Photos by Sandar. Text by Sacca.
In May 2021, a cohort of medical students arrived in Karenni state, one of the most volatile regions during the Myanmar Spring Revolution, launching healthcare initiatives in camps populated by internally displaced persons (IDPs). Initially, the group comprised eight medical students and two physicians. Over time, they established a clinic, offering daily healthcare services to IDPs and the general public despite limited resources. Within two years, they had assumed a pivotal role in providing healthcare in the East Demoso region, one of Karenni’s most unstable and strategically significant war zones.
Between 2021 and 2023, Sandar, an ethnographer and documentary photographer, chronicled the journey of a group of medical students who fled Yangon city for Karenni state four months after the military coup of February 1, 2021. Her narrative delves into the pivotal role played by medical teams within an armed revolution, shedding light on their inseparable connection to the provision of healthcare for both civilians and combatants amidst the chaos of a war-zone. Through her work, Sandar challenges the conventional wisdom of the international community, which often focuses solely on civilian assistance rather than support for armed affiliates. In the context of the Myanmar Spring Revolution Sandar underscores the reality on the ground—an interconnected web of all sectors—and advocates for a holistic approach as the most pragmatic way forward for the revolution in Myanmar.
In 2023, working clandestinely, they set up a fully functional hospital which tragically became a target for air strikes by the military council on May 20 of that year. In Karenni, medical units and hospitals are frequently targeted by air strikes and artillery shelling by the council, with the intent to disrupt medical access for combatants and civilians alike, impacting the lives of thousands. To rebuild the hospital would require substantial assistance.
Sandar’s documentation doesn’t merely recount the story of a medical team but serves as a testament to the challenges and struggles faced by numerous groups operating on the ground in Karenni, encompassing a myriad of factors, both immediate and long term.
Sandar is a Burmese ethnographer and documentary photographer who explores culture, history, identity, and the rich tapestry of human narratives within minority communities. Her creative journey is deeply rooted in personalised connections and profound reflections, which she weaves into the fabric of her work. Drawing from the diverse toolbox of ethnographic research and written expression, Sandar crafts visual narratives that transcend the ordinary. Her lens captures not just images but the essence of her subjects’ lives, unearthing their stories and experiences with a remarkable depth of empathy.
Due to the political situation in Myanmar the name Sandar is an alias and this bio has been heavily redacted to remove any identifying information.
Sacca Photo represents a collective of photographers documenting the reality of life under Myanmar’s military dictatorship. All enquiries into licensing images for publication or exhibition should be emailed to saccaphoto@protonmail.com.
