrants for teachers who join the CDM and the same for students who took part in peaceful demonstrations against the military junta…Probably, they are opening universities as a trick to arrest these students.”
A member of the Shan Student Union said if the regime cares about their education, they will transfer power back to the civilian government.
After asking students not to return to school under the military dictatorship in an April 27 statement, the Kengtung University Student Union said over 600 pupils boycotted classes.
Students told SHAN they don’t trust the regime after it murdered many of their peers and other civilians. The military council has said university and college instructors who joined the CDM would be replaced with volunteer teachers.
