Press release by K. N. D. O. General Officer Commanding, Brig. Gen. Nerdah Mya, on 66th Anniversary of Karen Revolution

January 31, 2015

Dear honorable Karen friends, overseas guests, the UNFC, NCUB and NDF officers – Good morning! Thank you so much for coming all the way to remember and celebrate Karen Revolution Day with us!

Today, on the 66th anniversary of Karen Revolution Day, I’d like to pay my highest respect to the sacrifice of our predecessors and martyrs, who had striven for our people to live with dignity, hope, peace, and stability. I’d also like to express my sincere appreciation and respect to our friends, who are always there to support and help us; and who sacrifice because of our revolution. Today is the day that we shall be all proud of, because we still have thousands of friends to follow our ancestors’ wills and wishes. What makes me even happier today is that our young generals, regardless of ethnicity and religions, work together to resist the dictatorial, cruel, corrupt, shameless, and greedy government. Today there are also friends from the US, Australia, China, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Norway, England, France, and Finland, who stand by us and support us silently. Here, I’d like to sincerely thank for your unselfish support and contribution!

We all know that unity is strength. For example, the situation has turned to benefit us since Noukai troops, MNDAA (Kokang: Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army), and SSA-N (Shan State Army-North) join the recent battle of KIA (Kachin Independence Army) against the Burmese army. If we (all groups) form a unified alliance, the Burmese army will be the one who would live in fear of attack, not us. We (all groups) must work together for the same goal. Let’s unify regardless of ethnicity and religions. Let’s be prosperous and strong! Let’s protect our people and our children, our lands and resources that originally belonged to us. Let’s unify so that our next generation can see hope!

Sixty six years have passed. The leaders of our nation and the Burmese government have gone through peace talks, on more than a dozen different occasions. Each time we always lose hope when we’re looking forward. Until today, the living condition of most of our people is even worse than that of the servants of the Burmese officers’ home. Our people are still being deceived. Our land, resources, people, and properties are still being plundered. We, like most of the ethnic nationalities, still live in the bamboo shelters. There are no doctors or medicines when we are sick. When we wake up in the morning, we don’t even know whether we would live till the evening. We live without human dignity. In fact, our Karen people, like other ethnic nationalities, are peace-loving, hardworking, and brave. We don’t want to become slaves. Today we’re armed, because we must strive to live in freedom, equality and peace. We don’t want to be discriminated against! Our armies must be strong. Our people must have a peaceful and stable environment.

Past is past. From now on, our goal is to let our poor people, including other ethnicity, live with dignity. We must first let our people to live in the basic living standard defined by the Human Rights Commission of the UN. We work hard for true peace, equality and democracy. The Karen State must be governed by our Karen people. We must have our own rights!

Last but not least, I’d like to thank all the officers and soldiers, who have been working hard to make today’s event possible. Thank you, our dear friends, who have come from faraway places. We, the KNDO, cannot expand rapidly without your support. We believe that tomorrow is still hopeful. It will be even better to have you being there for us!

 

Thank you, all!

 

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