‘The Youth Can Help the Government to Better Our Country’: Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB)

[attendance], but we would like to join decision-making about political, social and environmental [issues]. There are many topics in the Panglong Conference and the NCA, and we, […] the youth, can help the government to better our country,” says Seigin.

 

Youth activists from a diversity of backgrounds

Saw Gipsy, 37, General-Secretary of SYCB and member of Karen Youth Organization (KYO)

[I grew up] in Irrawaddy Division. My mother organization is Karen Youth Organization (KYO). I was elected as a KYO district committee member in 2009. I learned [about youth rights] from the Central Committee. In 2009, the DKBA [at the time allied with Burma Army] attacked Lay Pa Har. They came and attacked, so our leaders [KNU] moved us, across the river, on the Thai river bank, in Naung Buo village. We stayed there for nearly one year, and then they moved us to Mae La [refugee camp on the Thailand-Burma border]. Until now, for seven years [my family and I have been living there]. In 2011, the KYO Central had an election conference, they elected me as the Joint-Secretary 1. Since 2015, I have been working with SYCB. They [KYO] sent me to the Congress of SYCB, for elections. They sent me as a candidate. In the conference, I got elected, so I became the General Secretary.

Hsu Mon Aung, 26, Joint-Secretary 1 of SYCB and member of All Arakan Students’ and Youths’ Congress (AASYC)

[I come from] Kyauk Phru [in Arakan State]. It is so beautiful. After graduation, after high school, [in 2010], my brother was working with All Arakan Students’ and Youths’ Congress (AASYC) [in Mae Sot] at the time. I wanted to go to Mae Sot, to study for my education, and I met SYCB. At that time, I was just like a student. I liked to read books. I read about human rights, politics, many books at the time. I was interested in working with SYCB. My friend, she is like a sister, she told me ‘[if] you want to try to this program, you can try this SYCB program, it is good’. So, at the time I joined the SYCB program. I studied at a management and leadership program, with SYCB in 2011. An SYCB women leadership program. I then worked with the Indigenous Peoples/Ethnic Nationalities Network for two years. I like that I have some experience working with network organizations. This organization has many member organizations, especially indigenous people. I worked with different network organizations, people, [on different issues like] land rights or human rights or something like that. That’s why I was interested in SYCB. My mother organization, AASYC, [sent me as a] representative to work for SYCB, in January of this year [2017].

Seigin, 35, Joint-Secretary 2 of SCYB and member of Kuki Students Democratic Front (KSDF)

I’m from Homalin town [in Sagaing State]. I studied in Homalin, in 2000, then I continued the University in Monywa, my specialization was English. I’ve worked [with KSDF] since 2005. At that time the KSDF, Kuki Students, came and held a seminar, a human rights seminar, so I went and joined them at the border. I just joined as a KSDF member, [and have been] working there as a member until today. [I was taught about] human rights, in New Delhi in 2008, Equality Myanmar taught us human rights for six months. [I stayed in India] from 2008 to 2010. In 2010, our country had changes with the elections, so I came back. Legal associations in Burma [needed] to ask local young people from our Kuki community to organize them, to work for the nation. So, I came back. I got married in 2013. I have three-year old child. [During an] SYCB Conference, they held an election for the next term, I joined the election and was selected for two years. I joined in 2016.

Ye Min Naing, 37, Responsible for ‘Media and Information’ at SYCB and member of Tavoyan Youth Organization (TYO)

I’m from Dawei. Dawei Township, Taninthayi Division [Tenasserim Region], lower part of Burma. [There are] a lot of beautiful islands in Taninthayi Division. My home organization is the Tavoyan Youth Organization (TYO). At that time, until now, [we were based] on the Thai-Burma border. I joined in 2002, May 12. I have been with SYCB since 2004. More than ten years. SYCB had some youth program, and at that time I joined the youth program. At that time, I interned with SYCB, I had no proper [documentation], I didn’t have a UN card, I could just stay in Mae Sot [only]. In SYCB, where I was working, I learned from other people, how to do website, design. I have this skill [now], website skill. I learned by looking at [what] other people [were doing].

 

Network of ethnic youth organizations

Ye Min Naing: SYCB includes many organizations. We can meet many people, we can share information, get [to meet] some other organizations. When I was with TYO, it was difficult to communicate with my mother organization [on the Thai border] because I did not have an official [identity] card. I had some difficulty.

Saw Gipsy: I wanted to work with SYCB. It’s easier than working with KYO, because in KYO we use the Burmese language and Karen language, but within Karen language there are too many different languages, so I found it difficult to work. In SYCB, we only use the same language, Burmese language, so it is easier to work. In SYCB, I have learned relationship-building, and communication skills with different ethnic youths.

Hsu Mon Aung: Especially communications skills, I got communication skills and some leadership skills. I’m working with many other people, sometimes I need to be like a leader, sometimes I need to provide training. I know how to lead people.

Seigin: My intent to work is to promote KSDF and youth capacity. I like the promote Kuki Students as well as the SYCB. I would also like [SYCB and KSDF] to be strong youth organizations. I am not a professional, but as much as I can I would like to promote SYCB as well as my mother organization.

Before when I worked in my mother organization, it was a small organization, there were not many challenges. But when I joined SYCB, there were many challenges, like English, and other working experiences like Burma politics, [life in] Yangon, there are many challenges. I have been learning from SYCB a lot of things, to cooperate with the different ethnics. We are different, and our speaking is very different, but [we have learned] how to cooperate the best. Also, since moving to the SYCB office in Yangon, I have been learning many things about my personal capacities and policies. I have learned many things. Now, I am in charge of finance, so I have had to learn the finance, how to manage. I have learned a lot of things.

Saw Gipsy: We are 11 [ethnic organizations] cooperating in SYCB, but from our mother organizations, we have our own policies, our own stance, we have our own direction. When we cooperate in SYCB, sometimes SYCB activities don’t [correlate] with our mother [organization’s] activities. So sometimes, SYCB has difficulties with coordination. I encounter some challenges, but not difficult ones to solve, because we are all together. We meet and discuss, how to solve these problems, so [they are] not big for us.

As per our structure, we have the Congress, every two years, we have the presidium board members — the eleven member organizations send their representatives to be presidium board members. So sometimes, if we have a problem to coordinate with member organizations, we discuss with the 11 presidium board members and we decide what to do.

Ye Min Naing: If we have some difficulties, we meet every Friday and we discuss, negotiate something and find a solution.

Seigin: Sometimes it is difficult, it is really difficult, but [the result] is not only my opinion, it is the Congress’, so I have to understand others.

 

Working with youth and politics

Last October 18, SYCB celebrated International Youth Day in Yangon. Around 70 youth participants attended the event organized by SYCB.

Hsu Mon Aung: We all participated. We had panel discussions, interviews, questions and answers, talking about solutions with stakeholders.

Saw Gipsy: [We talked about] youth participation in peace process, these topics: youth and education, youth and politics, youth and peace. We created a panel discussion. Some of the participants asked questions, and the panel leaders answered. We were able to get new ideas, new thinking for the future.

Hsu Mon Aung: They [youth] worry about participating in politics. Some of the questions were about education, some of the curriculum of the schools, of the government schools, have been changing, they asked questions about this.

Saw Gipsy: And [we talked about] political issues. Some of the audience asked about how youths and leaders should cooperate in the political process. They ask about this. Some leaders never call for youth to participate. Some leaders try or give a chance to the youth, but not the representative youth. [They are] ethnic, but not from the collective source, not representative of overall. The youth who are close with them, they call. So ‘how do we solve [this]?’, they asked the panel leaders.

SYCB organizes numerous panel discussions and workshops where they provide youth with information and skills.

Ye Min Naing: Especially we have the youth training center, the students who want to learn they ask there. And I teach, I share my [website and social media] skills. I teach some of the people who are interested. PageMaker [a desktop publishing program], most people in Burma use it to publish, so some of the newsletter [skill], some of the photoshop, I teach.

 

Peace Process and the Next Panglong Peace Conference

Saw Gipsy: We heard that they will move it by a month, [it will] not [be] in December, because they have some problems. Problems to collaborate, all armed groups should participate in this dialogue, but Kachin and northern Shan, they didn’t participate, so maybe I think the government will do something for all of the ethnic armed groups to be included in this dialogue. So they moved it, [that is what] I think. This is my opinion, they [the other SYCB members] have their own opinion [everyone agrees and laughs].

For me I can’t answer in detail about our hopes or something, because we know that this process is every six months, step by step they will go, so the goal is still far from here. We can’t see the short-term goals. So I have no opinion on short-term goals. We want a new Federal State for all ethnics and the Burman. Maybe we get a good and new country. That is the last, ultimate goal.

Seiging: The Panglong Conference is important. As this is a democracy, we call the government to improve youth participation in politics. We are not asking the government or the leaders, not only for the participation, not only for a seat [attendance], but we would like to join decision-making about political, social and environmental [issues]. There are many topics in the Panglong Conference and the NCA, and we, the youth, can help the government and the leaders, with youth and social, and youth and environment. These two topics, the youth can help the government to better our country. This I believe.

Hsu Mon Aung: [During] the peace talks, and the NCA [negotiations], between the ethnic armed groups, the government and military, the youth are not included as a stakeholder. At times we are included as a stakeholder, but not [truly] included as the youth is a technical supporter. Some of the leaders in the army, ethnic army or the government military army, [call on youths who] are not really representative of the youth voice, who are just there as a technical supporter. This is not representative of the youth, we need to include the youth.

I think, [there needs to be] more inclusion in the future, more participation, more inclusiveness, [with] all the different stakeholders. Parties, especially winning parties need to include [others] in the peace process. Some of the losing parties have no rights, have no chance to be included in the peace process. It is not peace, you know? Most of the people who are working need to include CSOs and all the parties, [to contribute] for the country future. Now maybe, NCA, ethnic armed groups who have not [signed] the ceasefire need to be included. Now it is not like that. We still need to wait a long time. Right now, it is just discussion, there are no good results. I see it like that. They need to do more: more negotiation, more dialogue, they need to ask to the different actors.

 

Looking Towards the Future

Seiging: I think, next year term will end, in 2017-2018. I don’t know when is the next SYCB election. If they select me again, I will continue. If I fail, I will go back to my mother organization. I would like to say for my community, my Kuki community and the youth community, there are not many young people interested in politics. They don’t know about democracy and youth participation, the ongoing peace process, they don’t know. So, I would like to help my community to participate in alliances and youth organizations, in many things. I would like to promote them and I will do so by working for democracy and human rights. I will be working as much as I can.

Ye Min Naing: In the future I want to work actively for our organization SYCB, with the media. I also have a family, so I want to work for my family. My family is spread out, my child, my boy he lives in Yangon. He is studying on Grade 2 in a government school. And my wife she lives in Mae Sot, she works in an industry.

Saw Gipsy: For my personal future and plans… I want to volunteer in communities, our ethnic area, I want to be a good volunteer. I am not sure [if my family will stay in Mae La] for 2018, because the government, NGOs and KRC [Karen Refugee Committee], they have a plan to move the refugee people. [I have] three children. My eldest daughter is 8 years old, and the youngest is 4 years old. I will teach them human rights and other knowledge.

Hsu Mon Aung: I want to study a Master’s degree, I want to study. After that, I want to work in a CSO organization. I want to study political science or social sciences. I need to apply for a scholarship. But not this year, or 2018. It’s not possible. Maybe in 2019… I have no money [laughs]. I cannot go [study] without any money. In Yangon, in some of the main universities and main campuses, you can apply for diplomas in political science, international law, international relations. I want to apply. Our country is our home, our main issue, we need to learn.

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Burma Link interviewed the members of Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB) on November 18, 2017 in Yangon, Burma.