Mothers of the Myanmar revolution: ‘I worry about whether he has warm clothes’

Spurred on by military atrocities, young people are turning to armed struggle against the regime - leaving supportive but fearful families behind

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When Peh Reh's* mother, Mi Nya*, lost contact with him in September, she had little doubt as to where he had gone. Four months earlier, the 19-year-old had told her he wanted to join the armed resistance against the military, which had seized power from the democratically-elected government in Myanmar in February 2021. Yet she refused to let him leave their home in Myanmar's south-eastern Karenni state (also known as Kayah).

In my eyes, he is still so young," she says. If I could, I would like to keep my son next to me all the time."