‘It Is Dangerous for Our People or Any Organization to Move There [Burma]’: Khu Myar Reh, Karenni Refugee School Principal

[came to] Thai-Burma border in 2003. I lived there since I was born until I fled my village, so about 37 years.

I fled my village in Karenni State because of the human rights violations practiced by the Burmese military troops.  Like, we were arbitrarily arrested in a way, we were discriminated by the military troops and we were suspected by the Burmese military troops — as we were neighbors of the Karenni soldiers — we were [thought] to be connected with them to support the Karenni army.  So then, they could arrest us, kill us, or torture us in any way because they have a lawless attitude toward our Karenni local people.

So, because of this situation, I was trying to stand by my people to not be violated by the Burmese military troops, and to be treated fairly. But, based on the dictatorship system, we were not allowed to ever talk about human rights or stand by justice.  We expressed our feelings to the authority for the people, “we were discriminated by the military troops and they’re liars.” We [were called] a group of traitors.  So, then, I decided to make up my mind, to flee my village, to get more opportunity for my life and my people, my society’s future. So, I tried to flee my village to the refugee camp to try to learn, find more knowledge about justice to help my community. So, today I have learned knowledge about human rights, the rule of law, about the democracy and government system, system of democracy, and about how [it would be possible] to regain genuine peace by the government of Aung San Suu Kyi. So, because of the lack of knowledge most of our people are abused by the military troops.  So, in my heart, in my mind, it was very important for me to escape from this dangerous [situation], and I fled my village to Camp 1 [Ban Mai Nai Soi].

Learning about human rights, democracy, environment and rule of law: “This [knowledge] is very essential for our people to be able to set up a new society or achieving peace and a democratic society for the future.” 

Before coming to the refugee camp, I had finished my study in University, in Burma.  And also, I used to be a teacher, helping my people, serving my people by teaching, as a teacher, for more than ten years already there [Burma].  So [but], based on the crisis of the political conflicts and human rights violations I made up my mind to escape, to learn more [and improve] my knowledge.  So, when I arrived in the refugee camp I used to try to teach high school students for three years, and after that I applied to the EarthRights International education or training program in Chiang Mai. In 2006-7 I graduated from the EarthRights Burma School. So, I have learned about human rights, environment and preservation, rule of law, and [subjects] related to democracy and government.  After that, I started to help SDC [Social Development Center] organization starting in 2008, until today.  So, [it has been] around one decade already.  I teach about human rights, democracy, environment, and the rule of law to our Karenni young people who finished their Grade 10 and who are interested in our program.  And also, now I am working as the principle for my [SDC] program or organization to help our people to educate them on important knowledge on human rights, democracy and government, and rule of law [and] environmental preservation.  This [knowledge] is very essential for our people to be able to set up a new society or achieving peace and a democratic society for the future.

Motivation to teach the younger generations: “We are trying to educate at mostly grassroots level the people who are violated or discriminated by the majority or the dictatorship.”

The current education in Karenni refugee camps is not really enough for our new generations.  Because, it’s very limited, very limited to our young people.  From the young baby, or kindergarten until grade 10, the education system is very difficult [to manage] and not sufficient because of the [lacking] resources — the human resources and the materials, the knowledge. This is very much affecting our community [capacity] to become professional, or to be able to get a higher education.  So, it is very, very difficult or complicated and very confusing for our teachers, our leaders, how to overcome this situation.  Because of the political crisis in Burma, until today, the military government, the Burmese government and the Burmese military are still keeping their power with the military. So, this means the education in the camp and also in Burma is very complicated, very difficult to be able to overcome this problem about education in the camps and Burma.

Most of the alumni who’ve graduated from the SDC, their attitude changes so much, their feeling and their response is very, very helpful for their life.  After finishing this course, their attitude, their heart, and their character, behavior, viewpoint is very different from before. Before attending this course, this school, their attitude is in a very negative way.  This means they don’t know how to approach or deal with conflict in our society.  After this school their attitude is very much changed, in a positive way, to understand how to relate with others in a positive way, not by using violence.  So, the [students gain] ideas of thinking small [local], based on the democratic way.  After finishing this course, they would like to serve their community as much as they can.  So, now they are trying, [through] any organization [to implement] what they understand from the course.

In my vision, or, my hopes, one day if we provide or share this knowledge, what we provided to our young people through our program about the human rights, democracy and government, rule of law, like, for federalism and non-violent social change, and protection for our environment – in this way we can, I hope we can change our society to become a democratic society based on the idea of human dignity and know how to maintain the environment, preserve the environment, and develop the rule of law in the future. In Burma also.  So, this is my view. So, I hope one day [for] peace, the situation should become [peaceful].

Because we are trying to educate at mostly grassroots level the people who have been violated or discriminated by the majority or the dictatorship for many years, seven decades already.  So, it is very important, or essential, to share the knowledge at our grassroots level so that we can change our system of government, based on a democratic society.

Giving opportunity to the youth: “The leaders who will take the seat of responsibility will [need to] be faithful to the people, to the citizens, who can change the society.”

So, we can say most of our people, our students who graduated from the SDC are very eager and willing to help the community, to improve their community towards a democratic society in any way, or as much as they can.  [However] it [also] depends on the leaders, who have not given the opportunity to serve the community until today. So, they [youth] have difficulty to help their community as much as they want.  A little confusing for them, because of the political situation.

I think, this is very much based on the current leaders who are not taking the responsibility to improve the society or the country. I would like to suggest to the leaders and encourage them to be honest, to be faithful to their citizens.  To be kind to their children and new generations, heartedly, whole-heartedly.  They need to be honest, to try hard.  Because now we are very late, if we compare with advanced countries like Western countries. So now, we need to change very quickly, as much as we can, together.  To be able to change, to be able to set up our new society, most of our people lack the knowledge of the issues that we are providing at the SDC. This is very important, to be aware of this, so that they can change their attitude, change in a positive way.  And also in the future, the leaders who will take the seat of responsibility will [need to] be faithful to the people, to the citizens, who can change the society very much.  If not, like the current government, like the Burmese military groups, their dictatorship, or their authoritarianism is very, very dangerous, and very much undermines our democratic society.

So now I would like to make the military groups change their viewpoint in a positive way, to serve the community in genuine peace, and to make an honest compromise with the diversity of the country and the people.  So, education is very critical to be able to improve, to the international level.  So, until today it is very, very confusing, very hard to deal with the government easily.

Difficulties with working on the Thailand-Burma border: “It is a very big challenge for our program to move inside [Karenni State].”

To be able to maintain our program is very important.  Currently, we have been able to produce resources to serve the community.  But, during this year while we are trying to implement our activities, we’ve had many challenges. For finding grants or funds to be able to maintain, continue in the future.  And also, we have challenges as illegal migrants, we are not allowed to go and come freely as citizens should, so it is very difficult.  We are stateless, so we are afraid in our daily life [for danger] from the Burmese military groups, military government, and the Thai authority – as we are illegal migrants here.  And also, we are afraid to move [back] inside Karenni State or Burma completely, based on the political negotiations which are not very reliable.  Until today, like the military group [Burma Army] and the ethnic armed groups, they have not signed an agreement with each other for a nationwide ceasefire.

The nationwide ceasefire [process] and political dialogue – this issue is still ongoing, and it is dangerous for our people or any organization to move there completely and register there [Burma].  Because many people can be arrested by the military troops based on the 2008 Constitution. So, it is a very big challenge for our program to move inside [Karenni State] and to move successfully.  [There can be] more violence for our people.

The important role of the SDC: “To be able to overcome this challenge [human rights violations and violence in Burma], I think education is very important.  If this program stops or disappears, the new generation will lose the power.”

Since the initial interview was conducted, the SDC faced an unexpected reduction in donor funding — similarly to many other organisations and schools located on the Thailand-Burma border that provide crucial educational and other services to displaced ethnic populations (in response to the premature cuts in funding along the border Burma Link initiated the “Keep Supporting” campaign in 2017 — https://www.burmalink.org/keep-supporting). The SDC has consolidated their funding to be able to continue the program that not only benefits young Karenni refugees but has a wide communal impact through producing future change makers and activists. As the time is not yet right to relocate to Burma where donor funding is more readily available, the future of SDC is now at grave risk. The following is Khu Myar Reh’s comment as to why the program needs to continue.

Currently, our Karenni people, most of them are lacking this knowledge on human rights, environmental preservation, and rule of law regarding a democratic system.  And on other issues, regarding political issues, they are very poor on this knowledge, so it is very important for Karenni people to promote or improve their lives.  Being without this knowledge now, we are discriminated or we are violated by the government or the Burmese military groups.  So, I think this [program] is very important and essential for our people, especially for the new generation.  Our program is very important for our people to know about the knowledge that we are providing now. Without this knowledge or [these] skills, it is very difficult for our people to change their attitudes, to change the democratic system of our society.  So then, education is a very powerful weapon like this.

Education means like this is very beneficial for our future generation to change for a democratic society, a peaceful society.  So in my viewpoint, if this program closes or stops, if donors stop the funding, I think the new generation of our society will lack this knowledge. So, this is a very big problem, [it would be] very difficult for our people to improve their lives peacefully in the society.

Without this program I think most of the young people, our Karenni people, would lose their opportunity for education also.  So, this [program] is very important. Education does not make a very direct [measurable] benefit, but education is a very strong power for the future.  So, without this education, without this program, the society or our new generation will lose this opportunity and then the community will lose the opportunity to stand for their lives to provide for the future generations in a systematic, democratic way.  I worry about it — if we lose the funding from our donors.  So, I would like to make the donors or the people, not only our Karenni people or the people who are helping us currently, but including all of the international community, to know our situation facing the Karenni people today.  This is a very big problem, the lack of this knowledge.  I think because of the lack of this knowledge, now we are facing human rights violations and violence in our country.  So, to be able to overcome this challenge, I think education is very important.  If this program stops or disappears, the new generation will lose the power.

Message to the International Community: “I need them to value the dignity of the human being in Burma.”

I would like to tell the people of the international community to be interested in politics, political issues.  And, to learn knowledge about the democratic practices and society.  And to learn their rights and to give time to learn the knowledge and need to be active for their daily life – not to give up for their life. To be able to escape from this dictatorship we must be patient and tolerant and understand each other and be united to work together in a positive way.  Not to give up their lives to the military groups [Burma Army and proxies].  We need to try to make the military groups to change their system of dictatorship.  And also, we need to make them value the dignity of the human being in Burma.  Yes, this is what I want to say.

Vision for the Future: “I want to see us not to giving up, not destroying our environment, not giving up to [prevent] our country from becoming worse and worse.”

In my life, the impact of the political situation is very bad and complicates my future life, because it has been very difficult for me to make a good decision until today. Actually I want to become a person who can help the community better, better than now, and also to make our people [have] more fair [treatment] and justice.  But, during my life, I was severely discriminated by the military groups [Burma Army] with their alliance supporters – because of that I’m afraid of them. I would be afraid of them any time, if I continued to stay there [in Burma].  So, it is the biggest of the challenges or impacts on my life, what the Burmese military groups or government [are doing], their system of governing our people.  So, it is very complicated for me and difficult for me to make up my mind to say, to help my community on that side.  Here in the refugee camp we have not so much freedom.  What we would like is to be able to achieve [goals] in education, because the status of our citizenship is a very big problem for my life.  To be able to [achieve] genuine peace in the society.  This makes me very unhappy, our statelessness and our illegal immigrant or immigrant refugee [status].  So, this is a very big problem for me.

For me one day, the military dictatorship will be changed in a positive way.  And if we try to work together, and compromise, and negotiate, unite and make a good relationship with each other, then one day we can make our society big, develop our country and advance our community.  A new society that can value the human dignity and develop the rule of law, and know how to preserve the environment in the future.  So, this is my idea, my attitude. I want to see us not to giving up, not destroying our environment, not giving up to [prevent] our country from becoming worse and worse.

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The interview was conducted in English and has been edited for clarity and flow. You can support SDC on their donation page here.