We break off our interview when we hear cries coming from one of the recovery wards, and Dr Saung must attend.
In a corner of a ward, on a platform above the dirt floor, the wife of one of the fighters is about to give birth. May Kyut Mon, 29, screams as her contractions increase.
Her husband, Yine Chit, 24, stands over, his eyes wide and waving a fan towards her in the stifling heat. Buddhist mantras should be chanted while the baby is being delivered, but he can’t remember the words, so he plays them from his phone on speaker instead.
A team of nurses shout encouragement and then, finally, Dr Saung, with a smile on his face, holds up a baby girl. They will call her Sue Paye which roughly translates as “fulfilled wish”. While his wife recovers, I ask Yine Chit, what he wants for his daughter’s future,
“A free and democratic Myanmar,” he replies.
He and his wife want to take Sue Paye to visit their parents, but it isn’t possible as they live in junta territory. “You see, people in my village found out I joined the resistance forces, including my neighbours, who support the military.”
But, he says, with a smile, “once the revolution is over and peaceful times come, we’ll take the baby and visit both sides of the family”.
