Since a military troop had been stationed at the basic primary school in Kyauktaw town’s Ywama ward in Arakan State for a week, most students do not attend school because they’re worried about possible fighting and exchanges of gunfire, headmaster U Tun Tun Aung told the DMG.

About 40 out of 146 students came to school and parents were thinking to transfer their kids to another school, U Tun Tun Aung said.

Another reason the students are not happy to come to school was the presence of a police force at Shwe Kyaung Buddhist Community Hall near the school, he added.

“Parents are worried about the potential for shootouts between opposing forces.  So, they do not want to send their children to school,” the headmaster said.

“I want to see students happy at school, but I feel sad when they do not want to come to the school. But, I am also worried that they might become stressed out from worrying too much about possible gun fire,” U Tun Tun Aung said.

U Oo Tun Win, Pyithu Hluttaw MP of Kyauktaw Township, said that staying military troops during the time people were worried for their safety due to ongoing clashes in the region could increase their concern.

“We are worried because of ongoing clashes in the region. Meanwhile, hundreds of soldiers with supplies and ammunition are staying in the area and that makes it feel like a ghost town, even during the day,” U Oo Tun Win said.

On 6 December, a Grade-3 student from Paik Thay’s post-primary school located near Ywarma primary school was killed by a stray bullet on his way to home after studying. The family members of the victim said that the child was killed by gunfire from the Tatmadaw.