Burma Link | July 21, 2015

The Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO) Day was celebrated at the KNDO Headquarters in the Karen State on July 16, 2015. The KNDO, one of the world’s oldest existing revolutionary armed groups, was founded 68 years ago in 1947 to protect the Karen people and the Karen territory. Burma Link attended the celebration and spoke with leaders and soldiers from the KNDO and KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army).

“KNDO Day is a turning point, it is a new day, anniversary. A new start for the KNDO,” the Major General and the Chief of Staff of the KNDO, Nerdah Bo Mya, told Burma Link. “We will be having a clear vision. We will be strong. Like when we first started many years ago. New vision for our Karen ethnic.”

Saw Meh Aye Sein, the KNLA military advisor and Brigade General at the KNLA Headquarters also attended the celebration. “The KNDO Day is a day that reminds us to work in unity in order to protect our people, to work for freedom and to have more understanding among us,” he said.

Saw Meh Aye Sein joined the revolution in 1958 when he was 18 years old, and has never regretted his decision. “I want to say that now we [the Karen] should stand bravely and protect ourselves.”

One of the soldiers attending the event was Naw Mu Gay, 22-year-old young Karen woman who joined the KNDO in Taungoo last year. Growing up under Burmese military abuse and oppression, Naw Mu Gay couldn’t wait to join the revolution. She felt very inspired to attend the celebration and to meet with Karen military leaders. “Because of the leaders’ encouragements and inspirations, I really feel stronger,” she told Burma Link.

Although the international community has started increasingly engaging with the Burma Government since the country started opening up in 2011, according to Major General Nerdah Bo Mya and Brigade General Saw Meh Aye Sein, the government is still not showing signs of sincerity in peace talks nor genuine willingness to change.

“As our Karen policy, we will solve the political problem with political ways,” Saw Meh Aye Sein said. “They (the Burma Government) just say that it is for peace but in fact they just want to occupy everything. They want to control over us and take all of our lands.”

Saw Meh Aye Sein wants to urge the Karen people to keep working together towards freedom and justice. “Let’s stand together in unity and go forward.”

He also wants to tell other ethnic resistance groups that the Burmese military is not honest. “What they (the Burmese military) say and how they act are different,” he said. “Don’t trust them. We all ethnic groups should work together in political ways, we should understand each other, communicate each other and be united. We will work together for a political [solution]. If all the ethnic groups do not work together, it will not be easy to get peace in Burma.”

General Nerdah shares his views, “The Burmese are not sincere for anything. They don’t want to talk with the ethnic [nationalities]. They don’t want to talk with the ethnic groups, they don’t want to negotiate, and they don’t want to share. Behind the scene they are still doing the same old thing. A lot of corruption. A lot of arbitrary killing and then false labor and human rights violations. Oppression,” he said.

For other ethnic nationality leaders, General Nerdah has a clear message, “Stop believing in the Burmese deception. Then we will be free. Because, whether you will defeat or you will be defeated. […] If we think we can overcome, we can claim back our rights, then we will.”

“Even though they (Burmese military) are calling for peace, they are fighting,” he continued. “They still use divide and conquer, divide and control. But for instance, they are having peace talks in Karen territory but fighting in the north, using jet fighters. So I don’t think they have sincerity. They don’t show clear sincerity for peace.”

“I want to tell to Burmese that I am not here playing the game. I am here to sacrifice,” General Nerdah said.

Both leaders emphasise unity among the Karen and all ethnics, and Saw Meh Aye Sein also points out that although the government talks about nationwide ceasefire, the situation on the ground is different. “In reality the military attacks Kachin, Shan, Palaung, Kokang and Arakanese. They even attacked DKBA (Democratic Karen Benevolent Army). So in order to reach the nationwide ceasefire, the fighting must cease first and the government troops should not attack the ethnic armed groups.”

The recent fighting between the Burma Army and the DKBA along the newly built Asia Highway that connects Myawaddy and Kawkareik in Karen State erupted over security for the road. According to General Nerdah, “Asia Highway uses actually the Karen land, Karen territory. Weather the DKBA or the KNU, they should have a right to be there.”

He emphasises that the Burma Army has no right to drive the Karen from their own land. “It is very shameful to the Karen people. It is about integrity. It is about territory. It is about power,” he said. “If you don’t respect the Karen people, than Karen people won’t respect you.”

Saw Meh Aye Sein wants to encourage the international community to understand their long struggle. “I wish the international community will understand us and help us because we are now working for our people for 60 years already and we want the peace. We want to build a just federation.”

Both military leaders encourage the international community to be cautious with regards to cooperating with the government. “I want them to think carefully before they help the government,” said General Nerdah.

Saw Meh Aye Sein echoed his views, “I want to say to foreigners that you work with government like NGOs, for economic, education, finance or everything, I want you think carefully of it. I want you to think carefully before you help the government. If not, your help will just be only for Burmese military. Your help will give them more strength to fight us and to oppress us. Some organisations think that the government has changed and really work for ceasefire. So, they help them. It just makes the government more powerful to fight the ethnic groups.”

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