With braided hair, pink plastic clogs and a wide grin, 18-year-old Moe Pyae Sone stands straight before a camera and tells of her decision to leave her family, her school and her village.
“I am from northern Shan state and I’ve come to Kayin state for the revolution,” she says to Radio Free Asia.
Moe Pyae Sone pauses for a moment at an internally displaced people’s camp just south of Myawaddy, where ethnic rebels recently overran military junta positions.
Wearing camouflage pants and a tactical vest over a traditional red garment, she recalls her participation in protests – like so many other young people – against Myanmar’s military junta after the Feb. 1, 2021, coup d’etat.
Knowing of her desire to fight, her parents asked her to remain in school, she says. But in 2022, she secretly sold a pair of earrings to pay for travel expenses.
On the other side of the country – in Chin state – she joined resistance forces and eventually became a trainer.
“In Chin state, I’ve gained combat experience,” she says. “I’ve participated in quite a few battles.
She speaks matter-of-factly and occasionally lets loose with a nervous giggle.
Earlier this year, she made her way to Kayin state to join with another group of anti-junta fighters.
She’s the eldest of three siblings. She says her mother still lives in the same village in Shan state.
“Of course they worry about me,” she says.
Then she jumps in the back of a pickup truck with a half dozen others. She turns around to wave goodbye – still smiling – as they drive off toward a junta outpost.
Edited by Matt Reed.
Five young men shot at gathering in Maryland park
Anger as new Rector claims Glasgow University 'colludes in murder of innocents'
Does the U.S. See Pacific Island Countries As True Partners?
Xi Meets National Assembly of Vietnam Chairman, Urges Strong Sense of Community with Shared Future
Jeezy BACKTRACKS on request for full custody of daughter Monaco, two, amid Jeannie Mai divorce
How APEC meetings turn out is a test for the US
Interview: Uncertainty to push business away from Europe, says expert
Anqing developed agriculture and ecological breeding industries to expand income
Ed Westwick puts on a dapper display as he steps out with stunning fiancée Amy Jackson for star
How APEC meetings turn out is a test for the US
Cycling star Evenepoel targets June return from crash ahead of Tour de France and Paris Olympics
Thingyan water festival kicks off in Myanmar