Construction of a centre for boys in Dawplin, Myanmar funded!

The Civil War and a Lost Generation

After 10 years of democratic transition and economic and social development, the military seized power in a coup on 1 February 2021, contesting the results of the November 2020 parliamentary elections. Massive civilian protests, led by doctors, civil servants and teachers, were quickly suppressed by the army. The country is now in a state of civil war between the military and the civilian population, which has since been armed and joined by the armies of the country’s largest ethnic minorities, who have been fighting against the central government for several decades.

In January 2025, the UN estimated that 3.5 million people had been internally displaced or had fled to neighbouring countries (Thailand, India). The military is gradually losing ground but retains its superiority in terms of weaponry (air raids, heavy weapons) and control of the administrative machinery. The highly unstable situation, with no hope of immediate resolution, is set to continue, as none of the parties involved is willing to move towards peace.

The crisis also has economic and social consequences: according to the UN, between 25 and 30 million people, or 40% of the population, now live below the poverty line. The cost of daily living (fuel, rice, internet) has tripled. The exodus abroad (to Singapore, Thailand, etc.) to earn money and escape a country without any hope has been gaining momentum among young people, especially since February 2024 and the introduction of compulsory military service. The country took a 15-year leap backwards between 2021 and 2023.

The school system is also in disarray, with 45% of teachers having resigned and many young people refusing to return to school so as not to support the regime in power. Their sporadic schooling has had serious consequences: they are more vulnerable to scourges such as prostitution, forced labour and recruitment into armed militias. Faced with this situation, villages not controlled by the Burmese army are organising informal classes with former teachers so that young people can continue to receive an education despite the troubled situation.

Making sure children stay in school

The Diocese of Hpa An, to which the village of Dawplin belongs, is a small diocese created in 2009 and is not very developed. The situation in Karen State is one of the most difficult in Myanmar: it is very rural, with very little medical, educational or administrative infrastructure. Civilians displaced by the war flee to refugee camps in Thailand or seek temporary shelter in the forest, where they live in very precarious conditions.

As the region is very rural, families live off their own produce but lack a stable income. Many young people leave their villages and migrate illegally to the Thai border in search of work as soon as they are old enough to earn a living. Unfortunately, many also engage in illegal activities to survive, which exposes them to the risk of exploitation and trafficking.

The lack of school infrastructure in the villages prevents young people from continuing their education in the few middle schools and even fewer high schools. The civil war – ground fighting and aerial bombardments – prevents schools from operating normally (interruption of school days, defection of teachers, fear of young people going to school). Children and young people who are part of displaced populations fleeing the fighting or their burned villages no longer have places to study.

Many young people in the villages are sent by their parents to the few towns in Karen State, including Dawplin, where there are secondary schools and high schools. Furthermore, the town of Hpa Pun, which until 2020 welcomed young people from the isolated Karen mountains, is one of the epicentres of the conflict; the centre has therefore been closed. In Dawplin, buildings were quickly constructed out of bamboo to accommodate the new arrivals, both boys and girls. However, the accommodation capacity is insufficient, and the materials are precarious and will not last, making them unsuitable for providing decent accommodation for young people. Yet this youth accommodation project is designed to be a long-term solution.

The Local Manager

The project manager is Father Anselm Nay Zaw Oo, director of the education commission for the diocese of Hpa-An. A priest for some twenty years, he is particularly devoted to the cause of the Karen people. He is also organised and responsive; he will manage the various phases of the project’s construction very well and send regular updates. Father Anselm has the necessary authorisations to carry out the work; the project site is on land belonging to the diocese.