Resistance

Selected images from a series by Kyaw San.

Following the coup d’état of February 2021, Kyaw San photographed the frontlines of the popular uprising which spread throughout Myanmar. As these urban protests were quashed by a brutal military crackdown, many young Burmese retreated into the jungles to learn how to wage war. Kyaw San followed, travelling through areas of Sagaing and Shan State to witness the myriad issues which feed into ongoing armed conflict in the country.

Shan State has been embroiled in civil war for decades and locals have long suffered under military repression. The coup drove thousands to join a ‘People’s Defence Force’ in order to resist the new dictatorship, but it also caused old rivalries between existing ethnic armed groups to flare up. These photos capture Myanmar’s existing and emerging armed groups at a time of great ferment in the country’s history.

All images by photographer Kyaw San, to see more from this series and discuss licensing for publication or exhibition please contact saccaphoto@protonmail.com. This work is supported by grants from The VII Foundation and The Frontline Club.