More than 125,000 teachers suspended

More than 125,000 school teachers in Myanmar have been suspended by the military authorities for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the coup in February, an official of the Myanmar Teachers' Federation said. 

The suspensions have come days before the start of a new school year, which some teachers and parents are boycotting as part of the campaign that has paralysed the country.

A total of 125,900 school teachers had been suspended as of Saturday, said the official. Myanmar has 430,000 school teachers according to the most recent data.

"These are just statements to threaten people to come back to work. If they actually fire this many people, the whole system will stop," said the official, who is also a teacher. He said he had been told that the charges he faces would be dropped if he returns.

The disruption at schools echoes that in the health sector and across government and private business. Around 19,500 university staff have also been suspended.

Meanwhile, fighters opposed to Myanmar's military junta seized a police station in the eastern town of Mobye yesterday and claimed to have killed at least 13 members of the security forces and captured four, local media said.

Mobye is around 100 km east of the capital Naypyidaw, but lies near territory held by some of the ethnic armed groups that have fought for greater autonomy for decades.