SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: November 03, 2022

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances | Other

Institution(s):Kachin Theological College

Region & Country:Southeastern Asia | Myanmar (Burma)

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On November 3, 2022, soldiers with Myanmar’s military fired heavy artillery rounds at the Kachin Theological College in Kutkai, injuring four students and damaging college infrastructure. Reports do not indicate why the military targeted the college, though it bears mentioning that Kachin state has a Christian majority.

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned about armed forces attacking a higher education institution. Violent attacks on higher education institutions and their personnel and students result in injuries and loss of life, violate international human rights and humanitarian law, and undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally. State armed forces must refrain from such violence and should commit to supporting the right to education and academic freedom.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2022/november/baptist-seminary-in-myanmar-shelled-by-army-students-wounded-by-shrapnel
https://kachinnews.com/2022/11/07/regime-attack-kutkai-bible-school/
https://www.rfa.org/burmese/news/kachin-kbc-junta-11052022110111.html
https://www.rfa.org/burmese/news/kachin-junta-11032022131927.html