State of Kayah, Myanmar: In their hidden camp on the hills of Kayah Forest near the Thai border, Myanmar’s anti-junta volunteers practiced firing homemade weapons, conducting physical training, and playing guitars among the military fighting.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the military overthrew the Government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February and launched hard action against pro-democracy protests.
In some areas of civilians have formed a “defense force” to combat the State Administration Board, as a Dubs Junta itself, often using hunting rifles or weapons produced in emergency factories.
“I’m far from my family for more than three months,” one member of the defense forces in the camp told AFP with the terms of anonymity.
“I’ll go back home after this revolution.” During that time the group of around 60 had fought around twenty battles with the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, he said.
Patchwork communication in the country east of the country, and AFP cannot verify the number of clashes.
Since the coup, the battle between the Military Group and Myanmar rebels in the east of the country had fled estimated at 100,000 people, the United Nations said last month.
Local residents in the State of Law accused the military using artillery shells that had landed in villages.
Which only hardened the determination to take weapons.
“We will never forget and forgive until the end of the world” read tattoos on one volunteer neck.
Wooden rifles from others have “spring revolution” carved into the buttocks and barrels in Burmese scripts.
In the mix of combat camouflage and shirts, volunteers go patrol, navigate a single lane through serrated hills.
They practiced firing their motley weapons collection with emergency shooting ranges.
During the downtime, one plays guitar on a bench while the other rest in the tent checks the weapon.
More than 890 people have been killed by Junta security forces since February 1, according to local monitoring groups.
As well as the resurrection of local self-defense forces, analysts believe hundreds of anti-coup protesters from Myanmar cities have been running to rebel areas to receive military training.
Civil fighters are often lost and defeated in clashes with Myanmar’s military – one of the hardest and brutal Southeast Asia.
But volunteers are determined to fight.
“If we all fight, we will win,” someone said to AFP.