Myanmar academic-activists recognise that education that embeds academic freedom is crucial in rebuilding the country on the principles of federalism, democracy and justice, which are a necessary condition for academic freedom itself to flourish.

Closure of educational institutions has been a key aspect of all the coups – the military know that an uneducated, illiterate public is easier to control. Since the early 2000s there was a concerted effort to rebuild educational frameworks and institutions (30-year plan for educational development, National Education Strategic Plan [NESP]) however, the pandemic and the 2021 coup has led to a severe setback in the gains made since the 1998 coup.

It has been more than 19 months since, against the will of the Myanmar people, the military illegitimately overthrew the democratically elected government led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. As of this time, the junta has been committing crimes against humanity, using excessive force to cling on to power and purge those who are not aligned with their maligned agenda. An organized people’s revolt, the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), rose as a sudden response to this atrocity. At least 400,000 civil servants have joined the Struggle, with the Education Sector having the highest number— most of whom have participated in protests and boycotts.

Academics associated with CDM have been bullied, relieved from work, and have fled the country as a result of widespread crackdown. Those who remain in the country continue to live in fear, and in utter uncertainty. They have been experiencing threats of arbitrary arrests, and regulated freedom of movement. Furthermore, digital insecurity has affected both teaching and learning. This has gravely affected their morale, as well as the ability to realize their passions. Yet, amid the fragile situation, they have been committed to shaping emerging builders of Myanmar, and to reclaiming democratic values and institutions taken by the military junta.

The second Academic Freedom in Asia series highlighted stories of some of these unsung heroes of Myanmar, based inside Myanmar and abroad.

Points arising in the webinar:

●       Most uprisings in Myanmar have been led by students.

●       Use of education as a tool of oppression has been a key feature of all coups including the ongoing one. In Myanmar, this has included:

o   Shutting down universities and encouraging ‘factory’ like institutions for producing disciplined, obedient bureaucrats

o   Burmanization and centralised control of curriculum

▪         Lack of professional development training

▪         Strictly hierarchical administrative structures

▪         Not leaving time for research

▪         Corruption in the system with frequent transfers

o   Erasure of the languages and cultures of minority ethnic groups from educational spaces

o   Omission of human rights and constitutional law from syllabuses

o   Very tight lesson plans with suppression of critical thinking and encouraging learning by rote

o   Very high student:teacher ratios (about 100:1)

o   Low salaries, leave restrictions and low living standards for teachers

o   Discouraging students and staff from applying abroad by making the procedures difficult

●       Since the 2021 coup:

o   Nearly 13,000 academics and staff have been dismissed from higher education institutions

o   Increased surveillance of academic-activists, restricting their freedom to work

o   There has been disruption of the education reforms that commenced around 2013:

▪         Lack of library resources for education and research

▪         No right to form students/teachers unions (had started in 2013)

▪         No freedom of expression

▪         Unreliable internet access (ongoing problem since 2012); frequent power outages

▪         No regard for disabilities

▪         No capacity training (only started in 2013 and again disrupted)

o   Technology has helped to opposition groups (CDM) to carry on a parallel education programme online, but general limitations of this process apply as seen in other conflict-affected countries of the global South along with criminalisation of online teaching. Academic-activists who are delivering online education programmes are being targeted.

o   Restrictions on freedom of movement mean academics are unable to avail of scholarship/fellowship opportunities to build expertise that are offered in universities abroad.

●       The series of coups means there is a whole generation of people who have missed out on quality education such:

o   that the CDM led continuation of education reforms is suffering from a lack of human resources with sufficient expertise in the area. The academics in the movement are dependent on foreign support and intervention. This has been recognised as a serious problem that will continue for several years as of now.

o   Academic-activists have recognised that re-establishment of federal democracy will require widespread non-formal public education programmes to gain the people’s support and trust.

o   LGBTQ+ and SOGIE communities – very little support for individuals for the challenges they face in the classroom and beyond.

o   No academic freedom for research: the Higher Education Department under the Ministry of Education often asked for data about research work. If they received human rights research topics and thought that there were issues related to research about states' concerns (for example, land issues, citizenship issues, media issues), they asked for many facts from researchers. Then, concerned departments and heads of departments stressed the researcher in many ways. As a result, in academics, there were very few research papers on sensitive issues, as researchers wanted to avoid oppression.

●       What can the international academic community do to support Myanmar’s academic-activists?

o   Amplify the voices and research of academic-activists in Myanmar

o   Support the students who are part of the CDM

o   Recognise the lack of expertise in generations that have grown up under the influence of the coup administration

o   Financial support is needed

This webinar was co-hosted by:

Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA)

International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA)

International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India)

Off University

Peer Network

REPLITO (Digital Knowledge Archive, Germany)

Peace with Justice Network (UK and Turkey)

Scholars at Risk

Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in ASEAN/Southeast Asia (SHAPE-SEA)