Can these Gen Z rebels win Myanmar's brutal civil war?

a genz Guerilla army fighting and dying for democracy they're outgunned by myanmar's ruthless military dictatorship but it's the regime that's in Retreat towns border posts even cities are falling after an unprecedented Rebel offensive we're traveling secretly into Myanmar to visit newly liberated territory meeting young Rebels building their own weapons in Jungle camps just as myanmar's brutal Army tries to regain its lost ground oh [ __ ] a rare glimpse of a deadly conflict ignored by most of the world we're in keni state along myanmar's eastern border 90% of it is now held by the resistance this is its largest city Loy cor we're with Rebel fighters from the keni nationalities Defense Force they're showing us just how much of the city they now control okay they're starting to run regime's snipers are still a threat moving in open ground is risky we're in bulletproof vests Cobra the local Commander wears flip-flops and shorts they see us so they assured like you know 40 mm so this is very cover resistance Fighters swept through Loy cor last year during a Loosely coordinated Nationwide offensive that saw 55 towns fall into Rebel hands 6 months on the skulls of dead soldiers still lie in the streets this is one of the most advanced positions that myanmar's resistance forces are currently holding in any City right now and it looks likely that this place loore is going to be the first state capital they'll take full control of at the front line the regime are pinned down to just a handful of locations the closest is only 100 m away from us for now it's a t stal mate in front of that guy it's me Cobra a martial arts fighter turned rebel commander says they need more weapons and bullets if they to seize full control of the city what did they have that you don't have they have like you know you know jet fighter you know they have big you know track like you know they have tank uh tank a lot lot of you know they have a lot of Big M and then we only have the spirit you know yeah we have a spirit you know that's why we fighting you the revolution didn't begin as an armed Insurgency it started out with peaceful protests against a military coup that brought an end to a brief period of democratic rule a bloody Crackdown forc protesters to flee to the jungles joining forces with e militias who've long fought for greater autonomy this is who they're fighting against a reviled military regime supported by Russia and China that seized power 3 years ago the rebels are funded by donations the regime has a $2 billion defense budget the resistants might not have fighter jets but they are creating their own Air Force customizing commercial drones in an underground bunker on a secret base the unit show off their most recent successes striking dozens of targets across the country every month drones have become one of the most effective and deadly tools for the under equipped Rebels above ground in a makeshift Workshop coant is repairing one of the unit's most powerful models it's meant to be used for spraying crops now it's being fitted with Morts we need from the air strike like a like an enemy use the air strike also but you don't have planes yeah we don't have planes you have these yeah we only have the a drone behind him a 3D printer is producing weapon parts using templates found online this is a revolution powered by Innovation and idealism coant used to work in digital marketing in Yangon before joining peaceful protests we just request to them give back our life give back our future but they didn't listen they want everything in myamar you know that that is not fair because uh we don't want it we don't want it we we want the feed in suddenly the sound of explosions send us running for cover artillery shells Land close by how close was that do you think uh not really too far once the threat is cleared the Drone unit begin preparing for their next mission by test flying their newly repaired drone they're hoping to strike the military's remaining strong holes in Loy cor so far a jamming system has prevented them operating in inside the city but the commander tells me they think they've just discovered a way past it what's your mission going to be it's going to be the Drone strike to the largest uh Command Center in the K State so we have very narrow chance to do it right now and we have to you know uh give everything we have to make us successful before they leave cant shows us his tattoos Revolution is literally carved across his hands his body a tribute to his struggle for Freedom a peaceful future he's willing to kill and die for the unit are heading out to loore it will be one of their Most Daring operations ever for now myanmar's Army still controls the skies carrying out thousands of strikes and it's often orary civilians who they target with the military largely pinned back to their bases they've been lashing out at areas they can't control with air strikes this was one on a school that was packed with children at the time you can still see their drawings up on the wall there their textbooks scattered across the floor teachers and pupils had dug a trench here knowing the regime has a history of striking schools and hospitals but it wasn't enough four children were killed amongst the victims Doge blu's 13-year-old son his younger siblings survived but are too afraid to go back to school we drive through neighborhoods reduced to Rubble in a resistant stronghold south of lye despite the regime's atrocities the resist has received no International assistance what they do have is genuine popular support at a rebel training camp we meet the latest batch of young recruits in just one month's time they'll be sent into battle their weapons and ammunition largely bought on the black market overseeing them is Commander Maui nicknamed after a Disney character he used to be an organic farmer now he helps lead a force of around 10,000 men and women are you fated there hasn't been more International support for your struggle they are kind of like forgotten us even like we are fighting same uh value same Society wishes democracy we are not asking for something different we just like we are just like the people the people in America the people in Europe we are the same we all are human do you think you can do it by yourself uh we the people of myar are not waiting with or without International but we must we must go we must end this war but this war doesn't look like it's ending anytime soon the resistance control more than half the country the regime holds its biggest cities and is trying to win back lost territory over the course of our trip we see a change unfold on the battlefield we're on our way to loore again in just the week that we've been here there's been a shift in Dynamics and around 600 soldiers from the military accompanied by tanks trying to break through resistance positions to the north of the city and make their way into it at the rebel base we find the Drone unit hi how you doing they've just retreated here after being redeployed to try hold back the regime's Advance on loore these few days have been very rough and uh uh we've been uh covering two front lines Kent the commander shows me videos of what happened after repeatedly striking the military the regime's own drone unit begins hunting them the rebels are chasing by three different drones explosions ring out oh [ __ ] another they hide beneath trees the attack lasts two terrifying hours somehow they all emerge un hurt eventually retreating to loore now in the city his regime reinforcements close in there's been an upsurge in fighting we're traveling to an industrial Zone on the city's Edge a counter offensive looks imminent and the regime troops stationed here are already growing Bolder the resistance Fighters though remain defiant with a fresh battle for loore on the horizon the Drone unit has been called into action they identifi troop movements it's a large military Outpost maybe 80 soldiers inside so they decide to launch an attack they're going to use the Drone they tested a few days ago and one of their largest bombs with the regime now on the front foot this would be a significant success for the Rebels the unit has never managed to get past the Army's Jammers in lore before K the commander watches on from a smaller scouting drone the attack drone seems to be flying steadily but then something goes wrong h they managed to fly the Drone back to base and start preparing for another attempt but then they hear something flying above us so there The Scouting airplane is coming you can you guys can drive and leave drive and leave mhm don't worry just drive drive drive drive drive can't the Drone Commander just told us that their position is being compromised they're expecting heavy incoming artillery fire and we have to leave straight away the young Rebels are brave and have achieved more than many ever expected but this is still a David versus Goliath struggle deep inside the hills of keni State a reminder of the bloody price they're paying 18-year-old benedetto was killed in Loy cor yesterday less than a year after signing up he dropped out of school to join the resistance a local boy from a humble farming family he'll be buried in a cemetery that already HS the graves of dozens of resistance Fighters you lost a lot of men yes we lost a lot of a lost men Cobra the commander from loore served with many of them when you see all the sacrifices so many young people are making does it make you think perhaps we should stop fighting we should not not stopped because of you will see you know all of these guys give their life we are fighting for our future fighting for our young age you know we will keep going for [Music] sure there are prayers and tears as benedetto is laid to rest in the ground his dreams for a new future that so many young men men and women here are fighting for will live on [Music]

Channel: Channel 4 News

Views: 805,133

Keywords: myanmar, myanmar civil war, myanmar war, myanmar war footage, myanmar military, myanmar rebellion, myanmar rebels, military junta, junta myanmar, Gen Z, Gen Z fighters, young fighters Myanmar, myanmar war latest, myanmar war update, myanmar update, myanmar news, channel 4 news, c4 news, channel 4, myanmar civil-war, myanmar military coup, myanmar protests military coup, myanmar rebel army, myanmar rebel groups, myanmar resistance

Id: wv87VzxGa_A

Length: 15min 37sec (937 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 10 2024