The Nation - Karen freedom fighters

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Subject: The Nation - Karen freedom fighters vow to continue resistance

The Nation - Aug 13, 1999.
Headlines
Karen rebels vow to continue resistance

VALAY KEE, Burma -- Ethnic Karen rebels yesterday celebrated their Martyr's
Day 47th anniversary by vowing to fight on in the face of growing
difficulties.

''We honour this day by commemorating our fallen leaders and all those who
have sacrificed their lives in the resistance, in defence of Karen people
and Karen land,'' said Gen Bo Mya, the fourth leader of the Karen National
Union (KNU).

Speaking to soldiers and local Karen villagers, some of who came from
refugee camps on the Thai side, the greying, burly general who has led the
union since the 1970s urged his people to ''continue to struggle on in order
to free our people from oppression, tyranny, injustice and domination''.

Yesterday's event took place on the bank of a small creek that separates Tak
province from Burma's Karen State. Similar events took place at other
National Union camps, most of which are scattered along the rugged
Thai-Burmese border.

''There are eight to ten million Karens scattered throughout Burma. It is
essential that these people have their own nation, and are not subjected to
the oppressive rule of the ethnic Burmese, Bo Mya said.

Over 100,000 Burmese refugees, mostly Karen, have fled to Thailand over the
years to escape what they say is an ethnic cleansing campaign by the Burmese
junta.

Bo Mya insisted that the morale of his army is still strong despite set
backs in recent years when splinter groups emerged and a number of the
rebel's top brass defected or laid down their arms.

The Burmese junta, which opened up its once hermit country to foreign
investments a decade ago, has been slowly gaining acceptance in the
international community with its admission in 1997 into the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations.

In the past five years, the Burmese government has launched successive
offensives against the Karen, overrunning its long-time headquarters at
Mannaplaw and other major positions and forcing them into a guerrilla war.

Though the guerrillas have been doing well for the rebel army, Bo Mya said
he still would like to build a main stronghold.

''We could have taken Mannaplaw back but the Thai army refused to return our
weapons,'' he said.

According to a KNU senior officer, Thai troops had seized over 500 assault
rifles from KNU soldiers as they retreated across the border when the
government troops overran the stronghold five years ago. Nevertheless, the
junta is still unable to finish off Bo Mya's battle-hardened men.

A number of ceasefire talks were initiated over the past years but have so
far produced no results.

''We're ready for ceasefire talks with the Burmese anytime. But it must be
understood that we will never surrender our arms,'' Bo Mya said.

The latest round of ceasefire talks was held last year between the Karen
leaders and the junta, headed by Col Kyaw Thein, a senior official under the
command of the powerful security boss Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, but no real
progress has been achieved, Bo Mya said.

The 72-year-old leader said he has no plans to retire and insisted that the
splinter group, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, no longer poses any
problem for the KNU.

Bo Mya dismissed a recent statement from the authorities in Kanchanaburi
province who claimed that the United Wa State Army, one of the world's
largest armed drug trafficking groups from the Golden Triangle, has set up
positions near his area.

''Narcotics are the work of the devil,'' Bo Mya said.

Yesterday's event commemorated the death of the KNU's first leader, Saw Ba U
Gyi, who was gunned down by Burmese soldiers.

The KNU came into existence in 1947 and an armed struggle began in 1949. The
group has established military alliances with other armed rebel groups,
including the Shan State Army and the Karenni National People's Party.

BY DON PATHAN

The Nation