A little over a year ago, Ko Aung (not his real name) was living the life of a typical thirty-something musician in Yangon, Myanmar. Today, he is a self taught explosives expert taking shelter in a safe house with other pro-democracy dissidents and resistance fighters. In 2021, a military coup toppled Myanmar’s democratically-elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, millions of Burmese people began protesting—and then, many became resistance fighters. This is Ko Aung’s story.

This episode was reported by VICE News correspondent Ben Solomon and produced by Sophie Kazis and Sam Greenspan. Check out more of Ben’s coverage here.

VICE News Reports is hosted by Arielle Duhaime-Ross and produced by Sophie Kazis, Jen Kinney, Steph Brown, Sam Eagan, Adreanna Rodriguez. Our senior producers are Ashley Cleek, Adizah Eghan, and Sam Greenspan. Sound design and music composition by Steve Bone, Pran Bandi, Natasha Jacobs and Kyle Murdock.

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From Musician to Explosives Expert: Myanmar’s Jungle Warriors

VICE News Reports