By Kate Dempsey
Some students get in trouble and receive a slip for detention. For student Bhone “Henry” Kyaw, detention as a student in his home country of Burma (Myanmar) means going to prison. Kyaw survived Burma’s military coup in 2021, speaking out against the takeover even as protesters have been stifled–or even killed–for doing so. Now a student at Brooklyn College, Kyaw has escaped Burma against all odds to attend school here in America.
Born on July 20, 2006, in the southern region of Burma known as Yangon, Kyaw grew up in what he describes as a “comfortable” and typical middle-class upbringing in a single-parent household with his mom. His childhood was full of soccer games, traveling to other parts of Southeast Asia, and going to school just like other Burmese children. That was his life until the 2021 coup, when Burma’s military overthrew the government, erupting the country into a civil war. For Kyaw, the impact of the civil war not only affected his daily life, but also his access to education as he began his computer science studies.
“There was no electricity to charge my computer, and it was during exam time. So what’s the computer science student going to do if he doesn’t have power on his laptop? I couldn’t code, I couldn’t socialize with my friends,” Kyaw said. “There was basically no access to the internet because there would be random blackouts during the night, during the day […] the internet did not work at all, the government cut off the internet to the outside world.”
The war, fought between the military and various resistance groups aiming to restore democracy, has led to increased violence against civilians and protesters, according to a report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). An estimated 4,962 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the conflict, of which 1,015 alone were killed from Nov. 1 2023 to May 1 2024, according to PBS News. As competing sides struggle for power, its citizens are facing an ensuing humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations now reporting that an estimated 18.6 million people are in need of assistance with 12.9 million people, a quarter of its population, facing food insecurity. Since the coup, a staggering 90% drop in enrollment in the country’s university population has occurred due to rising costs and the desire by many to join resistance movements, according to Radio Free Asia.
Kyaw, beginning to see his education hindered by the turmoil happening in the country, began to look internationally to get his degree. He received his certificate of completion for secondary education through the University of Cambridge’s International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) program, and began looking to attend college in the United States. Leaving in January 2024, he made it to the U.S. embassy in Vietnam where he was granted a visa to the U.S.
“I still remember the most memorable day was when I got my visa. I got the little pink sheet from the embassy, and I knew then that my life was on a great path, like it was definitely gonna change […] I get to study computer science without any interruptions from political threats,” he said.
Fleeing his country couldn’t have been more timely. Just one month later, beginning on Feb. 10, the military coup announced that men ages 18-35 must complete mandatory service, according to Jurist News. Kyaw may have escaped the conscription, but his life now faces another hurdle: a warrant out for his arrest. Issued by local military police after discovery of his absence, if he is found to be in Burma arrest would be certain.
Kyaw is now under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the U.S., designated and issued for those coming from Burma for humanitarian and political reasons by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Despite the concern for safety, it has not stopped him from speaking out against the injustices happening back home.
“A lot of people and a lot of students have died trying to voice our desires and revolt the government that is in control right now in Burma,” said Kyaw. “Being a student, I believe it’s our duty to spread awareness of what’s happening in Burma right now. So that’s what I’m trying to do with the CUNY community as well as the American people here.”
Once a partaker in the protests in his home country, he now joins in on solidarity protests held in New York City to raise awareness whilst watching his friends, neighbors, and family back home do the same. He continues to advocate despite the vast distance from Burma, continuing to shout the protest chants used in the movement: “‘Ayaytawpone Aung Ya Myi (အရေးတော်ပုံအောင်ရမည်)’ which means ‘our revolt will win,’ our protests will win there, we will win […] So we need to continue what was started. We can’t stop now,” he said.
As a student at BC, Kyaw begins a new chapter in his life. The process has been a dichotomy for Kyaw: focusing on his own studies here in the U.S. while continuing the freedom struggle for students in Burma, transitioning to American society while also trying to maintain a connection with his Burmese culture back home, and trying to gain citizenship in the U.S. to have more rights as the military police in his home country try to take his away. All of this in addition to navigating the logistics of moving to a foreign country.
“I’ve never used public transportation before because in Burma we don’t have that infrastructure […] it was fun seeing the trains for the first time in my life and seeing all these fast food conglomerates and everything, and big infrastructures. They really changed my perspective because I didn’t know that these existed outside my country,” Kyaw said. “But I manage my work, school, and relaxing life by talking with my family back home in Burma. I talk with my mom every night and I tell her about what I’m doing, the events I’m doing at school.”
In addition to being a computer science major, Kyaw also hopes to one day become a political diplomat for the United Nations, continuing to raise awareness about the situation in Burma and holding those committing war crimes accountable. Like many other young adults, he also hopes for a family and for future prosperity, to use the education he receives to help make a difference in the world. Above all, he hopes to one day return to Burma, not as an outlaw but as Henry: a friend, a loved one, a student advocate, and more.
“I know the consequences for me, but I still want to see my friends one day, and my family one day,” Kyaw said. “I want to see my country thrive […] I want us all to reconnect one day.”