‘They are shooting at our kids’ heads’: in Myanmar, a dead 17-year-old’s family mourns the loss of hope
- Khant Nyar Hein, a first-year medical student from an ethnic Chinese family, was shot dead by security forces at a protest on Sunday
- His father is among those who want Beijing to take a stronger stance against the generals behind the February 1 coup
Through the haze of grief and pain, there is one moment of clarity to which the family of Khant Nyar Hein keep returning: they have lost everything since they lost him.
After his funeral on Tuesday, Khant’s family, who are of ethnic Chinese descent, turned a table in the living room of their two-storey house in Yangon’s Tamwe Township into a makeshift altar.
On it is a recent photograph of Khant surrounded by flowers, joss sticks and offerings of fruit. It’s a sombre addition to what is clearly a shrine built from years of pride and love – Khant’s cheeky grin beams down from photographs, some with friends, others of him receiving the many awards and trophies for academic prowess that gleam from shelves.
There are other photographs that have been added in recent commemoration, along with notes from friends and family. “We all miss you, my brother,” one reads.
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Mother grieves for ethnic Chinese son killed in one of Myanmar’s bloodiest protests
Known as a smart, kind and friendly student, Khant had just begun classes at the University of Medicine 1 in Yangon. His father, Thein Zaw, often recalls Khant’s words when he started his studies: “Once I become a doctor, I will treat all my poor patients without any charge, Papa.”
