This interview is the first one in Burma Link’s “Protracted Displacement” series that we will be publishing and updating during the coming year. The series is meant to give more in depth understanding into the situation, concerns, and feelings of displaced persons about their lives on the borderline and the peace and political processes in Burma, and how they evolve and develop over this critical period of change. It should be emphasised that the series is a small snapshot into the lives of few individuals whose stories are not meant to represent the lives of others. The text has been edited and some parts have been omitted for flow and clarity. This interview was conducted in March 2017.

 

PART 1: BACKGROUND

Childhood in Jor Hta: “At the age of ten, I faced the Burmese military attack”

I was born in Jor Hta village. It is located in a valley next to the river

[Salween River]. My father worked with the KNU as a revolutionary. My mother was a housewife. For our livelihood, we had a plantation and a farm to grow vegetables and rice. I have seven siblings, five brothers and two sisters.

At the age of ten, I faced the Burmese military attack in Jor Hta village. At that time, they were using jet fighters and shooting down our village, and we ran to the jungle in the rain. I was still a child, and I could not run properly. The only one that took care of me was my mother because my father was in duty and busy with his work, and he could not look after me. My mother was carrying me when running to the jungle and prepared food for me, too. I could not forget the gratitude for my mother. After the attack, they [Burmese military] went back to their camp. Later on, the Burmese military came again and took control of Jor Hta village when I was in grade six, and they have been staying there until now. They occupied all those areas and built their camp.  At that time, they also burned down our village and school. We had fled our home before they arrived. I dare not go back because the Burmese military are still staying there.

For this reason, I moved to Wae Kyi [village] in 1992. I followed my parents when moving from Jor Hta to Wae Kyi.

 

Life of Displacement: “I have been displaced four times”

[In Wae Kyi] I worked as a helmsman as well as fisherman for my livelihood. I was living in Wae Kyi when I got married [in 1994]. After that, I moved to Mae Yeh Hta [refugee camp] due to the Red Star Armed Group [Karenni National People’s Liberation Front – Karenni splinter group allied with the Burma Army] conflict. The Karen Refugee Committee provided for me when moving from Wae Kyi to Mae Yeh Hta. We refugees stayed there about 5 months.

[Of my two daughters], one was born in Wae Kyi, and one was born in Mae Yeh Hta. When I was living in Mae Yeh Hta, I got the refugee food [rations] because Mae Yeh Hta was one of the temporary refugee camps at that time. I also made money by producing thatch [a roof covering made of straw] and cutting bamboo to sell.

The Thai government did not want refugees to live there, so the refugees were forced to move to Salah [Ban Sala] refugee camp [in March of 1998 ⁽¹⁾]. As for me, I did not want to move there, so I moved to Ko Kay. I did not want to move to Salah refugee camp because it was far away from my native village. I came back myself [without help from the Karen Refugee Committee] when moving back to Ko Kay. I got married in 1994. I moved here [U Wee Klo] in July, 2007. [In total] I have been displaced four times.

I have never gone back to my village since leaving. Sometimes, when I drive a boat and pass that area, I just take a peek. [The other villagers] are living on the borderline along the Salween River, some are living in refugee camps such as Mae La Oon and Mae Ra Moe [Mae Ra Ma Luang], and some have resettled to third countries.

 

 

PART 2: LIFE NOW (MARCH 2017)

Family situation and Livelihood: “there is no salary, and I do not have any support from others too”

I am 40 years old. I live with my wife and my children. My mother already passed away [in 2014], and my father is living in Ei Tu Hta [main section] now.

Two of them [siblings] are living here, one of them is living in Ko Kay, two of them are living in Ei Tu Hta, one of them is living in a third country, and one of them is living and teaching at Noe Boe School in Thailand [on the border]. I can contact and visit all of my siblings except the one who lives in a third country. He is in the USA. I do not have special needs to contact him, and I know he might be busy with his job, but he keeps in touch with my father.

There is no salary [as the IDP village chief], and I do not have any support from others either. I can raise my family day by day because I previously worked as a helmsman, and I had a boat. Currently, I ask someone to drive it, and if he gets money, we share it equally. I just do like this for my livelihood.  Even though I have the job that I am doing now, I am still driving the boat and fishing whenever I have free time. For the main food [rice], I get from the Border Consortium (TBC).

There are two things that make me stressed. The first one is about my family. I am worried about how to raise up my children, and how to keep my family safe and have enough food for them. The second one is about my duty here. I am in the highest position here, and I need to take responsible for my people in many areas. Sometimes, I cannot even sleep during the night while thinking about it.

 

U Wee Klo IDP Village: “The main problems that people are currently facing are [lack of] food and healthcare”

There are 78 households, and the population is 467. [Most people] are from two districts: Mutraw [Papun] district and Toungoo district. Most of them are from Toungoo district. We Karen people have been registered by the KNU in village, village tract, township, and district levels, but this registration has not been recognized by the Burmese government.

Every household here can access electricity. To make a phone call, we need to go to the battalion of Karen Nation Liberation Army communication office, or Karen Women Organization office, or Ei Tu Hta, or Thong Len Hta [at least 20 minutes on a boat].

Sometimes, we get a bit of donations from foreigners or friends. For example, they sometimes come and donate second-hand clothes, solar panels and so forth. We previously [in 2014] got solar from one of our friends who lives in Thailand. However, these types of support are not regular support. The main problems that people are currently facing are [lack of] food and healthcare.

The first one is we are currently facing the problem about not having enough medicine here. Previously, we got support in healthcare sector. When the clinic was newly established, the diseases were very prevalent and there were a lot of patients. Later on, it got better. At that time, we just had enough medicine for ordinary diseases. We did not have medicine for serious diseases. But it [health support] has been stopped since 2011. At that time, the doctor in charge to support this clinic did not let me know when he stopped supporting this clinic. He just asked his co-workers to come and take the medical equipment from here. Later on, they all disappeared. For this reason, many people face this [health] problem. Some of them cannot buy medicine by themselves, so I try to help them as I am the top leader here. However, it is hard to find a way for them. Therefore, we would be very happy if anyone could support and provide medicine for us. The main thing that we really need in healthcare sector is medicine. Some of the villagers themselves cannot afford to buy the medicines at all.

[The food aid] has [also] started reducing. When we first arrived here, we got 16 kilos [of rice] per person [per month]. It was reduced in 2010. From then on, we got only 12 kilos per person. The children aged 5 and under get 6 kilos per person monthly, and those who are aged 6 and above get 12 kilos per person every month. It just lasts for 20 days. Some people do not have enough food any longer [than 20 days per month]. They need to find a job to get money and buy more food.

 

Discontinuation of food support: “I am also worried for all of my villagers because I am the village chief, and I need to be responsible for them”

The TBC has announced that the rice [support] will be stopped after September, 2017. They [TBC] said the food support could not be provided for the IDPs permanently. It will be temporary aid. Furthermore, they said that they face difficulties about crossing the [Thailand-Burma] border. They also said that the budget for the IDPs has run out. Finally, they said the support would be stopped because there is peace in Burma.

The TBC has also announced that the agriculture will be provided for the livelihood instead of providing rice. We have farms in the source of this river [U Wee Klo River]. We have planted paddy, bananas, and other fruits and vegetable such as chili, eggplant and so on.

[In the past], the KNU leaders said that we should not do farming because we had enough food support from the TBC, and it would affect the environment like forests and rives if we did farming. That is why the KNU did not allow us to do farming at that time. However, they [KNU leaders] allowed us to start doing farming as soon as they heard about food support stopping.

IDPs in U Wee Klo are now trying to do small-scale farming in their current location for the first time, hoping to harvest around the time the food support stops. In the main section of Ei Thu Hta, IDPs told Burma Link in March 2017 that rice farming is not possible due to the difficult and mountainous terrain [unconfirmed information].

As for me, I am really worried for my family. Therefore, I started preparing a farm this year in case the rice support is stopped.  Moreover, I am also worried for all of my villagers because I am the village chief, and I need to be responsible for them. Some of us will be in trouble if there is no more support. We welcome everyone to give us advice and find the ways for us to get support and donations.

Want to help? CLICK HERE for Ei Thu Hta contact and bank details.

 

Education and Training Opportunities: “We want our teachers to have more qualifications, and we also want our villagers to be healthy”

Concerning education, we have donors that have been supporting our school, and they will keep on supporting us if there is a school. In 2007, this school was a primary school, it started from grades 1 to 4. In 2009, it was promoted up to grade 7, and it was promoted again until grade 10 level in 2011. All the children here go to school. We also established a nursery school which is supported by the Karen Women Organization (KWO).

 

Here the students do not need to pay the school fee. The Karen Education Department (KED) issues the books. The students have a school uniform. On Mondays, the female students have to wear the white shirts and blue skirts, and male students have to wear the white shirts and blue trousers. On Wednesdays, they all have to wear Karen traditional clothes. On Fridays, they all have to wear a white shirt and blue colour uniform again.  They are free to wear whatever clothes on the other days. They have to buy the uniforms by themselves. They make money [for the uniform] by producing and selling thatch and [collecting] elephant yam [in the forest]. Furthermore, some of them cut and sell bamboo for money.

[We have teacher training here] annually provided by the Karen Teacher Working Group (KTWG). I previously attended trainings such as leadership and accountant training, administrative training, and solar trainings, which were provided by the Karen Office for Relief and Development (KORD). All are very helpful and useful. It would be fantastic if more trainings could be provided in education and health sectors. We do need these two things. We want our teachers to have more qualifications, and we also want our villagers to be healthy.

 

Return: “We will all immediately return to where we come from if there is peace”

Only five households have returned to the village [since the KNU signed a ceasefire]. Some [households] have still come here [from their villages] after signing the ceasefire. However, they come here not because of fleeing but because of diseases and family financial crisis.

There are many reasons [why people have not returned]. The first reason for why they have not returned, is that they dare not return to the places where they are from, because of the Burmese military. The second reason is that they might face a difficulty about rebuilding their new lives again. The third one is because of the education problem. Here they do not worry about the education for their children because the school here is almost freely provided starting from kindergarten to tenth standard. They do not need to pay the school fee a lot here.

The KNU has arranged some places for us [to return], but we do not want to go back because we need to rebuild our new lives again if we go back there. For this reason, we discussed, and we, later on, found the solution that we would stay here where we are living now. However, we will all immediately return to where we come from if there is peace in our local areas one day.

Living here is quite safe for us because we are defended by the KNU’s [armed] wing, the Karen National Liberation Army. We have never faced conflict around here since we arrived. However, the fighting happened one time [in 2012] after the KNU signed the bilateral ceasefire agreement, and it was five hours away [on foot] from here.

 

Peace in Burma: “As far as I’m concerned, the peace process is a kind of trick”

As far as I’m concerned, the peace process is a kind of a trick. The reason is because the Burmese military has come and built more camps in the Karen territories after signing the ceasefire. It doesn’t seem like real peace. It seems impossible to achieve peace when I look back to the circumstances between the KNU and the Burmese government. I think there is only one way that we can get peace — via the blessings of God.

To me, peace means unity and love.  Consequently, there will be no development unless there is a peace. If there is a peace in Burma, I want to go back and live in my native village. I wish to have prosperous life, and I also hope that all of my children become educated.

The message that I would like to give to the international community is that we Karen people really want peace in Burma. We would like to return and live peacefully where we are from. We do not want to flee and be displaced anymore. We also do not want to face fighting and bloodshed anymore. We are fed up with these things. We want to escape from war to peace and live together peacefully in harmony.

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PART 3: Read the update interview conducted with Saw Hser Htoo Plaw in October 2017.

(1)  Mae Yeh Hta was a Karen refugee camp along Salween river on the Thailand-Burma border that was ordered to relocate by Thai authorities in March 1998. In 1998 the Thai authorities consolidated all of the Salween refugee camps into two camps: Ban Sala and Mae Khong Kha. See Karen Refugee Committee Monthly Report from February 1998: http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs07/KRCMR-1998-02.pdf and http://www.ccsdpt.org/mae-la-oon-refugee-camp/