1

Karen National NewYear celebrations are heldduring the pleasant month ofPyathoe (on the Romancalendar ? Dec/Jan). Peoplemark the occasion by soundingthe Karen horn and drum, tomaintain the tradition of theKaren New Year, until the end

of time. Officially, the KarenNew Year began in 1938.Celebrations were first held in1939 .It was on the first ofJanuary 1938, (which that yearcorresponded with the first ofPyathoe), that Karen nationalleaders demands to the Britishadministration for the KarenNew Year were finally recog-

nized, and declared an officialholiday. That date was alsoformally acknowledged asbeing the year 2677 on theKaren calendar.In fact, themovement for a distinct Karennational day was begun by SayaSan Baw, in 1935. As memberof parliament for Tharyawati

District, he argued that a KarenNational Day should beintroduced. However, theBritish colonial administrationsuggested that a Karen NewYear day would be a betteralternative. In 1937, the Karenparliamentary representativesagain presented the case for aKaren National Da, again

unsuccessfully. The KarenNational Association (KNA)realized that they instead had towork towards the Karen NewYear day. On 2 August 1937,Saw Johnson Deepominn,member of parliament for Taun-goo District, presented the caseto the lower house. However

the Karen representatives in thechamber were split in theirsupport across the two sides ofparliament ? U Pu’s governingfaction, and the opposition leadby Dr. Ba Maw. As the demandswere coming from a memberKaren ministers. The demandwas retabled, and passed.

History of the Karen National New Year

Karen New Year Celebration Committee, Sydney(December, 2009)

Karen New Year Celebration Committee, Sydney

2

EDITORIALBa Maw’s cabinet

ratified the proposal, andpresented it to the GovernorGeneral for approval. In late1937, the Governor Generalsigned the legislation. The firstday of Pyathoe, 1938 (KarenYear 2677), was declared thefirst Karen New Year.

Initially, the Karenleaders had been divided overthe best day forthe New Year tofall on.Threealtern- ativeswere putforward. 1. Thesame day as theRoman calendar.2.The date when (themissionary) Dr. Judson firstarrived in Burma. 3.The firstday of Pyathoe. The optionswere discussed and the matterresolved. The first alternativehas global significance, and itwas felt that a distinctive datefor the Karen New Year wouldbe more appropriate. As for thesecond alterna- tive,Dr. Judsonwas a Christian missionary, sothis date would be suitable forChristians, but not Karens ofother religions. The first day ofPyathoe was best.

Additionally themonth of Pyathoe is special for

This is a significant year forthe Sydney Karencommunity- celebratingKaren New Year in a singlevenue, under one bannerand showing oneness as acommunity affair. It is great.

As an editorial team weunderstand the value ofunity and its sensitivitiessurround.

We have taken great effortsin fulfilling the wishes ofthe community andpresented a new version ofKaren New Year Journal tothe community.

Sincerely

The editorial teamPahtee BenyaTee Saw GyiSaw Eh Kaw

Karen New YearCelebration Committee,Sydney, Australia.

Karen cultural solidarity, giventhe following reasons:1. Although Karens havedifferent names for Pyathoe(Sgaw Karens call it Th’lay andfor Pwo Karens, Htike KaukPo) the first of each of thesemonths falls on exactly thesame date.2.The rice harvest is completedin the period leading to Pyathoe,

a n daccordingto Karentraditionalreligiouspractice,t h e r emust be

acelebra- tion for consump-tionof the new crop. It is also thetime to divine the date forcommencement of the nextcrop. Typically, this is alsowhen new houses areconstructed, and the completionof these must be celebrated.3.The first of Pyathoe is not adistinct festival for any religiousgroup, so it is a day that isacceptable to all Karen people.

For these reasons, onthe first of Pyathoe annually, wecelebrate the Karen New Year.Referenceby Mahn Thint Naung(Kawkareik District 1976)

3

Today we recall our heritage, our ancient poet, prophets and our tradition of Ywa(God). We believethat every individual, every home, every village has a place in the new advance. Progressive inthinking, constructive in planning, and courageous in living, we can share responsibility withother communities for the making of Burma a united people.This is a historic day. It is our first officially recognized National Day. It is a day of opportunity.We are emerging from isolation into the stream of national affairs. Our conviction is that our twomillion Karen have a significant part to play in Burma’s destiny.We owe our existence a people not to organization or any political arrangements but to certaindistinctive qualities that beer given us, Our traits include simplicity, a love of music, honesty,steadiness, and sense of God. We believe that we can best keep and develop these characteristicsin free association with other people. We are at a crisis. For us the choice lies between seekingprotection through isolation, or adventure through active participation in the live of Burma. Unitedourselves, we could help to make Burma a nation. We recognize that as leaders we must be fullycommittee to our country free from fear, personal ambition, racial and religious prejudice.Are we ready on this New Year’s Day to put the best traditions of our people at the service of ourpeople at the service of this whole country?SignedSan C.Po, Shwe Ba , Hla Pe, Sydney Loo Nee, Saw petha

The First Karen New Year Message, 1938

Happy Karen New Year to all!I would like to thank to the Sydney Karen New Year

Celebration Committee and also those who are participating andattending to make this auspicious day a successful event.

The Karen New Year day is one of the most significantoccasions to all Karen people regardless of their religiousaffiliations or geographical differences. It falls on the same day inKaren Calendar.

I am here to say that our Karen leaders had fought so hard toleave this day to be officially recognized as we are here to pay

tribute to those leaders and uphold the auspiciousness of the day as our duty.More over the recent Karen refugees migrations to the outside world has opened up a new

chapter for the Karen New Year celebrations. Today the celebrations are no longer restricted to ourhome land. It has spread all over the world in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, America,United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Africa and many more. There will beplenty more Karen New Year Celebrations in the coming years.

There is a stark reminder that the Karen New Year Celebration is a part of our traditions. Asa whole, our traditions must be alive. To keep our traditions, first we must be free.

We were obviously not free in our home land. We struggled barely survive. We areindigenous ethnics to a land called Burma and belong to the most numbers in refugee populationrecognized by the United Nations.

We fought so hard for the struggle for justice to be known in the international arenas. Wethough did not get very far as we were so far away in the jungle. Now as we are here in betterplaces, please make great efforts to continue our struggle for those of our brothers and sisters whoare left behind in the jungle.

With best wishesROSTAN PO

Karen elder’s forwards

4

OFFICE OF THE SUPREME HEADQUARTERKAREN NATIONAL UNION

KAWTHOOLEI

New Year Address by KNU President Saw Tamlabaw

All the Karen People at Home and Abroad,

Leaders & Comrades,

Day one of the maxing moon of Thalay month, the year 2749, which fall on December 16, 2009 is the New Year Day of

the Karen people. It is a delight for us again to be celebrating a new auspicious year and I wish each and every Karen living in

various places a Happy New Year and to have a good health of both the body and mind!

First, I would like to say that our Karen people are not a small minority. The Karen were the first people to enter in this

land now known as Burma in 739 B.C. and lived, peacefully and in freedom, as a people for over a thousand year. However, since

the feudal days, the Karen people have not known much peace and freedom because of violent attacks and suppression by the

despotic Mon and Burman kings and now by the chauvinist Burman militarists.

Being a nationality in this country, it is necessary for the Karen people to have the rights befitting a nationality such as the rights

of national self-determination for self development. In this respect, I would like to remind you that it is vital for us to maintain and

protect our language, literature and culture. In the eastern Karen area, the existence of the Karen resistance and the KNU has

made it still possible for the Karen people to speak their language and study their literature. The majority of the Karen in the towns

and cities and the Irrawaddy Delta can hardly speak, read and write their language as they have, to a great extent, lost the rights

to maintain their culture. All of us must seriously note about this matter. At the same time, we must recognize the role of the Karen

patriots and community leaders, in towns and cities and in the Delta, who have been working to prevent disappearance of the

Karen as a people, due to loss of their language and literature. As a result of the work of these persons, the Karen language and

literature are surviving to a certain extent in those places.

While struggling for the their national rights, quite a number of the Karen people have migrated to places all over the world and it

is necessary for them to make maximum effort to maintain the Karen language, literature and culture, so as to prevent disappearance

of the Karen people from this planet earth.

Secondly, I would like to say that in the review of our history, we see that successive rulers have practiced repression and

atrocities against the Karen people causing a lot of bitterness to us. We still are denied our birth rights up to this day. The Karen

problem is a political problem and successive Karen leaders have tried to resolve the problem by political means. However, we

have to continue the revolutionary resistance up to this day, as the successive military cliques in power have refused to accept

resolution of conflict peacefully and continued to wipe us out by force of arms.

Accordingly, in our struggle to liberate ourselves from repression and enslavement, we must be politically alert, unite without

discrimination as to religious creed and ideology, and be especially alert so as not to be tricked by the enemy and traitors.

Thirdly, I would like to say that, in addition to repression and enslavement of the Karen people, the military regime in power has

been systematically sowing dissension among the Karen people, make the Karen youths to become narcotic drug addicts andc0.-

reate misunderstanding using religious differences. Successive military regimes have been systematically practicing the policy of

genocide against the Karen people by using increasing repression, torture and extra-judicial killing and, at the same time, launching

military offensives against the Karen in the eastern part of the country, destroying the livelihood of the people and planting

landmines around farms and villages with the intention of maiming and killing the civilian population.

Fourthly, I would like to say that the year 2010 is a very perilous year, because the military regime, with the intention of obliterating

the birth rights of self-determination of the ethnic nationalities, is carrying out programs in accordance with the state constitution

it has fraudulently drafted and adopted by force.

The KNU is opposing the SPDC adopted constitution and the election, which will bring no guarantee and rights to the ethnic

nationalities. Every move of the KNU has political meaning and is aimed to liberate the Karen people from oppression and give the

Karen people the right to exist as a nationality with dignity, or to establish a federal union with full democracy and in which the

Karen people has the right to decide their own destiny.

The political struggle has direct relation to the fate of the Karen people and it is the responsibility of every Karen to bear. For that

reason, on this auspicious occasion, it is my earnest wish and exhortation to each and every Karen, living in various places, to

stand firmly under the leadership of the KNU and take up any responsibility available in the struggle for liberation of the Karen

people, with new vigor and unity, in cooperation with fellow ethnic nationality forces and democratic forces, until victory is achieved.

***

5

Ya Pwar Kalu Yè HérPwar Lé A Gay Ker Tur

Ya Eh Doh NarNa Eh Ta Taw Ta Loe

Ta Mwee Na Eh Tu LoeNa Tar Aÿþ Gay Koe Myoe

Ya Eh Doh Ma

Karen National Flag and Amthem

Our flag represents dignity for all Karen people. Red is for bravery, white is for purity and blue isfor loyalty. In the corner there is a “Klo,” a sacred Karen drum. We use this drum on specialoccasions like weddings, New Year’s Day and funerals. The Klo is made of metal, tin or gold andonly the community leaders strike it.

Oh, our dear peoplePeople who are the bestYou are deeply loved

You love the righteousnessI admire your hospitality

Every single detail of yoursI really do admire...

Serial No Name Constituency Religion

1 Saw Johnson D.Po Min Taunggo Byamasoh

2 Saw Mya Thein Henzada Buddhist

3 Mahn Ba Khaing Bassein North. Christian

4 Saw Sydney Loo Nee Bassein South Christian

5 Saw Pe Tha Myauangmya West Christian

6 Mahn Kan Aye Myauangmya East Buddhist

7 Mahn Tun Khin Ma U Bin North Buddhist

8 Mahn Shwe Nyunt Ma U Bin South Buddhist

9 Saw Tha Dwe Thaton North Buddhist

10 U Hla Lpe Thaton South Buddhist

11 U Poe Mying Kyaik nKame East Buddhist

12 Saw Poe Chit Kyaik Kame West Christian

12 Of the Karen National Member of Parliament(1938)

6

The Independent Karen Histo-

rical Research Association

(IKHRA), whilst giving a chron-

ology of the settlement of the

Karens, sees them leaving

Mongolia in BC 2017 and

making their way to East

Turkistan where it is believed

they stayed for 147 years. By

1864 B.C. they had left East

Turkistan, crossed Gobi

desert, to settle in Tibet,

here they stayed for 476

years before moving

eastwards to Yunnan.

The Gobi measures over

1500 kilometers from

southwest to northwest

and 800 kilometers from

south to north. The desert

is widest in the west along

the line joining the

Baghrash and the largest

desert in the world as well

as Asia’s largest.The

southwest direction from

Mongolia led the Karen to cross

Taklamakan (now known as

Tarim), a desert of the central

Asia in the Xingjian Uyzhur

Autonomous Region of the

People’s Republic of China. It is

known as the longest sand-only

desert in the world. Some

references fancifully state that

Taklamakan means “If you go in,

you won’t come out”, others

state that it means “Desert of

Death” or “Place of no Return”.

The Karen word for Gobi is Kaw

Bi (hidden country) which

means that the land was

inhabited but invisible. Along

the journey they heard strange

noises calling their names,

sounds of music and melodies,

sound of animals and humans

passing by. Some voices were

familiar and the travelers

thought that their friends were

showing them the way.Those

who were lured to follow sweet

voices and strange apparitions

lost in the desert and no one

knew what happened to them.

The leaders noticed that desert

began claiming her tolls in an

alarming rate. Their numbers

had decreased dramatically and

saw the need to devise a strategy

so that the whole race might be

saved. Improvised warning

instruments were put on every

livestock so that it could not be

easily trekked if they were

strayed. Unique marks were

invented from every possible

resource, and they were to be

borne on every individual to

keep their identity and ward of

any strangers. Perhaps tying the

wrist with white thread was one

and later it developed as a

traditional “Wrist Tying

Ceremony” in Karen’s culture.

The fact still remained that they

emerged from the desert as a

nation. In this campaign one

unique attribute emanated to be

reckoned. The Karens were not

rebellious and rowdy people.

They were obedient and

organized in their characters

and ready to be led by

any effective leaders.

What style of leadership

they practiced at that

time? By noticing their

way of life and the faith

in the Supreme Deity, the

Karens were led by the

patriarchs of respective

families. Without leaders

it was impossible for a

nation to survive the

risks and dangers of

nature in the first

journey as well as the

onslaught of nature’s super

beings in the second journey.

Lob Nor

When the Karen emerged

successfully from the Gobi

desert they arrived at a place

called Lop Nor. In the past Lop

Nor was a land green with

pasture and rich soil. The big

lake supplied water needed by a

large population and their

livestock. When the Karen lived

in Lop Nor around (2013-1866

BC), civilization in China had

already been witnessed Dynas-

ties were established by lords

and kings of the region. Most of

the contending states centered

Who are the Karen?

Nomadic migratory period (BC 2017-1125)

7

around the yellow sea, so the

Karens had liberty to stay away

from warring states and lived

peacefully. The slash and burn

cultivation required large area of

forest. As the population increa-

sed, the Karens sensed that Lop

Nor was not a good permanent

place for large population. There

was not enough land for every

family to make a living. A few

ventured south, seeking rich soil

and fresh water to sustain their

families. The climatic changes

could alter the physical feature

of the land any time. Forewarned

of worse environment and less

harvest yield and to avoid

coming disasters, the bulk of

Karen people moved again in

1866 BC, leaving some

remnants. They   chose the

southward direction, climbed

the world’s highest mountains

and finally entered a land called

Tibet (now Xizang Zizhiou) in

1864 BC. They lived there for

476 years. The Karens left Tibet

in 1388 B.C, covered a distance

of more than 2,000 Kilometers

in 3 years of duration. They

moved eastward to the valleys

and plains of China’s Yunnan

Province and settled down in

many places.

Why did the Karens fail to

build a nation?

Even though the Karens had

been a large race, crossed many

unexplored boundaries, covered

long distance of more than

10,000 Kilometers, resided as

the first settlers in many lands,

they never thought of claiming

the land as their own and built

walls and ramparts for their

defense. So many possibilities

can be accounted for this long

asked question.

• The Karens were one of

the most ancient tribes survived

to this day and their nomadic

lives had been the first political

system ancient people developed

in keeping a tribe or a race

together.

• The Karens avoided

belligerent and warlike races

who in times past established

city-states by subduing other

tribes. (These conquerors

sustained themselves by

demanding heavy taxes on their

subjects and looting their

neighbors).

• The Karens were not

interested in trading which

made traditional kingdoms of

the region powerful.

• The Karens race comp-

rised largely of slash and burn

cultivators, hunters and

fishermen who enjoyed outdoor

lives.

• Even though they never

lacked good leaders for guidance

and instruction, they still need

more effective leaders to make

their dreams come true.

• The Karens were

probably following the course of

history to fulfill the prophecies

made for them by their charis-

matic and enigmatic leaders.

The Chinese called this large

race that co-inhabited the land

with them since the beginning,

“Ping Sing” and as years went

by the name changed to

“T’Chien” which sounded in the

Burmese ear “Kayin”. When the

British ruled the land, they

called them “Karen”.

The first wave of Karens which

comprised of 99 families left

Yunnan in 1128 B.C. There was

no record of how big the size of

each family. They forked to

follow three routes and after

three adventurous years

probably in 1125 B.C, the Karen

were scattered throughout the

new land which they named it

Kaw Lah, and are now realized

as Burma/Myanmar.The second

group left Yunnan and followed

the river called Mae Oo (Shewli)

and entered the land now known

as Myanmar.Kwe Ka Baw

became the center for Karen

People and they came here to

make a living, built villages and

towns. It is also the center of

Karen cultural, education and

social affairs. The Karen State

was materialized in the year

1952 and Kwe Ka Baw became

its capital. Until now it is known

by a less popular name “Pa-an”.

The sub-tribes of these main

Karen tribes always stayed along

side with the main branch

through thick and thin.British

fought three wars with Burma

which led to colonization of

Burma in 1824 for another 124

years.

Colonial period (1824-1948)

The Young Monks Buddhist

Association (YMBA), which had

been formed in 1908 by Maung

Maung Gyi, Maung Ba Pe and

number of others, sent a deleg-

ation to the hearing to ask for

separation from Burma. Simil-

arly a Daw K’lu delegation

comprising amongst others San

C Po, who had by then studied

under the missionary Charles

Nichols and had completed part

of his education in America, also

found themselves at the

8

meeting, but in contrast to the

YMBA, had reported, ever fearful

of Burman domination, that

Burma was not ready for self-

determination, and instead

should remain under the British

Government, an opinion which

found no support amongst the

Burmans in attendance Sir San

C Po, a member of the Legislative

Council, also became president

of the Daw K’lu in 1925, traveled

to London to argue that Burma

was not ready for self-rule, and

aired his fears that should this

happen then the Karens would

be once again victims of the

prejudices of the Burmans.

The Karens were already

victims of Burman

assimilation and should the

administration be turned over

to them they would be victims

of yet more discrimination in

regards to education, and the

justice system. Aware that

should the Burmans be given

that control he requested that

the Karens be given their own

territory with the right of self-

governance. The first day of the

month of ‘Pyatho’ as Karen New

Years Day was approved and

recognized by the British

government December 21st,

1938 with the first celebr- ations

commencing in 1939. Karen

members of Parliament by the

end the year included San C Po,

Sydney Loo Nee, Mahn Shwe

Bar, U Hla Pe, and Saw Pe Tha.

The Japanese Occupation

 The Burman students, with

their hope for freedom from the

British, returned with the

imperial Japanese army and

declared independence for the

country on the 1st August 1943.

The Karen, ever loyal to the

British, sought to fight against

the Japanese and the Burma

Independence army and

subsequently bore the brunt of

the rampaging, pre-dominantly

Burman, Burma Independence

Army who tore through Karen

state executing and massacring

a number of villagers.

Over 400 villages were destroyed

with the loss of life of at least

1800 in Myaungma alone. 

Perhaps one of the most

shocking incidents for the Karen

people however, was the

assassination of a former pre-

war cabinet member Saw Pe Tha

and his family. Saw Pe Tha had

also been a member of the Daw

K’lu and his death was to have

a major impact on the Karens,

and their treatment at the hands

of the Burma Army was to be

something they would never

forget. A report to the Burmese

government saw the Karens

loyalty to the British has a major

reason why the massacres were

necessary. The Burmans saw

the Karens as British collab-

orators and bearing in mind that

the Karen troops cracked down

a number of Burmese people’s

anti-colonial rebellions, inclu-

ding the famous Tharawaddy

peasants rebellion led by Saya

San, believed such actions were

justified. Despite the animosity

between the Karens and the BIA

two battalions of delta Karens

commanded by San Po Thin and

British trained Hanson Kyadoe

joined the Burmese army. But

the majority of Karens remained

loyal to the British and escaped

into India where they were

trained by the British and

returned later to harass the BIA

and their Japanese masters.

After the Japanese

declaration of war in 1941

a number of British officers

were sent from Singapore

to Burma to plan anti-

Japanese operations

should the country fall.

One officer Major H.P.

Seagrim had been assigned

the task of training and

working with the Karens in

preparation for the

oncomingJapanese invasion

Papun was the first place

Seagrim arrived and soon he

was training 200 Karen to act as

a guerilla force against the

advancing Japanese. Soon after

his arrival in Papun, Seagrim

moved his headquarters to a

number of small Karen villages

in Pyawgapu, north-west of

Papun, here he was able to

recruit over 800 Karen villagers

who were eager to join in the

training, but due to the lack of

weapons, many had to return

home after having their names

taken for call up later.

Seagrim and number of Karen

Levies who had worked with him

were arrested and taken to

9

Rangoon. Here the Japanese

authorities passed sentence and

recommended that Seagrim and

several of his Karen followers, Lt.

Bo Gyaw, Saw He Be, Saw Tun

Lin, Saw Sunny, Saw Pe, Saw

Peter and Saw Ah Din be

executed, whilst ten other Karen

be imprisoned.

Post Independence

The British immediately

recognized Aung San, a national

hero, and his Anti-Fascist

People’s Freedom League, as

being the way forward for

governance in Burma. The

Karen Central Organization,

which had emerged during the

war, called for the creation of a 

United Frontier Karen State

which also included areas of

Thailand going down as far as

Chang Mai. The British totally

ignored the request, but

regardless the KCO still made a

number of requests which finally

resulted in a four man

delegation of lawyers, visiting

London and requesting,

unsuccessfully, a separate state.

A number of British officials

warned the government in

London that the Karens should

be given some rights towards

autonomy, yet the British

continued to dispute such

claims and the Karen became

more impatient and began

boycotting the Burmese Govern-

ment’s Executive Council and

the elections for the Constituent

assembly. In 1947 the Karen

National Union was founded to

represent the legitimate Karen

request for a separate state

whilst Aung San tried to unite

all the ethnic races by arranging

a conference at Panglong which

the Karen refused to participate

in but instead sent an observer

party.The 1947 constitution

written by the AFPFL made no

mention of the creation of a

Karen state but it did contain a

clause that after the elections,

should there be no agreement

with the Karens, then a state

could be created, however unlike

others, the Shan and the

Karenni, no secession would

ever be allowed. All Karen

organisations including the

KNA, KCO and KYO, were called

to a conference and agreed to

merge into one body, the Karen

National Union (KNU). The

conference ended with all

delegates calling for a separate

Karen State, Karen units in the

army, and an increase in

representation in the consti-

tuent assembly. Whilst debate

continued the KYO, which had

been formed in October 1945 as

the youth wing of the KCO,

began to emerge as pro-AFPFL

supporter. The KYO and KNU

were in disagreement over what

part of the country would form

Karen state, to such a degree

that the Anglo-Karen comm-

ander of the Burma army,

Smith-Dun was prompted to say

that, ‘the KNU was asking for the

best of Burma, while the KYO

was asking for the worst.’

Saw Ba U Gyi, one of the original

founders of the KNU, wrote to

the Burmese premier U Nu

outlining once again the Karens

request for separate state and

organised on the 11th February

a mass demonstration throug-

hout the country requesting that

four main demands be met:-

-Give the Karen State at once.

-For the Burmese one kyat

and the Karens one kyat

-We do not want communal

strife

-We do not want civil war

By the mid sixties the eastern

division under the control of Bo

Mya began to separate itself

from the socialist struggle of the

KNUP and had taken control of

the Dawna range exerting

control over much of the Thai

border.

Throughout the eighties the

Karen continued to rule

Kawthoolei from its

headquarters at Manerplaw

which also housed the head

office of the National Democratic

Front In October 1984 the NDF

held its third plenary presidium

and in a change of separatist

policy it called not for each

nationality to have its own state,

rather that a Federal Union,

comprising all nationalities

including Burman, be establ-

ished.

The Process

In the effort to resolve the

problems by peaceful means, the

KNU leaders met with regimes

in power, for peace talk, on five

separate occasions. The first

negotiation, reportedly brokered

by the diplomatic missions of

India and Pakistan, took place

in Rangoon. After a truce was

declared, the Karen delegation

led by Saw Ba U Gyi, President

of the KNU, departed to Rangoon

for peace talk with the Burmese

government. In the talk, the

government demanded surre-

nder of arms from the Karen,

with the threat of detention of

10

delegation leader, Saw Ba U Gyi.

There was no agenda on the

government side to discuss the

grievances and rights of the

Karen people. While the Karen

leaders were in Rangoon, the

government troops violated the

truce by sending in reinforc-

ement to the front line against

the Karen. To escape from the

trap, Saw Ba U Gyi pretended

to agree to the idea of laying

down arms and insisted on

going back and persuading the

Karen forces. He had to leave a

Karen leader, as a hostage. No

Karen leaders agreed to lay down

arms and hostilities were

resumed. After this frustrating

and disappointing experience,

Saw Ba U Gyi laid down the

following 4-point guideline,

which has come to be known as

the Principles of Saw Ba U Gyi.

In January 2004, the

Government and the KNU, yet

again, agreed to end hostilities.

The KNU had made a verbal

ceasefire agreement with the

military government in early

December 2003 This peace effort

is the first time the KNU’s

military leader, General Bo Mya,

has headed the KNU delegation.

Peace talks from 15 January

made good progress, and a

provisional ceasefire was agreed

on 22 January between Khin

Nyunt, the number 2 man in the

Burma military government and

Bo Mya – but no formal agree-

ment signed. Bo Mya’s visit to

Rangoon was extremely signi-

ficant:The talks can be explained

in terms of the pressure on both

sides. Rangoon was keen to

reach agreement because the

KNU is the most significant

ethnic rebel group still engaged

in armed struggle. A peace deal

with the KNU and other ethnic

rebel groups is crucial to the

current Khin Nyunt’s plans for

national reconciliation – the

regime’s way of describing its

proposed political reform. He

wanted to have the at KNU at the

National Convention for the sake

of the road map. For the KNU –

having lost territory and income

over last decade, harassed by

the Democratic Buddhist Karen

Army (a former breakaway from

the KNU that signed a ceasefire

with the junta in 1994) and

finding it harder to acquire arms

– there were many reasons to

engage. Officially the Thai

Government says it is not official

policy to harass the KNU or

Karen refugees, but privately

local Thai authorities have told

KNU leaders that they had no

option but to negotiate a

ceasefire agreement. Further, Bo

Mya was in very bad heath and

was reportedly keen to see some

kind of solution to the Karen’s

battle for self-determination and

autonomy.

Again the talk ended without

any agreements. The fight

certainly is continuing and so as

ethnic cleansing Thousands of

ethnic Karen villagers have been

forced to flee across the border

into Thailand over the past few

weeks as the Myanmar army

steps up its assault on the Karen

rebels. Myanmar’s army and a

pro-government militia called

the Democratic Karen Buddhist

Army (DKBA) attacked the

border region near Thailand in

a final push to destroy the Karen

National Union (KNU), which

has been fighting for

independence for the last 60

years.

Fierce fighting has forced more

than 4,000 ethnic Karen

villagers to flee across the border

for their safety since the

beginning of June, 2005. “If the

fighting continues, at least

8,000 more villagers will have to

escape across the border or die

at the hands of the soldiers,”

KNU general secretary Zipporah

Sein said. Due to the ongoing

strife in Burma, it is estimated

that there are more than

300,000 displaced Karens who

have fled into the jungle and are

living in huts and makeshift

camps in the border area. Those

who have escaped into Thailand

have not been given official

refugee status; consequently

they receive no direct assistance

from the United Nations or from

the Red Cross. Alongside impov-

erished Karen organiz -ations

the Karen Emergency Relief

Fund maintains an office in

MaeSot, Thailand.

With the chances of refugees

being able one to return to

Burma becoming ever dimmer

and their numbers growing even

higher, one thai government

agreed in 2005 to an

international resettlement

program. Nearly 50,000 refugees

have so far been resettled in 11

western countries, most of them

making new lives in the U.S.

***************

References:

www.Karenvoices.net

www.burmalibrary.org

www.karenculturemuseum.org

11

In the millennium ofThe new memorable night

On earthI left my dear childJust besides the bamboos.

I love him so much, SayamaBut, for this son I couldn’tCouldn’t even cry outLoud to express my sorrow.

In that nightThe winter was more realThe unkind wind blewFrom the top of the streamWith his blue lipsMy son whispered:Daddy, I do not want to eat Kywe UWhen will we go home?I want to sit by a fireTo warm up my feet and fingers’tipsYou must give me lots of rice,DaddyWhen we get to the refugee camp.”

These were he spokeNot unconsciouslyOnly I knowOh … my dear son.

In that nightFor their livesIf I only couldMake a fire to warm him.

A Night to Remember

By Khaing Mar Kyaw Zaw

Exploitative abuse and villager responses in Thaton District(Nov 25th, 2009)SPDC control of Thaton District is fully consolidated, aided by the DKBA anda variety of other civilian and parastatal organisations. These forces are respon-sible for perpetrating a variety of exploitative abuses, which include a litany ofdemands for 'taxation' and provision of resources, as well as forced labour ondevelopment projects and forced recruitment into the DKBA. Villagers alsoreport ongoing abuses related to SPDC and DKBA 'counter insurgency' efforts,including the placement of unmarked landmines in civilian areas, conscriptionof people as porters and 'human minesweepers' and harassment and violent abuseof alleged KNLA supporters. This report includes information on abuses duringthe period of April to October 2009.Living conditions for displaced villagers and ongoing abuses in TenasserimDivision(Oct 29th, 2009)Villagers in SPDC-controlled parts of Tenasserim Division, including 60 vil-lages forced to move to government relocation sites in 1996, continue to faceabuses including movement restrictions, forced labour and arbitrary demandsfor 'taxation' and other payments. In response, thousands of villagers continueto evade SPDC control in upland jungle areas. These villagers report that theyare pursued by Burma Army patrols, which shoot them on sight, plant landminesand destroy paddy fields and food stores. This report primarily draws on infor-mation from September 2009. Because KHRG has not released a field report onthe region since 2001, this report also includes quotes and photographs fromresearch dating back to 2007.Starving them out: Food shortages and exploitative abuse in PapunDistrict(Oct 15th, 2009)As the 2009 rainy season draws to a close, displaced villagers in northern PapunDistrict's Lu Thaw Township face little prospect of harvesting sufficient paddyto support them over the next year. After four straight agricultural cycles dis-rupted by Burma Army patrols, which continue to shoot villagers on sight andenforce travel and trade restrictions designed to limit sale of food to villagers inhiding, villagers in northern Papun face food shortages more severe than any-thing to hit the area since the Burma Army began attempts to consolidate con-trol of the region in 1997. Consequently, the international donor communityshould immediately provide emergency support to aid groups that can accessIDP areas in Lu Thaw Township. In southern Papun, meanwhile, villagers re-port ongoing abuses and increased activity by the SPDC and DKBA in Dwe Lohand Bu Thoh townships. In these areas, villagers report abuses including move-ment restrictions, forced labour, looting, increased placement of landmines incivilian areas, summary executions and other forms of arbitrary abuse. Thisreport documents abuses occurring between May and October 2009.

Karen Human Right Group(KHRG)Field Reports

Some Karen Refugees on the run

12

(DVB)–Rising rice prices and thethreat of an influx of Burmese refu-gees into Thailand over the com-ing year could place a heavy strainon refugee camps along the border,the head of a refugee aid groupwarned.

The comments came in thewake of a visit by European Unionofficials to the Mae La camp inThailand’s western Tak province,which is home to some 40,000 Bur-mese refugees.

EU funding accounts foraround 65 percent of the total$US60 million in international aid

Thai refugee camps face tough year ahead

that goes to the camps each year.Jack Dunford, head of the

Bangkok-based Thailand BurmaBorder Consortium (TBBC), whichprovides food, shelter and ameni-ties to the camps, said that enoughfunding had been secured for thisyear, but warned of an uncertain 12months ahead.

“There are three variablesthat we have no control over: ex-change rates, the price of rice andthe number of refugees, so when welook at annual funding we alwayshave to do some guess work,” hesaid.

“All three tend to be goingagainst us, and with the globalfunding squeeze, we are expectingthat next year is going to be diffi-cult.”

While the price of rice hasdropped since the peak of the glo-bal food crisis last year, he warnedthat widespread flooding andstorms in India and the Philippines,two of the region’s main rice pro-ducers, may push prices back up.

He also warned of a pos-sible exodus of Burmese fleeingfighting in the run-up to electionsin Burma next year, many of whomwould cross into Thailand.

“Over the next 12 monthswe’re facing very uncertain timesin Burma, in particular huge uncer-tainties about what’s going to hap-pen in the border areas,” Dunfordsaid. “We’ll obviously see how itplays out, but we could have a ma-jor emergency.”

Some of the camps alongthe Thai-Burma border have beenin place for 25 years, and the EUhas sent a senior-level delegationeach year to assess conditions in-side the camps. In total, around130,000 Burmese refugees live inthe nine camps, the majority fromKaren state.

By Nem Davies, MizzimaThe Mae Tao clinic, which offersfree medical service in Mae Sot onthe Thai-Burma border to all Bur-mese people, needs emergencyfunding, Dr. Cynthia Maung whoruns it said.An increasing number of migrantsand patients crossing into Thailandhave led to the cash crunch for thefree clinic. It has hit health care

Mae Tao clinic needs emergency funds

and education services."The number of people who availof our services is increasing. Simi-larly in education and child caresectors, we need more funds as thenumber of child patients is alsomounting. All organizations pro-viding education and health careservices are facing difficulties dueto the fund shortage," Dr. CynthiaMaung told Mizzima.

"We need more donors. Thoughthey are increasing in number butthe amount is declining in the back-drop of the global economic down-turn as they are cutting their aidfund," she added.They are facing shortage of fund fortheir services as there is an annualgrowth in the number of patientscoming to them.The international organizations

Maela Refugee camp

13

The above is the Karen(Kayin) bamboo dance.It is quite similar to Chin bamboo dance. Dancersdance quick steps among the striking bamboos.This need high level of practice, skills and timing.

Karen Bamboo Dance

Karen Bamboo Dance

have not yet stopped regular fund-ing but the term of some projectshave been completed so they hadto adjust their expenditure in theiroverall services.International donors give funds toMae Tao clinic once in every fiveor seven years."If this situation remains un-changed, we will face severe short-age of funds in our health care ser-vices as the number of patients andmigrant workers are increasing,"Dr. Cynthia Maung said.International humanitarian agen-cies from over 10 countries includ-ing United States, Norway, Swe-den, Netherlands, Canada, Britainand Italy are currently providingassistance to the clinic.Following the Clinic was set up in1989 in the Thai-Burmese bordertown of Mae Sot, 50 per cent ofBurmese migrant workers in Thai-land and 50 per cent of Burmese,who crossed over to Thailand, arebeing treated in the clinic.Currently, the clinic has a 200-bed

hospital and employs about 1,700staff members in its health care andeducation services.

Moreover there are over 1,000 dailypatients in the Out-patient Depart-ment (OPD) ward of the clinic.Over the last two years, Interna-tional donor organizations, whichare funding Burmese organizationsin exile, have channelled more andmore of their funds to domestic or-ganizations, leaving exiled Bur-mese organizations to face a fundcrunch in their activities as fund-ing is either being cut or not beingincreased.

“We don't object to their fundingbeing provided in [inside] Burma.It will be useful and effective ifthese funds go to the needy people.This way, the number of peoplecoming to border clinics will de-crease,” Dr. Cynthia Maung said.An official of an international aidorganization, which provides fundsto Burmese organizations in exile,said that it will be a mistake if do-nors cut or reduce funds to thesehealth care service organizationssuch as Mae Tao clinic.Dr. CynthiaMaung was nominated for the 2008Nobel Peace prize and awarded theRamon Magsaysay prize in 2002 bythe Philippines government. Shewas also selected as one of theAsian heroes by Times magazinein 2003. She has been awarded atotal of 13 international prizes sofar for her noble humanitarianwork. Former US first lady LauraBush paid a visit to her and herclinic in August 2008 during hervisit to Thailand.

Dr. Cynthia Maung

One wrong move and your foot will be struck bythe bamboo poles.

In Karen state and among Karen people,Karenbamboo dance is played whenever there is aceremony: Christmas, KarenNew Year, Churchfunctions, Pagoda festivals. The Karen bamboodance is also quite well known and popularamong other races in Myanmar, while Chin danceis relatively unknown in Myanmar. (The first timeI saw Chin bamboo dance was while I was inHakha during Chin National Day in 2007.

Another well known Karen dance is Karen DoneYaine, a group dancing by Karen people. It is sowell known that when I was in HIgh School, girlsfrom our school form a done yaine dance groupto perform in school functions.

14

The month of August marks atime of year when the bonds oftradition that bind the Karenpeople are tied in a symbolic butalso quite literal way. In Karenfamilies and communitiesaround the world white threadsare tied around wrists in aceremony known as Lah KuKee Su.Lah Ku means August and Kee

Su describes the act of bindingthe wrist. Traditionally thefestival takes place at thetime of the August fullmoon (August 30 inBurma this year) but thetiming is flexible in someparts of the world—theKaren community ofVancouver held theirfestivities at the beginningof August.The festival has no religioussignificance. Much of it isrooted in ancestral beliefs inspirits—one Kareninterpretation of wrist-tying,for instance, declares thatbinding a white threadaround the wrist of a sickperson will cure or alleviatethe malady by attractingback to the body a spiritwhose absence caused theproblem in the first place. The chief purposes of thefestival, however, are toreinforce Karen identity andcontribute to the continuation ofKaren culture. Saw Nay Kaw, ayoung Karen Christian living inthe Thai town of Kanchanaburi,

home to many Karen, summedit up: “It’ s good for Karenculture for Karen people tocome together and celebrateonce a year like this.” Every aspect of the festival isheavy with symbolism. Thethread, for instance, has to bewhite because that’s the color ofgood will. The five different foods eatenat the festival are also carefullychosen for their symbolicsignificance.

Two kinds of rice are prepared:balls of rice, signifying Karenunity, and sticky rice,symbolizing Karen sincerityand faithfulness. Bananas arebrought to the ceremony tosignify honesty, friendliness andmutual help. Both the sticky riceand bananas also signify theunification of the Pwo andSgaw sub-groups of the Karen.Paw Gi (a kind of flower) andsugar cane join the festive menuto symbolize the regenerativevitality of the Karen people. Water is drunk as a recognitionof its life-giving properties.

Karen elders get things goingby singing a traditional song andthen explaining to thecommunity the ancient meaningof the ceremonies that follow.These ceremonies begin withprayers imploring the spirits—or K’la —to return fromwherever they are roaming andto stay in the family andcommunity circle. The wrist-tying ceremony

follows. The Karenelders wind whitethread three timesaround the wrists ofseven young unmarriedcouples, knotting thebracelets and breakingthe thread with theirfingers. Then theceremony is repeatedwith the rest of the

community.

Traditional Karen costume isworn during the festival—longyi for the men and sarongsfor the women. Traditionally,married women wore a redsarong and black shirt, andsingle women donned the Karenlong white dress.Times are changing, though.Now, women can wear anycolor as long as they keep to thedistinctive long dress. But thisconcession is probably the onlychange the Lah Ku Kee Sufestival will see for some timeto come.

Calling Home the Spirits

By Shah Paung,Irrawaddy

15

Aim

- To celebrate a unite Karen New Yearfor all Karens in Unison.

Objectives

- To express among people andworking together regardless ofdialects or religion belief.

- To maintain, sustain and developKaren Culture and Traditional.

- To raise awareness and advocate forKaren community in Australia, aswell as to present the ongoinghumanitarian crisis faced by KarenPeople living in Burma andalongThai-Burma border to ourAustralian friends and to widerAustralian society.

- To extend help and assistance toKaren refugees, IDPS.

Karen New Year Celebration Committee, Sydney

Conveners( Saw Rostan Po )( Saw Maurice myaing)( Mahn Chit Oo )( Nant Sun Shine )( Nant Au Kyi )( Dr. Joe Pereira )

Coordinators-( Saw Lwin Oo )( Saw Lay Lay Chit Oo )( Saw Aung Kyat Htut )-( Saw Eh Soe Kyat Oo )

Treasure —— Mahn Chit SeinJoint Treasure—— Naw ChoAuditor——— Mahn OrlandoJoint—— Nan Paw Mu SharDecoration —— Mahn Kyaw San, Ma MyintNi, Saw Eh Shee LwinWelcoming—— Saw Daniel Zu, Saw Bready,Naw Eh K’Lu WinCooking—— Nan Ma Moe, Naw Har May,Nan Than Than HtayEntertainment—— Saw Peter Htoo, SawAung Aung,Documentation—— Saw William Shin,Saw Kyaw KwehCulture —— Saw Ta Kaw Wah, Saw ThanAung, Saw Eh Shu, Grace Lwin OoInformation and Exhibition—— Saw BaNyar, Saw Eh Kaw, Htee Saw Kyi Din

2749 Karen New Year Celebration Committee, Sydney

16