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: October 01, 2023

Attack Types: Other

Institution(s):Pakokku Technological University

Region & Country:Southeastern Asia | Myanmar (Burma)

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On October 1, 2023, People’s Defense Forces carried out a sniper attack against Myanmar military junta forces stationed at the campus of Pakokku Technological University.

One junta soldier was killed, and military forces fired back in response to the attack. There are no reports of civilian casualties.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about armed activity around and military occupation of a higher education institution’s campus. State and non-state armed groups have a responsibility to refrain from occupying, using, or attacking higher education institutions, among other civilian objects.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.dvb.no/post/617710
https://www.ludunwayoo.com/news-mm/2023/10/02/85548/