Naw The Da, Thoo Mwe Khee
Naw The Da, Thoo Mwe Khee School, Thai-Burmese border
Naw The Da (14) has lived in the same village in Burma since she was four, which over the past few years has been under SPDC control. At first, when the village was under attack, she and her family hid for months in the local monastery. Since then, there have been 200 - 300 soldiers camped in the village, which has made it unsafe to leave the house to go to school. Now, there is an understanding between the SPDC and the head villager, so she is able to make the daily journey to Thoo Mwe Khee School on foot, or by boat in the rainy season. Naw The Da is particularly worried for her father, who owns a cart which can carry up to ten people. He is often forced to work for the SPDC, driving soldiers around the area, which makes him more vulnerable to landmines and attacks from the KNU.