In Myanmar's jungles, young volunteers train hard to fight junta

YANGON — A dense bamboo forest in rebel-held territory surrounds the training ground in eastern Myanmar, where more than 100 young people, mostly in their twenties, are undergoing rigorous military drills.

From former chefs to those who were once journalists, rappers and poets, people from all walks of life have joined the resistance movement with a single goal: to overthrow the military regime that seized power in the South-east Asian nation in 2021.

The Bamar People's Liberation Army (BPLA), led by one-time anti-war poet Maung Saungkha, is a prominent force in Myanmar's resistance movement.

A trainer, whistle in hand, commands the synchronised movements of the recruits. Discipline is enforced with harsh blows for any mistake. Under the scorching sun, sweat soaks their bodies and their skin is marked with bruises from the demanding training.

The trainees' daily routine starts at 4am and ends at 9pm, with Sunday being their only day off. They endure hours of intense training without being allowed a single drop of water during the sessions.

Representing Myanmar's Bamar ethnic majority, the BPLA was formed in April 2021 to fight the junta after it toppled an elected government in February that year. Since October 2021, the group has been a key player in Operation 1027, a joint offencive with other rebel militias that has significantly weakened the military.

Myanmar, which won independence from Britain in 1948, has long been dominated by its military. A brief spell of civilian rule ended with the 2021 coup that toppled the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

For those joining the fight under the BPLA's banner, their home in the jungle are makeshift tents, accommodating around 20 to 30 people each.

Their sleeping