‘In Burma as We Know If One Side Is Cold, the Other Side Will Be Hot’: Lay Lit, Karen Refugee and Youth Leader (UPDATE 2)

Burma Link | August 2, 2018

This story is the most recent update to Naw Lay Lit Ray Thaw’s story, published as part of Burma Link’s “Protracted Displacement” longitudinal interview series. Lay Lit comes from a village in a Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 6 in Karen State, southeast Burma, where she grew up amidst conflict and Burma Army abuse. When Lay Lit was 10 years old, her mother sent her to Nu Po refugee camp in Thailand with nothing but 15 USD in her pocket and hopes of safety and a chance to go to school. While we first introduced Lay Lit as the Secretary of the Karen Student Network Group (KSNG), she has now finished her two-year term as the Secretary and has become a KSNG student activist. At the time of this interview in April 2018, Lay Lit was preparing to begin a new job and move into a new place in Mae Sot on the Thailand-Burma border. Lay Lit continues to stay closely involved with displaced communities in the border area, also pursuing her goal of growing a social enterprise that generates income for women in IDP and refugee camps and supports remote Karen schools. Lay Lit continues to urge the international community to pay close attention to the situation on the ground and to support refugees and IDPs as time is not right for return. This update not only provides an insight into Lay Lit’s personal circumstances as a young refugee living in Thailand, but also into the background of the renewed armed conflict in the Karen State and the situation of IDPs and refugees.

 

Leaving KSNG to give space for other young people: “KSNG is the best way for them

[to train], especially for the refugee students”

Since December [2017], when we had the KSNG election, I have not stopped working with them, but I just quit from [didn’t run for] the election — I became their student activist. Currently I’m doing nothing yet, but I plan to [work]. Next week I plan to start working with another organization [name removed]. I think this month they will give us training [for the new job].

In KSNG we have elections every two years, and we choose new leaders. In KSNG we train each other as [according to] our goals. And we practice by ourselves to work for our community in the future — to become the next future leaders and to practice how to work with others. It means that we learn and practice by ourselves. For KSNG at HQ level, I did a one-year internship and also volunteered for two years, for one term already [as the elected Secretary]. I think, you can say that is enough to also let other young people to train themselves. Because we have many students who have finished school as we have before, and some people they have no way and they don’t know how to join with other organisations. So, KSNG is the best way for them, especially for the refugee students. If we’re still working like that all the time they also do not have a place to come and join with the others. So, we need to let them do [join] and we can find other work.

KSNG future plan and funding: “I feel like some people want to help, but they don’t know how”

In December, we [KSNG] made our year plan for what we are going to do in 2018, so they [newly elected members] need to follow the plan that we sent out. They need to follow the plan of the elections. When we made the plan, I was also part of making the plan. Some parts of the plan are for HQ [headquarters] level and some are for working groups.

The plan is — for extra points, the plan is too much that we have. I’m not sure that can they can do [it all]. Some years they were doing like a one-year plan. I feel like this year the plan is too much and they need to work like two years, they need to work one term. If in one year it’s not finished they need to continue till 2019. They have to do many things for their working groups, also their activities. So, I’m not sure yet, maybe they will have some challenges about budgeting, because they planned many [more] activities as [compared to] before, [but] currently their funding situation is the same as before.

When you do like a student financing [supporting Karen children to go to school] or youth exchange, it costs a lot of money that is not easy to find. They do not have a main donor who will support them for one project. We just collect [donations] from [Karen] organisations and we can combine, [we] also [collect from] individual people. Sometimes we just collect from our workers, our [non-paid volunteer] staff [laughing]. Like 50 baht, I just give 50 baht, sometimes 100. TBC (The Border Consortium) is continuing to support for [KSNG] radio [in the refugee camps]. They [KSNG members] are [working on media] in the camps, but practically when they’re in the camp, they cannot do it very strongly. They can do only like online media, for interviewing people and post it on Facebook.

I feel like now in KSNG, more of our brothers and sisters from other countries [resettled in third countries], they contact KSNG more. If they need to take something to Karen State, they just come and contact KSNG to send it. They have money. Some are [getting involved] because they have friends [at KSNG] who they can contact. I feel like some people want to help, but they don’t know how to come back and help. One time someone from [resettled in] America [USA], he called me. He did not even know what the KSNG is. He called me and I said that, “Yeah, you can come back and contact us any time. Also, not only our organisation, you can contact KWO (Karen Women’s Organisation), KYO (Karen Youth Organisation), if you want to support they can show you the way.”

Situation in Ei Tu Tha IDP camp: “I feel like their situation got better. They got support from outside”

In the past when I was working closely with KSNG, we used to go inside Karen State and we would go to IDP camps. There were some [problematic] camp situations, like they needed to [were pushed to] relocate to their own land and that’s why they had many problems. When I was there [in October 2017], I [came to] know some situations, like some people there had so many problems because of the ration cuts and they didn’t know how to survive by themselves. Also, [before] they had two high schools [in Ei Tu Hta], [but] [in October] they had needed to cut and combine them to only one high school. When we were there, they felt very worried because they didn’t know… especially the most important is the main food, like rations, rice. The first time when I went there [in October], they were very worried about that, also the community leaders, community organizers, they really worried.

Long-standing international food aid to Ei Tu Hta IDP camp ceased in October 2017, leaving IDPs in an impossible situation, not being able to return to their Burma Army occupied villages whilst not knowing how to survive without support. Ei Tu Hta IDP Supporting Committee consisting of Karen CBO and KNU representatives was set up to lead advocacy efforts, which eventually secured two more years of support for the IDPs, primarily from overseas Karen organisations and individuals. To support the local efforts during this time, Burma Link undertook the “Keep Supporting” campaign urging international donors and NGOs to maintain their vital support. You can read more about Ei Tu Hta in Burma Link’s infographic briefer published in December 2017, based on field research in March and October 2017. The most recent statement by the committee (published June 25, 2018) is available here.

Since December, after I quit [the KSNG HQ committee], I still went with them [KSNG]. In January, when I went there [Ei Thu Hta], the situation was changing. I asked the community people then, and they told to me that people will continue to support them for the next two years. They got support from outside people, because they have the Ei Tu Hta Supporting Committee, that is why they [IDPs] can stay [there] now.

Now as I now, most of the Karen young people who have heard of their situation, [think] “Now we need to come back and support them.” Last week also one of our friends from the USA came back and supported them. Not only individuals, but [organizations] — I do not remember the donors’ names. As I know, many organisations like Karen CBOs and also KNU leaders they combined together and tried to find support for them. They get support from Karen organisations who live [are based] in the USA or other countries. So yes, I feel like their situation got better. According to what they told me, they said that the people will support them for the next two years.

In January [2018] when I went there, they didn’t need to combine [the two schools] anymore. They can have two high schools now because some people continued to support them. They reopened their school. Many people visited there like Htoo Mwe Khe [migrant] school [on the Thailand-Burma border] and also many outside people went to them to encourage them and to support them. After the people continued to support them, they [IDPs] did not go back [to their origin]. I heard some people who had gone back have it very difficult to live there.

When I went there, I [also] arrived at the hospital. They try to treat people. As I know for the health situation, I think they do not have enough medicine to treat the people. For U Way Klo [health situation] I am not sure because I didn’t visit there.

Even though Lay Lit does not work with KSNG anymore, she still returns to Ei Tu Tha regularly.

The first week of January, I was there because the KYLMTC [Karen Youth and Leadership Management Training Course], they are a post-ten school, they were doing their project in Ei Tu Hta camp. I followed with them. At that time I got sick, so I couldn’t participate well with that project, so I just stayed there for three days and just came back. The last time [visiting Ei Tu Hta] was last week [in April]. The last time I just went there to check for my personal planning. The first time I went, I asked them to help weave for me, some more dresses. Yes, last week I went there to check back how they are doing with my dresses and I brought some back to sell [See more about Lay Lit’s income generation project below].

Situation in the refugee camps: “They [education and health workers] have more work and the salary is reduced, so they feel so tired”

I think [recently] I have visited only Mae Ra Moe [Mae Ra Ma Luang] and Mae La Oon — just these two camps. When I was there I met with some [leaders like] the education coordinator. I feel like they are not feeling very motivated because the situation in the camp is changing, and still, maybe people [UNHCR] will continue doing the repatriation project. The support in the camp is the same as in the last few months, last six months — the teachers and all people working in the camp, like education workers and health workers, they reduced their staff. For example, they reduced education staff. Also, they reduced the pocket money. They have more work and the salary is reduced, so they feel so tired to do that. But they said that even though [they are] tired — because they used to do that and that is their peoples’ work [helping their people] — they will still keep going and keep working. Actually, they said that they are very tired.

[The rations are] the same as before. As I know in Mae La Oon camp when I went there, [I heard that] people will start, maybe TBC will start doing [cash transfer] like in Tham Hin and Nu Po camps. In the past they needed to go and take all their rations by themselves from the ration store, now TBC will do as in Tham Hin and Nu Po camp where they use a card in TBC shops. I know [about the system] that people need to stay in their home and TBC gives them [money] every month on their card and people can go and buy. In Nu Po camp [last time] when I went there, I saw and talked to the people who were selling in a TBC shop. I felt like when they sell, they also have their income, because everyone needs to go and buy rice and oil in their shop. For Tham Hin, I haven’t been. I am not sure for everyone. According to some people who I met, some people want to do it like in Tham Hin and Nu Po camps; some people want to sell [things], have a TBC shop, they need to have it like that. They say if they can’t do it like that, that is also fine. But some families said that if the people give them money [instead of rations], maybe only half a month and they could have spent all their money. They could use all the money before one month [is up]. But in Nu Po and Tham Hin camps TBC is doing it very successfully.

In the last two months, I know that in Mae La Oon camp TBC tried, they were going to do the same as in Tham Hin and Nu Po camps. But last week when I went there, it didn’t work. I [just] heard that it doesn’t work there so the car needs to bring the rations to the camp. I don’t know when they can do it. I heard that even if they wanted to do it they cannot do it now.

Living on the border: “If we go out now, they [police] can catch us”

Currently I have the same [ID] situation as before. When we live in Mae Sot, we travel with —1 card. When we travel we use the —2 card [names removed]. But when we stay here and if we use two cards it’s not good. The authorities don’t allow it. If they catch us with two cards, it’s not good. So, we use only one.

For myself I did not [recently] face anything [regarding safety]. When we stayed in KSNG office, if we stayed in that place I felt safe, because the police never went and checked that area. That place is really safe. I mean for police checking. If we didn’t go out nothing would happen. If we went out, we needed to be afraid and be careful. Even now we cannot go out, because we got information [unnamed source]. They said that you cannot go outside until the 28^th [of April]. There is too much police checking in the city. If we go out now, if we meet with the police, if we travel with our office motorbike they can catch us. I’m not sure what they are checking especially during this month. Maybe they are checking for motorbikes or documents of us.

In June 2017, a new labour law was enacted with severe consequences for illegal migrant workers and their employers in Thailand. A subsequent crackdown led to tens of thousands of workers fleeing the country, most returning to Burma. Largely fuelled by negative impacts on the economy and complaints by business owners, the Thai Government announced a 120-day delay in enforcing the new labour regulation, later extended to until the beginning of January 2018, and once more to March 2018.

I heard something from – I watched one video on Facebook. I heard some situation is changing, last year in December, the police were checking too much, and they sent back some Burmese migrant workers to Burma. After that maybe the owners also, the workers’ [employers], some of the business men also, they had a problem. So, I think they made it [getting documentation] easier, but I do not understand about that very well. If you have a Burmese ID card or if you can [legally] work with your owner [employer], your manager or something, you can continue. Not very strict [now], but the first time [it was] very strict. They actually just sent [people] back.

For the health situation, I think just normal. If I have something happen, I just drive by myself to hospital [Mae Tao Clinic]. Because when we live here sometimes we need to drive carefully [aware of authorities]. When I am not feeling well – [for example] last January, at that time I felt very cold, so I drove to hospital. Only one time. [As for help], the people who are very close to me [help me] – I think if I moved to another place I couldn’t get people who are very close. But the one thing that I need to be careful is to always prepare and take care of my health, because I feel like health is the most important [thing]. If we are not healthy we cannot do anything. If we are healthy we can think and we can continue to help people.

A new home and a new job: “I feel like I’ve just started trying to be independent and stand by myself”

Currently I am staying alone. I have [recently] just lived around Mae Sot and went to Ma La Oon [and Mae Ra Ma Luang] and Ei Tu Hta and just lived in the KSNG office, I didn’t go anywhere [else].

I will stay with my friend [in the future], we are [starting to] work together and stay together in Mae Sot. I feel like I’ve just started trying to be independent and stand by myself because I will start staying in [renting] my own room [house]. And I need to manage and find everything by myself. I have some [household] items and I will live with my friend. If possible, I will call more of my friends to come and live with me [in Mae Sot]. I feel like it is okay, we can live like four or three people [together] because we live here just temporarily, we are just here for a while.

Actually, the place [area] that I’m going to stay in is very new for me. I have never been in that part [of town]. That’s very new. Also I will stay with a new friend. Actually, I will make my own place [laughing]. Sometimes, I don’t want to stay very crowded. I don’t like it. I feel like safe here, but I feel like it’s very far from the hospital, from Mae Tao clinic. But I‘m not familiar with that place [area] –I’m not sure, I think it’s closer [to MTC] than KSNG office. I think in that area there is no line car to travel. In KSNG office when we want to visit Mae Sot we come by line car. But this place I need to learn more. I think I need to walk first [laughing].

I think I will [continue to] use the same [ID card as before]. But I need to keep trying to stay very serious [careful]. Also, I think they [employer] will make a card for us to travel [around Mae Sot].

When we [my friend and I] will be working we need to go inside Karen State. There are three places [where we will work] like Brigade 5, Brigade 6, and Brigade 1 — Hpa-An, Dooplaya, and Mutraw [Papun]. For the job, as I know, after we get more training, we need to go and give training. We can do that because when I worked [with KSNG], I have experience giving training to some people.

Selling Karen weaving for income generation: “I plan [to sell the dresses in] more places”

During her work with the KSNG in displaced Karen communities over the past two years, Lay Lit developed the idea of generating income for women who have the skills of weaving traditional Karen dresses. Over time, she has set up contacts and has started a small scale social enterprise, aiming to support the communities who weave the products and using the profit to support schools in remote areas. You can read more about how the idea has developed in Lay Lit’s previous interview conducted in October 2017.

I wrote [a funding proposal] but I did not get [funding] last month. Only four of my friends called me, they just support me a little bit, four people. They just support me like a little, little, so I can continue doing that [weaving project]. I think if I have more [funding] I can do more. Because I have just not too much, I can do just a little.

I usually sell one shirt for like 750 baht, also 800, something like that. When I go and make [get] them, I give them, some women, like 300-350 baht for one shirt. Also, I provide them the thread. After they make [the dresses] we can pay them the price. Some ask [for money] before they make [the dress] because they need some money. For some I give after they make, some before they make, before they finish. According to one of the women who I asked to make a dress for me, I feel like some [other] women have no income and they also want to weave, but some of them cannot make dresses. I heard they said, “I also want to make a dress.  I will go and learn from you. And I will go and take the thread to my home.”

Now currently I can only do this in two places — Mae La Oon and Ei Tu Hta — because those two places I usually go to, especially Ei Tu Hta, I travel there sometimes. If I go for any work for an organisation, at the same time I can do a little bit of my work. If I go by my personal [means] and come back only for that dress [project], it costs a lot for transportation, so I cannot do all the time. But people usually ask me to travel with them in that area, so I can do it. It’s also [happened] because I have tried [a lot].

Actually, I wanted to do in another place as well, in Mae Ra Moe [Mae Ra Ma Luang]. [Furthermore], I plan [to sell the dresses in] more places. I contacted some of my friends. I already sold [dresses] in Mae Sot, around Mae Sot, to some of my friends. Also, I plan to sell in third countries, one of my friends will help me for the posting cost. For the dress, I can send, I can post to her. For the posting cost, first I will calculate how much and she will pay for me. Many people, like two or three more, want to help me. Like in America [USA] and Canada. They want to help me.

But I don’t have money, so I cannot make [orders for] a lot of dresses. I can make [orders for] like only for one person to send [and sell]. I have more people who want to help me to sell them. For the dresses, because we need to weave, it takes time. One shirt takes one week or something like that. Some women are very busy currently, for example in Ei tu Ta they have to collect leaves to re-make their roofs [before the rainy season] in their homes, so they are very busy and they cannot make [weave]. So, I need to wait.

For the future, as I plan to support some schools with the Karen dress [project], I will continue doing that. My plan is that I will follow the one that I already planned and I will continue working on that.

Renewed conflict in Karen State: “I feel like it is just normal, because I haven’t believed for a long time that it’s the real peace, because in reality nothing is changing”

For the political situation, I did not travel a lot or check the news too much [last month]. Last month I just lived in a place where there was no connection. When I went to the community in Ei Tu Tha, I just heard some information — now they got so many rumours. When I was there they told me that people from a [nearby] Thai village, they said that the Burmese military will come and burn their camp [Ei Tu Hta]. I asked them, “Are you sure?” because I couldn’t believe it, I don’t think they would come and burn, that they would dare to come and burn the camp. Nothing happened. I feel like some people, sometimes they still get rumours a lot.

Background about the conflict situation: Since the beginning of March 2018, the situation in Mutraw (Papun) District in KNU’s 5^th Brigade – where Ei Tu Hta is also located –  has deteriorated after Burma Army started deploying troops and crossed into the territory of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in an effort to build a strategic military road. This has resulted in continued armed conflict between the Burma Army and the KNLA. The KNU has accused the Burma Army of violating the terms of the agreement by moving past a demarcation line that was designated in the NCA, their claims backed up by findings by the Karen civil society. In the recent report “The Nightmare Returns: Karen hopes for peace and stability dashed by Burma Army’s actions,” the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN) documents how the Burma Army has repeatedly breached both the 2012 preliminary bilateral ceasefire and the 2015 NCA in the area. Burma Army soldiers have been indiscriminately shelling and shooting towards Karen civilians, and since March 4, at least 2,400 civilians have fled the area and are hiding in the forest. Whilst the Burma Army agreed for a “temporary postponement” of the road construction in a meeting with the KNU on May 17, it remains to be seen if the Burma Army will abide by the agreement and if their troops will return to their original posts as demanded by the KNU.

For the political situation according to what I’ve heard from some of the leaders, as we know, [since] last month [March] some conflict has come in Karen State, especially in Brigade 5. Some of the Karen villages needed to move, because the Burmese military came to their villages and [took] over the place that the people were living in. According to the NCA [‘Nationwide’ Ceasefire Agreement signed by the KNU], they [Burma Army] cannot come [over the demarcation line], but they came to the place which is over the limited area [demarcation line], so KNU soldiers shot at them. But now the leaders are trying to negotiate and to solve that problem. I do not know yet how the result will be. For me, as I heard from the news, they [Burma Army] just shot at the villagers when the villagers were going to the forest. The Burmese soldiers, they tried to shoot the villagers. They do no shoot directly [at them], they just try to do something like so that the people will be afraid.

As for me, I am not sure yet [why the Burma Army came], for the specific reason but we can guess… Some day they can [come], anytime, they are preparing for war. Because they come with their weapons and with their food – they sent their food and weapons to prepare for war, so the local villagers and people need to be afraid there, because the KNU soldiers and the local people are also always looking — the Burmese soldiers, when they come — how many people come and how many cars [trucks] do they come [with]. When they came to the Karen area, in their cars, they brought with them weapons, also food, enough food to prepare themselves. Not only now, usually they come and bring that — that is when the local people and KNU soldiers know that they are preparing for something.

For that kind of situation, I feel like it is just normal, because I haven’t believed for a long time that it’s the real peace, because in reality nothing is changing. So I do not [believe in it]. When it’s happened again and again I feel like that is normal, it happens like that always. In Burma as we know if one side is cold, the other side will be hot. When another side is getting cold another side is getting hot.

It’s just going around like that, it’s been too many years. Sometimes I complain, sometimes [I feel] it’s too much and I think the political situation in Burma is not really nice. Since I’ve known myself, I mean since we were born and we [came to] know ourselves and we started knowing something, we started knowing our environment, we have known that our country situation is not really nice.

I’m almost 27 [years old], I feel like just something is going around and around. Just going around again and again. Nothing is changing. Just something like getting recycled again and again and nothing is changing. Last month when conflict came in Karen State, even though the leaders are solving the problem, it can happen again. They do not follow as their decision, their plan. After they have solved the problem they can do whatever they like. I don’t want to say which side is wrong or right but there is like a – we feel like as we know, because the Burmese soldiers already came to the area, so we need to be careful.

Only a few days before the interview was conducted, on April 5, one of the most active Karen community leaders, Saw O Moo, had been shot dead by the Burma Army. Saw O Moo’s wife and children were among those who fled to the jungle on March 4, while Saw O Moo chose to stay behind to coordinate aid and defend villagers against further Burma Army attacks. Tragically, he was ambushed and shot by the Burma Army while on his way home from a community meeting. To this day, Burma Army has not disclosed the location of his body, leaving Saw O Moo’s family unable to perform their Indigenous funeral rites. (Read more about Saw O Moo in Burma Link’s interview with Paul Sein Twa, the Executive Director of KESAN). Lay Lit had little hope for getting justice for Saw O Moo.

Even they request for justice… sometimes I do not understand Burmese soldiers in the past. They used to kill and burn the houses of people. Even though the events in the past are not good, the people cannot get any reason or any justice. So, I think for only one person [killed] like that, I don’t think so, no justice.

Peace Process: “I don’t think they [national actors] can make peace by themselves in the country”

I feel very bad about [the peace process], not good. The peace process is nothing. For me, I’m not sure yet [about achieving peace one day], but I don’t think [we can achieve peace this way]. I don’t think they [national actors] can make peace by themselves in the country, but I only hope that the international leaders and community can put pressure on the country and they can support in that way. I believe [it’s possible] only in that way.

If they do it, only the ethnic leaders and the government, something will go wrong and stop them. President U Htin Kyaw, he already quit right? That is what happened. That is the first time that we heard a president quitting their position [laughs], but we are not sure about the reason. I read from Legal Aid Network, they wrote about U Htin Kyaw quitting as president. I don’t think, it is very confusing, [I don’t think] they cannot make [peace] by themselves.

As I heard from some news, I feel like international pressure and support is more successful than if they are doing it by themselves. Also, I heard from some news that Aung San Suu Kyi, she is not doing [anything] for [human] rights. She doesn’t stand very straight, so some organisations have taken back her awards. So, they need to make sure, the international community, they need to focus more on Burma’s [on the ground] situation. I think the international community, as I heard from some news, I think they also stopped supporting [the government] and they are trying to listen carefully what is going on there. When the peace process was first introduced, all the people were very interested, but starting with Rohingya issue, the international community also noticed [the real situation]. So, they took care for their support also. I think that way is also very good.

Prospect of return: “In some camps even though they [UNHCR] set up their office, no one goes and applies. No one is applying to return back”

[I have recently been to] Karen State, [but] inside Burma [government-controlled areas], not yet. I have only been in Ei Tu Tha in Karen State [KNU-controlled area].

[I feel] the same [as before about return]. I feel like it’s not safe because now, as many people know, the NCA peace process is very…. Development projects are very popular, but the fighting is still happening, so I feel like it’s getting worse, it’s not safe. I feel more sure that I cannot [return]. I feel like the repatriation situation is very sad right now. In some camps even though they [UNHCR] set up their office, no one goes and applies. No one is applying to return back.

[The situation in my home village is] the same [as before], I think just normal. [I am in contact] only via Facebook with my sister, but because of the low connection sometimes she cannot hear my voice, [she will] miss it. When she writes to me in Karen language or in Burmese language also I don’t know, because my phone can use only English. When I write in English, also they cannot understand. They can only understand Hi or Hello [laughing]. Especially for me, I want to go back and stay in my village, in our homeland. Currently our parents also live there. I want to live there and set up my own home, but I don’t feel like I want to return back yet. I feel like [comparing] there and here, it would be better to live here now. There is not really a difference, nothing is changing [there]. They live there and it’s the same as before; they need to be careful.

There are many people who are refugees. Sometimes when I used to travel a lot, when I travelled on the way, some people were talking about their lives. They live in the refugee camps. They talk like they want to return back, but they can’t return back. Some people, they stay in the area where DKBA (Democratic Karen Benevolent Army) and BGF (Border Guard Force) live. They are not feeling comfortable. [But] they said that DKBA is better [than BGF]. One of the men told [his story] – I travelled with him in the line car. He was speaking in a very angry way [about how their rights were violated by BGF soldiers], talking to his friend. They couldn’t do anything. I feel like they can just talk to each other and share their feelings. They cannot speak to the public also, they cannot. When they saw each other on the way, they just shared their feelings. They were feeling very angry. I feel like sometimes they have no one to share with, just when they see their friend on the way they just let them know and they talk, like gossip. They can only gossip.

Background about the DKBA and BGF: The DKBA was formed in 1994 when it become a breakaway group of Buddhist soldiers and officers of the KNLA and sided with the Burma Army. The split led to the fall of Manerplaw (the headquarters of the KNU and the pro-democracy and resistance movement) shortly after, and for 16 years the DKBA continued to fight against the KNLA, acting largely as a Burma Army proxy. Following Burma Army demands enshrined in the 2008 Constitution, part of the DKBA become BGF and was placed under direct control of the Burma Army. Another faction refused the BGF demands and joined back with the KNU in 2010, later changing their name to Democratic Karen Benevolent Army. After the KNU and DKBA signed the NCA in October 2015, another faction of the DKBA split away and took back the original name Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. People commonly refer to both the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army as the DKBA, and sometimes refer to the latter as the DKBA splinter group. Read more about Karen history here.

The time to go back, for me, is I want a real peace. I don’t want any fighting and people are being bullied like that. There is no fighting, and I don’t want that any very powerful authority will control us. We want to stay in justice. If there is no fighting, we can live. Even if we are not very rich, we can live a very simple life. I don’t want to be very developed and to be very rich. I just want to stay [and live] daily life happily and there is no war and no need to be afraid. Now if you want to build a new house, you need to be afraid that your house will be destroyed. I feel the same way with the people who travelled on the way when they talked about their experience. They said that for the country, ten villagers, like ten people, when they build their house they can continue their economy and still improve. For us, after we build our home, if people come and destroy it we need to start again and again. We never improve.

According to our political situation in Burma, the international community can really support, do something, like pressure the government. They are really concerned about Burma, but I feel like the situation is not very good to return back to our country yet. So, we want them to pay more attention and never forget us until we can bring real peace in the country.

– Lay Lit’s message to the international community