Update and Voices from Karen Community Amidst Conflict and Uncertain Political Process: General Nerdah Mya and Villagers Speak

[that took back the old name Democratic Karen Buddhist Army] around Mae Ta War area on the Thailand-Burma border displaced around 5,000 Karen civilians between August and October, threatening to derail the peace process and raising alarm bells for the Karen NCA (’Nationwide’ Ceasefire Agreement) signatory groups KNU (Karen National Union) and the DKBA (Democratic Karen Benevolent Army). Another event shocking many Karen and other actors was the postponement of the KNU Congress that was scheduled to be held this month [November] and would have included electing a new leadership, an event anticipated by many local and international observers who have openly disagreed with many of the decisions made by the current leadership, headed by Saw Mutu Say Poe, described them as being driven by self-interest. Burma Link interviewed Major General Nerdah Bo Mya, the head of the KNDO (Karen National Defence Organisation – under the KNU), as well as a school teacher and students residing in a village near Mae Ta War and under the protection of the KNDO to hear their views about the recent events.

 

Current conflict situation in Karen areas

Major General Nerdah Bo Mya gave Burma Link an update with regards to the recent conflict situation.

The current situation that we are facing right now is that we have to be more alert than before, because the Burmese and BGF [Border Guard Force] soldiers are moving into our territories and places where they have not gone to before, right now they are trying to get into some of our areas so we have to be very watchful and alert; more than before.

Looking at the conflict recently between the BGF and DKBA, this is the strategy of the Burmese Army, to use divide and conquer. And they wanted to get rid of the DKBA in Mae Ta War area, and they wanted to put their people there so that they could have full control of Mae Ta War gateway. Now they have complete control. They pushed DKBA away from the Mae Ta War post.

Community members also shared their experience about the recent conflict.

“We heard the sounds of big guns and other weapons,” said Hser Gay Paw, one of the teachers in the community school supported by the KNDO. “We just knew it was war,” she continued. K’Yell Paw, 16-year-old student at the school, said “the leader told us that if the situation gets bad, we will know before as they will come and tell us so that we can leave for safety. So, we didn’t need to be afraid.”

 

Ongoing guerrilla warfare and uncertain alliances

General Nerdah also explained about the KNDO’s relationship with the splinter DKBA who continue to engage in sporadic conflict with the Burmese army and the BGF.

The DKBA, they are more scattered everywhere. They are waging guerrilla warfare and they don’t have that much strength but they are also being controlled by the monk [U Thuzana], and behind the monk is also the Burmese. So, we told the [DKBA] leaders that they have to be careful who they are following and who they are listening to, because one way or another we are afraid that they will be ending up following the Burmese command. And I also talked to the DKBA commanders to think carefully, to think twice before they do something. Right now they are waging guerrilla warfare, they are scattered everywhere near Mae Ta War area and sometimes they have small conflicts and skirmishes and they keep fighting against the Burmese army and the BGF.

I talked to them [splinter DKBA] and tried to encourage them to come back together into under the KNU, Karen National Union, to work together to achieve our main objective, working together, because they cannot be separated and they cannot be by themselves; they have to come back and work together with the mother organisation KNU and try to achieve our goal together as Karen.

 

Ethnic unity needed to achieve common goals

General Nerdah urges the KNU leadership to respect the KNU Constitution and for all ethnic nationalities to work together.

KNU congress has been moved and I heard that it will be held around between March and April [in 2017]. We want them [KNU leaders] to stick with the current constitution and not to postpone the congress again and again. According to the constitution, every four years we need to have new elections and I want them to stick with the constitution.

We want to carry on political talks but they must be systematically strategized by the Karen leaders not to go and be trapped by the Burmese army and only think about business; then they cannot do anything for the Karen national issue.

We [ethnic leaders] all have to work together since we have the same objectives and goals to achieve. We want freedom, they [other ethnic leaders] also want freedom. We need self-determination, and they want the same thing. So, we have to consolidate our strengths, bring ourselves back together and not fall into the Burmese trap and strategies. We need to think about the national issue instead of self-interest and our own politics, and if we can all work together is not very hard to defeat the Burmese. We have an achievable goal, tangible goal that we can achieve. If we can and we know how to combine ourselves together it is not too hard to achieve our goal.

 

Educating the Karen youth

 

In the village protected by the KNDO, school and a boarding house was set up in 2013 and has grown every year since then. There are now 14 teachers, 140 students, and grades up to level eight. Hser Gay Paw has lived in the village since it was re-established and worked in the school since it opened.

“We really want to thank the General [Nerdah] for preparing this place for us,” Hser Gay Paw said. “Next year we hope to have 200 students and grades up to level 10.”

All three students – K’Yell Paw, Paw Law Lah and Mu Chi – that Burma Link spoke with came to the village for school and live in the boarding house.

“In Burma, we have to buy a lot of tools, shampoo and soap, everything, but here we don’t even have to buy a [school] uniform,” said K’Yell Paw.

All three agreed that should they have a choice in the future, they will return to their original villages and help their communities.  For Hser Gay Paw, her biggest dream for the future is freedom for the Karen.

“[Freedom means] we can go to any other place, we have freedom to go anywhere and we will have more opportunities,” she articulated.