A former educator in Myanmar has spoken of her anguish after Yangon University awarded an honorary doctorate to Min Aung Hlaing, the general who led the 2021 military coup. The teacher, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said the decision dishonours the institution she once revered.
She earned her doctorate at Yangon University and later taught there, joining the Civil Disobedience Movement after the coup. Forced into hiding, she described the pain of seeing her former students killed, imprisoned, or driven into exile. Many joined the resistance and never returned.
“I feel shame for what the university has become,” she said. “Min Aung Hlaing’s army has bombed schools and turned campuses into places of fear. He destroyed education, yet receives academic honours.” She questioned the value of her own degree when it can be given to a man who legitimises oppression.
The teacher continues to live in hiding but remains committed to returning to the classroom one day. “Education is stronger than fear. Truth is stronger than propaganda,” she said. “We endure because surrender would mean accepting the destruction of our nation’s future.”
