Fri Jan 31 01:01:03 UTC 2025: ## Thai Border Town Provides Refuge for Hundreds of Wounded Myanmar Rebels
**MAE SOT, Thailand** – Hundreds of injured fighters from Myanmar’s ongoing civil war are receiving care at the Sunshine Care Centre, a makeshift medical facility in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. The centre, housed in a simple wooden building, provides refuge and rehabilitation for fighters wounded in the brutal four-year conflict that erupted following the February 2021 military coup.
Many of the approximately 140 patients at the centre are amputees, suffering from injuries inflicted by landmines, rocket-propelled grenades, sniper fire, and airstrikes. They are cared for by volunteers, many of whom are also refugees from Myanmar, unable to return home for fear of reprisal from the military.
One such patient, 23-year-old Ko Khant, a former chef, lost his hand and the sight in one eye after an unexploded RPG detonated. He joined the People’s Defence Forces (PDF), a resistance group, after the coup and now helps run the Sunshine Care Centre, having declined a prosthetic hand to ensure others in greater need receive them.
The centre lacks the resources of a modern hospital, but provides essential care, including physiotherapy and vocational training. Patients like Mae Gyi, a former soldier who lost a leg to a landmine, are learning to live with their injuries and hope to return to the fight. His wife, Su Pan, supports his decision, viewing it as a duty to the revolution.
The ongoing conflict, reported by ACLED to be the third deadliest globally, has claimed over 50,000 lives since the coup. The Myanmar military, heavily armed with imported weaponry, is fighting against a multitude of diverse, often poorly equipped, resistance groups. The indiscriminate use of landmines, particularly by the military, has resulted in a high number of civilian casualties. The lack of coordination among resistance groups and limited international intervention hinder efforts to achieve peace.
The Sunshine Care Centre, initially started by Ah Naw as a shelter, now relies on donations and humanitarian aid. Volunteers like Yu, a former hospitality worker, provide crucial medical and physical therapy support, even with limited experience. She works tirelessly to provide encouragement to patients, such as Pan Pan, a former welder with head injuries and suicidal thoughts, to participate in their rehabilitation.
Despite the challenges, the centre continues to offer a vital lifeline for wounded fighters and serves as a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of Myanmar’s protracted conflict. The future remains uncertain, but the dedication of the volunteers at Sunshine Care Centre provides a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.
First Piper 