Sittwe union vows to protect students from threats and intimidation

By DMG 08 May 2021

DMG Newsroom
8 May 2021, Sittwe 

The Sittwe University Students’ Union will protect Sittwe University students, whether they opt to go back to class or not, from being threatened or pressured by any individuals or entities, according to Ko Toe Toe Aung, chair of the union.  

He said although there were not yet any known cases of intimidation or the like, the union was prepared to address such situations if they should arise. 

“We’ll protect any students, whether they return to classes or not, from being threatened. We have already planned to deal with it, and will confront the criticism. We’ll take full responsibility,” said Ko Toe Toe Aung. 

He noted that many students have faced adversity in recent years, from the conflicts that have plagued Arakan State to the internet shutdown affecting a large swath of the state for much of last year.      

U Kyaw Naing Oo, head of the Academic Affairs Department at Sittwe University, said more than 60% of students had already returned to their classes.  

“The rest might return to classes next Monday,” he said. “We’re teaching them now. Some classes have many students so we have divided the students to teach in separate rooms. Students might face difficulties during this situation. Some students haven’t attended yet as they don’t know about the reopening. Most students attend at least one or two weeks after reopening.” 

Universities and degree colleges in Arakan State had been suspended since March 2020 due to COVID-19, but reopened beginning on May 5 at the instruction of the State Administration Council (SAC). 

All classes have not resumed yet, and only final and master classes have resumed at Sittwe University. 

Many students across Myanmar’s states and regions, however, have indicated that they will not return to the classroom under military rule. The Arakan Students’ Union (Universities – Yangon) released a statement on May 4 urging Arakanese university students in Yangon Region to boycott the SAC-run education system.