More than 125,000 teachers suspended in Myanmar

Myanmar’s teachers’ Federation official said military authorities have arrested more than 125,000 teachers in the country for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the February military coup.

A total of 125,900 school teachers had been suspended as of Saturday, said the official of the teachers’ federation, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisals.

He is already on the junta’s wanted list on charges of inciting disaffection.

The official added: These are just statements to threaten people to come back to work. If they actually fire this many people, the whole system will stop.

He said he had been told that the charges he faces would be dropped if he returns.

It comes days before the start of the country’s new school year, which some teachers and parents have boycotted as part of a campaign that has crippled the country since the coup that cut short a decade of democratic reforms.

Myanmar has 430,000 teachers, according to the latest data two years ago.

E.M