‘[NCA] Is Not Something That Will Benefit the Ethnic Groups and Our Struggle’: Karen Major General Nerdah Bo Mya Urges Ethnic Leaders to Stay Away from the ‘Useless’ Deal

[Naypyidaw] and a lot of people, they were very excited about it. But for me, according to my perspective, I think it’s useless and wasting time, wasting money and it’s kind of prolonging our struggle because we are playing the game of the Burmese, playing the game of the SPDC [military regime], playing the game of the Burmese military. So why do people pay more interest and are focusing on this NCA? We should have known by now, because after going through NCA for years we should have known – It is not something that will benefit the ethnic groups and our struggle. This is the game of the Burmese [military]. Once you play the game of the Burmese you’re not going anywhere you’re just like wondering around and then you cannot reach your destination, because you are playing the games of your enemy. So, it’s very sad to see that a lot of people have been misled by this situation and this NCA.

The NCA, for me it’s useless. The NCA is the strategy how they [military] will put everybody into a big trap so people cannot come out anymore. This is what I see about the NCA. So, ‘don’t be so foolish with the NCA.’ It’s a foolish thing. It’s not very smart to be guided by the Burmese regime and get into their game and play the game, because then you can never reach your destination. You can never achieve your freedom and keep your identity.

You come to the NCA you have to come as a prisoner. You say ‘okay now I surrender.  I join you, I come and join the NCA because what I have done in the past and what I did in the past is all wrong. I regret. I come back to you. Please receive me. You are the master and you are my savior. I am your servant and now I am finished you can take my weapons.’

Even though the Burmese [military] will say, ‘no no no you can keep your weapons, but you will be my slave. You cannot shoot, but you can keep your weapons.’ They’re very tricky. A lot of people fall into the Burmese deception.

They call it nationwide ceasefire, but only a few groups are signing NCA and the rest are still fighting. The rest are in the battlefield, fighting everyday. And the Burmese government is using divide and control, divide and conquer, using the same old method they have been using since many, many years ago. They are not changing at all. They are just like trying to mislead you, trying to make you more confused about the whole process, about the peace process. In fact now in the Karen state, you see now the DKBA [splinter group of the DKBA that took back the old name Democratic Karen Buddhist Army] and the BGF [Border Guard Forces – proxy of the Burma Army]. They are controlling BGF and DKBA and behind the scenes they are pulling the strings, they are playing the game. And they ask them to fight and to stir up problems among themselves and then ask them to fight against each other and then they are taking control of the whole situation. And this is very, very tricky. The trickiness of the Burmese army. You can’t really look at the front page and say, ‘okay this is how things are.’ They are not that way. You’ve got to scrutinize and go through every little thing step by step and to everything and then you will know. You will find out the reality of the Burmese Army. They’re very tricky, dirty and all they want to do is to control, to Burmanize, and to take over our resources.

 

Burmese military: Lack of sincerity and reigning chauvinism

They have no sincerity on peace talks or the peace process. And we should know about it. Because otherwise you can never reach your destination by believing in them. They’re such a crook. They’re not keeping their promises and they always break their promise when the time comes and when they have to finish you. They don’t respect the promises that they make. If they can take advantage of you they will take advantage of you according to what they want and what they need and what they can achieve. And to take control and to Burmanize you, to dominate and to finish you according to their strategy.

According to my experiences, the military dictatorship, we [ethnic nationalities] have to work together to kick them out. We can’t negotiate with these people because deep down inside their brain, their mind, they are superior, they are better off than anybody else, they are better off than any other ethnic groups. They want to show that they are the master of everything and they are the owner of the country. All of the country belongs to them and not belong to the ethnic groups. But when you look at the whole situation the ethnic groups are controlling the resources, but they [military] turn everything around and say ‘these are our resources and none of them belong to the ethnic groups.’ They are having a chauvinistic idea; they want to erase you [ethnic people] out of the page.  And to erase you out of your territory and they want to put the Burmese people there. And they say ‘okay you listen to us. We’re in control. We tell you what to do and you listen to us. You’re not educated.’

They think they are more educated than other ethnic groups. They think they’re superior, a superior race. They think what they do is right. All kinds of human rights violations have been done by them but they think that what they are doing is right for the ethnic groups. They think that these people need to be treated that way. ‘They [ethnic groups] are stubborn. This is the way they should be treated: by force and make them to become Burman.’ This is all they want to do.

 

Changes since the NCA: Dangers in disguise

Only [changes are] you can travel here and there freely. But they always record, they always get information from you and then more and more restricted. They know everything about you, when you travel. You have to give you name, you have to give your ranks and everything when you’re travelling outside [your territory]. Of course, for the moment they will say you can do this and that, but they get more information from you. For example, from the first brigade they [Karen soldiers] want to come to Myawaddi they [military] will say, ‘okay you can go, but you have to give [information]: Who’s going to come? How many people? What are your ranks? What are you going to do over there?’

They get all the information when you travel around. And I’ve talked to Karen soldiers and Karen commanders and they say this is not good for us. Now we can travel but maybe next year we cannot. There will be more restrictions and they will know everything about us. So this is something we have to be really careful with.

 

Genuine and sincere peace process: Message to ethnic leaders

They [military] are not sincere at all. You should stay away from it [NCA]. Stay away from it.  Genuine peace process is that you have to kick them out with force. There must be some asserted force to kick them out.

Ethnic unity, working together, rebuild your military, rebuild your organisation, and make yourself strong. And then they will listen to you. If you [ethnic armies] are so divided in many groups don’t talk to them. When you are not ready don’t talk. Don’t talk with the Burmese army because they will not respect you. And now is not a good time to talk. So rebuild yourself. Make yourself strong. And then bring them to the negotiating table. And then they will respect and talk. Otherwise don’t waste your time. Don’t play their game.

 

Genuine and sincere peace process: Message to the international community

You need to support the ethnic groups, because when you look at Burma, Burma comprises of many ethnic nationalities.  Once these people are strong, then you can change the situation. Because the government is only a handful of people trying to control everybody. That’s why we have the longest civil war in history because the strength of the people is more than the military dictatorship. Even though they are being supported by many countries; they get weapons, they get… but the real power comes from the people. If the people are not giving up their hope, then the fighting, the struggle is always going to go on. You can’t really find the solution. To find the solution you have to educate these ethnic groups and bring good education to rebuild teaching, training. And then once they make themselves strong they have unity then they can change. They can reform the situation in Burma and democracy will come. Democracy should come from the people. Power should come from the people.

Don’t support the handful of people who are trying to control everything. Support the people, and the power should come from the people by the people, and then we will have democracy.