Karen Newsline: February 2008 Archive
Defectors re-defect
8 members of the Karen resistance movement that had defected to the Burma Army last year have returned to the fold since yesterday, according to a Karen high official.
The returnees led by Capt Hser Htee who brought with them 15 of their family members and 2 villagers had arrived at the main base of the Karen National Liberation Army’s 7th Brigade at 18:00, 28 February, disclosed Brig-Gen Saw Hsar Gay.Conditions inside the Karen National Union/ Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council (KNU-KNLA PC), as the splinter group commanded by Htain Maung, who had made peace with the country’s military rulers on 11 February 2007, were said to be “unbearable” following the assassination of Lt-Col Ler Moo, Htain Maung’s son-in-law, late last month. “Suspicion was thrown on many of us including Kyaw Aye, Commander of the 703rd Battalion,” Hser Htee was quoted as saying. “He was executed by the order of Htain Maung.”
As to how much the returnees knew about the assassination of the Karen National Union (KNU) General Secretary Mahn Sha on 14 February, Hsar Gay was unable to shed any light for the present. “Brig-Gen Johnny (Commander of the 7th Brigade) and his staff are still debriefing Hser Htee and his men,” he said.
Capt Hser Htee had reportedly served as the executive officer of the 703rd Battalion until his departure. He had also brought with him 1 pistol, 1 AK 47 automatic rifle and 1 two-inch mortar.
S.H.A.N
29-2-08
Army deserters surrender to Karen rebels
Four Burmese soldiers who deserted from the government army surrendered themselves to the Karen National Liberation Army in a rebel-controlled area of Karen state on Tuesday, the KNLA said.
Sergeant San Htun Hla, sergeant Soe Thiha, private Kyaw Min Htun and signaller Thein Min Htike, from the coastal region Light Infantry Battalion 401's Regiment 1, gave themselves up in territory held by Brigade 6 Battalion 17 of the KNLA, the armed wing of the Karen National Union.
They also handed over two MA-2, two MA-3 and one MA-4 assault rifles, 400 bullets and M-79 grenade-launchers, which they had brought with them, to the KNLA.
One of the soldiers said that they had deserted because of the constant harassment from their senior officers.
"There is harassment of soldiers by their senior officers on every level," said Thein Min Htike.
“We have to do hard labour, such as road construction and cultivation, to earn money for our superiors.”
"They don't just beat up and torture civilians – in fact, we are being treated the same way by our officers."
San Htun Hla urged other Burmese army soldiers who remain on the government's side to do the same as they did and join hands with the opposition to end the military dictatorship in the country.
"The military government is only good for high-ranking officials. There is no hope for a lower-ranking soldier," said San Htun Hla.
"I would like to urge all our remaining comrades to leave the government's side and unite with us to bring this government down."
The KNU secretary of Do Pala Rah district, Saw Lipton, welcomed the Burmese army deserters and promised the group would do their best to assist them in setting up their new life in opposition.
"They understood the wrongdoing of their army leaders and decided to switch sides to join with the oppressed people. We always have to welcome them," he said.
"We will now see what they want to do next and do our best to give them assistance in whatever they come up with."
Htet Yazar
DVB
29-2-08
Image: Burmese Soldiers - KHCPS Archive
Members of Karen Breakaway Group Return to KNU
More than 20 members of an ethnic Karen breakaway group led by Maj-Gen Htain Maung returned to the Karen National Union (KNU) on Thursday evening, fearing that they would be next in a cycle of reprisal killings that has claimed a number of lives in recent months.
According to the leader of the group, Capt Hser Htee, the escape was prompted by the execution of Lt-Col Kyaw Aye, under whom he had served. Kyaw Aye was suspected of being the mastermind behind the killing of Col Ler Moon, son-in-law of Maj-Gen Htain Maung, in late January.
Htain Maung heads a splinter group that defected from the KNU early last year. Kyaw Aye was reportedly killed after Htain Maung handed him over to Burmese government troops in early February, according to Hser Htee.
The returning group, including women, children and eight soldiers, is currently under the control of Brig-Gen Jonny, commander of the 7th Brigade of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the military wing of the KNU.
Htain Maung was the KNLA’s 7th Brigade commander until he defected from the KNU to form the breakaway group now known as the KNU/KNLA Peace Council. Ler Moo was killed while sleeping at a communications office near the KNU/KNLA Peace Council’s headquarters.
Hser Htee told The Irrawaddy on Friday, “He [Htain Maung] doesn’t trust our group anymore. I received repeated anonymous phone calls telling me that Htain Maung wanted to see me.”
“They planned to kill not just me, but also my wife and children. When I realized I was on his hit list, I just tried to escape,” said Hser Htee, adding that local Karen villagers helped him to escape.
Hser Htee was a senior leader of Battalion 703 under the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, which was formed after some 300 soldiers from KNLA Brigade 7, led by Htain Maung, defected to the Burmese army in February 2007.
Two weeks ago, on February 14, the general secretary of the KNU was assassinated at his home in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.
Saw Yan Naing
Irrawaddy
29-2-08
Image: Htain Maung - KHCPS Archive
DKBA Members Kill Mahn Sha: Karen Sources
Members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a Karen splinter group, were confirmed to be involved in the assassination of Karen leader Mahn Sha, according to sources close to the DKBA.
According to one source close to DKBA leaders, the killing was most likely carried out by San Pyote (a.k.a. Soe Myint) and several other members of DKBA Battalion 999 who disappeared from territory controlled by the group shortly after last Thursday’s shooting death of Mahn Sha, who was the general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU).
The DKBA signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military regime after it split away from the KNU in 1995.
Another DKBA source said that San Pyote was not acting under DKBA orders when he carried out the assassination. The commander of DKBA Battalion 999, Col Chit Thu, will soon respond to charges that the killing was committed by DKBA members under his command and “take action for the assassination,” the source added.
The Irrawaddy was unable to reach Col Chit Thu for comment, and the DKBA has not yet responded to accusations that they were behind the killing of the KNU leader.
San Pyote, who was described as a notorious gambler, was said to be close to Maj-Gen Htain Maung, a former commander in the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the KNU’s military wing. Htain Maung led the KNLA’s 7th Brigade until he defected to the Burmese army last February with 300 soldiers under his command.
According to a senior KNU official, Htain Maung may also have been involved in Mahn Sha’s slaying.
Mahn Sha’s death came two weeks after Col Ler Moo, Htain Maung’s son-in-law, was killed in his sleep in an office near the headquarters of the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, a group formed by Htain Maung following his defection.
Meanwhile, Thai authorities have closed all border checkpoints near DKBA-controlled areas following Mahn Sha’s shooting. Only the Friendship Bridge linking Mae Sot and the Burmese border town of Myawaddy remains open for trade between the two countries.
Police in Mae Sot, where the KNU leader was murdered, have begun an investigation into the incident. According to a KNU official, local authorities in Mae Sot have arrested a Thai man who lent his car to Mahn Sha’s killers.
Despite a pledge from the police that they would apprehend the murderers, KNU leaders said they didn’t expect much from the Thai investigation.
“As neither the victim nor the gunmen were Thai citizens, I don’t think the Thai authorities will take this case seriously,” said David Taw, a KNU spokesperson, who acknowledged that it would be difficult for Thai police to catch the cross-border killers.
Violet Cho
Irrawaddy
20-2-08
Image: Paul Keenan - KHCPS Archive
Karen leadership takes junta to task for killing
Saying 22-more of the top and mid level leaders are on the list of the assassins, the beleaguered Karen National Union (KNU) has pointed an accusing finger at the country’s ruling junta for the Valentine’s Day assassination of its secretary general.
According to a radio conversation intercepted by the KNU, Soe Myint aka San Byoke, a former KNU member, had reported to Col Myat Tun Oo, Burma Army, at 18:37, one and a half hours following the killing of Mahn Sha Laphan, that “the mission” had been “accomplished” and two of his members were now back in Myawaddy, opposite Maesod where the shooting took place.
Two men had taken advantage of the slack in security and shot Mahn Sha to death at his rented house. The two then escaped in a black Toyota truck. It was later discovered by the police at the bank of the Moei that bisects the two countries not far from the Thai-Burma Friendship bridge.
22-more, including himself, are on the hit list, according to Brig-Gen Saw Hsar Gay, a KNU Central Committee member, who was interviewed by SHAN on 18 February during the funeral service.
San Byoke had served as a police major at the KNU’s 7th Brigade until 2003 when he defected to the pro-junta Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), he added. He is currently an adviser to the group’s 999th Battalion.
The slain leader’s responsibilities are now shared between his two deputies, Tu Tu Lay, 61, and David Tarkabaw, 73, in accordance with the decisions reached at the ad hoc meeting held by the KNU leadership following his killing.
20-2-08
Image Saw Hsar Gay
Hundreds Attend Mahn Shah Funeral
Hundreds of mourners, including Karen and members of Burma’s other ethnic groups, attended the funeral on Monday of Mahn Sha, the leader of the country’s largest ethnic resistance organization. The funeral was held near the Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot. [Continue]
Police find car used in KNU assassination
The vehicle used by gunmen who shot dead a key member of the Karen National Union (KNU) this week has been found abandoned near the border with Burma.
Forensic police in Tak are searching for any evidence from the black pick-up that could help police discover who was behind the assassination of KNU general-secretary Pado Mahn Shar Lapan, who was shot dead at his home on Thursday in Mae Sot district.
Two gunmen stormed his residence and shot him dead while a driver was waiting in the pick-up.
Police suspect the gunmen then fled across the border, dumping their truck at Ban Wang Pa in Mae Ramat district. Police said the truck had a Bangkok licence plate.
Mae Sot police chief Pol Col Phossawat Taengjui said police will seek help from the Burmese authorities once they know the names of those suspected of being involved in the assassination.
Mahn Shar was the third most influential figure in the KNU with close ties to former leader, the late Gen Bo Mya.
The KNU is the largest rebel group fighting Burma's armed forces.
Military-ruled Burma's state media yesterday warned of further attacks by ethnic insurgents, following the assassination.
The New Light of Myanmar, which like other official media has remained silent on the killing of Mahn Shar, said rebels were plotting more bomb attacks in some ''important places.''
''According to the information received recently, internal and external destructive elements are scheming together to detonate bombs again in some important places and busy places in the nation,'' the daily said.
State-run newspapers, radio and TV channels have ignored the death of the rebel leader, who was also a critical link between the rebels and Burma's pro-democracy movement.
Burma has been hit by a series of small bomb blasts and rebel shootings since December, prompting the ruling junta to blame the KNU for the attacks.
Burma, under military rule since 1962, has signed ceasefires with 17 other ethnic armed groups, but the KNU is one of the few remaining ethnic insurgent groups yet to sign a peace deal with the junta.
Bangkok Post/AFP
17-2-08
Image S.H.A.N
KNU: More Leaders Targeted for Assassination
Two more senior military leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) are on Karen splinter groups’ hit lists, according to KNU sources.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy by phone on Friday and Saturday, a KNU senior officer said that Gen Mu Tu, commander in chief of the KNU’s military wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and Brig-Gen Jonny, commander of KNLA Brigade 7, were targets for assassination by both the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the KNU/KNLA Peace Council.
The claims follow the assassination of Mahn Sha, general secretary of the KNU, on Thursday.
“Ever since Htain Maung defected, he has always planned to kill the KNU’s top leaders,” said a KNU source who works closely with the KNU leadership.
Maj-Gen Htain Maung led some 300 soldiers from Brigade 7 in defecting to the Burmese army in February 2007. His splinter group is now known as KNU/KNLA Peace Council.
Another KNU source said that speculation had been rife that Mahn Sha was assassinated by the DKBA, which who split from the rebel coalition in 1995.
Mahn Sha was secretary general of the KNU, an ethnic rebel group that has been fighting for independence since 1949.
The source said that two days ago before Mahn Sha’s assassination, a DKBA member named Soe Myint, also known as San Pyote, called a friend of hers who was living in the same house as Mahn Sha and asked for the address of his home. San Pyote said that he was interested in buying Mahn Sha's car.
San Pyote belongs to the DKBA Battalion 999.
However, a DKBA source has denied the accusation.
He said, “It is not possible—the DKBA split from the KNU more than 10 years ago. After Mahn Sha was killed, even some of the DKBA’s leadership called me and asked me what happened.”
Mahn Sha had received phone threats before his assassination, said Blooming Night Zar, an acting contact person regarding the death of Mahn Sha.
She said, “On Karen Revolution Day, an unknown man phoned Mahn Sha and said to him, ‘I will come and shoot you!’”
KNU sources claim that prior to Thursday’s assassination, about 20 spies from the DKBA were assigned and deployed in the Mae Sot area for purposes of assassination. Sources believe the plot to kill Mahn Sha was well planned weeks in advance.
Assassinations among the KNU, the DKBA and the KNU/KNLA Peace Council have increased since the defection of Htain Maung’s faction.
After the assassinations of Lt-Col Kyi Linn, a commander of the KNLA, in August 2007, who met secretly with Lt-Col Min Chit Oo of the Burmese Southeast Military Affairs Security department, and Col Ler Moo, the son-in-law of Htain Maung, who was killed last month, Mahn Sha and Jonny were blamed for masterminding the plots and were targeted for assassination, a KNU source said.
Meanwhile, opposition groups in exile have accused the Burmese military regime of being responsible for Mahn Sha’s assassination.
In November 2007, San Pyote tried to kill Brig-Gen Jonny, a KNU official from Brigade 7.
“All this is enough to make the Burmese government very happy,” Brig-Gen Jonny told The Irrawaddy. “We Karen people should be unified. If we are divided, we will never achieve self-determination and the rights we demand.”
Saw Yan Naing
Irrawaddy
16-2-08
Image: Brig. Gen. Jonny (Kyaw Ni) is given a service medal by General Mutu on 59th Karen Revolution Day - MCK/KHCPS Archive
Karen Rebels Vow to Continue Fighting Against Burma Junta
The Karen National Union (KNU), a leading ethnic rebel group in Burma, named a new leader following the mysterious murder of its chief and vowed Friday to continue its decades-long struggle against the country’s military junta.
KNU General Secretary Mahn Sha was shot by two gunmen Thursday at his home in the Thai border town of Mae Sot, according to Thai police.
“We lost one of our leaders but nothing will affect our movement,” said Ba Thin Sein, president of the KNU, who blamed the killing on troops loyal to the junta. “The struggle for our cause will continue.”
Thai police who investigated the shooting said the murder may have been the result of internal differences in the rebel group.
The KNU’s No. 2 official, Htoo Htoo Lay, 61, automatically became the group’s new leader, according to the KNU’s constitution, Ba Thin Sein said.
The killing came less than a week after Burma’s military government announced plans for a referendum on a new constitution in May, to be followed by a general election in 2010. The plans have been denounced by the KNU and other opponents of the regime as a sham devised to perpetuate military rule.
The KNU is one of more than a dozen armed ethnic groups who for decades have sought greater autonomy from Burma’s central government.
Since 1988, many other groups have signed formal ceasefires with the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), but the KNU has not reached a formal agreement to lay down their arms.
The KNU, which has been fighting for more than five decades, once had a powerful guerrilla force in Burma’s eastern border region. But Burma army offensives, coupled with divisions within the organization, have reduced the group’s military presence over the past decade.
Burma’s military continues to carry out sweeping counterinsurgency operations in Karen areas along the border with Thailand, displacing thousands of civilians, many of whom join some 100,000 of their countrymen in refugee camps in Thailand.
Mahn Sha, 65, took over leadership of the KNU in 2000 from his ailing predecessor, Bo Mya, who died in 2006. He had been with the KNU since 1963, becoming joint general secretary in 1995 before taking the top post.
Mahn Sha’s funeral was expected to take place over the weekend at a location in Burma being kept secret due to security concerns, Ba Thin Sein said.
Chiravut Rungjamratrasami
AP/Irrawaddy
15-2-08
Image: The KNU leadership at the 2004 congress (L-R), Colonel Saw Htoo Htoo Lay, Padoh Mahn Sha, President Ba Thin Sein, General Saw Tamla Baw, Saw David Thackerbaw - KIC/KHCPS archive.
A Good Man Will Never Die
“Can you get my radio?” my father asked.
Then he said, “Your Tee [uncle] Mahn Sha died this afternoon. He was killed.” At first, I didn’t believe my father’s words.
It was unbelievable because Mahn Sha was loved by most of the people. I rushed down to the phone station in the refugee camp and called Mahn Sha’s office, but the phone was busy.
I called a friend, and he said it’s true: He was killed around 4:30 p.m. by two gunmen at his home in Mae Sot in Tak Province on the Thai-Burmese border.
I still couldn’t believe it and called my colleagues at The Irrawaddy office. A staff member said it was true, but he couldn’t talk because they were working on the story.
I began to cry. I cried for hours. It was not the time for a great leader like Mahn Sha, the general secretary of the Karen National Union, to die. He was 65 years old. It was a big loss for the Karen nation, his family and for the Karen people’s younger generations.
Mahn Sha was not only a good KNU leader; he was also a good leader for the other democracy activist groups. He had a great love for young people and always encouraged them to seek more education, to become teachers, health workers and leaders in their communities. He always hoped young people would assume responsible roles in life and also work for the Burmese democracy movement.
Mahn Sha had a gift for words, and he was always calm. When the KNU delegation led by the late Karen leader Gen Bo Mya went to Rangoon in December 2005, the delegation excluded Mahn Sha from the talks at the request of the Burmese government.
But Mahn Sha was unflappable. He talked to the media in wise words, never exposing the harsh divisions within the KNU leadership.
Some Karen leaders, however, didn’t agree with his political ideology, and they smeared him, saying he was mad for power and corrupt. But their words were hollow and without truth.
Mahn Sha was always generous with his time. When I started work as a journalist at The Irrawaddy years ago, he was the only Karen leader who always gave me helpful criticism and feedback on my writing and reporting, suggesting ways for me to grow as a young Karen woman journalist.
Here are some words that I will always remember: “Shah Paung, you are doing a good job, something we [Karen] have never done before. You are the first person among our Karen people to do this, and you must carry on this work.”
Mahn Sha gave me the gift of those words in early 2006 when I was visiting at his home, where he was shot down in cold blood.
Truly, his death was not only a loss for the Karen movement; it was a big loss for young Karen people who need inspirational leaders.
Politically, it was also a blow for unity between Pwo Karen and Sakaw Karen and between Karen Buddhist and other religions, especially Christians.
Mahn Sha was humble. He lived a simple life. He wasn’t boastful or vain. He was always trying to achieve unity among the Karen people, and he lamented the separation in 1995 between the KNU and the breakaway Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, which split over religious beliefs.
I visited him last in late 2006. He was having lunch, and he invited me to join him. We had simple vegetables and fish pate. Nothing fancy. He asked me to visit him in Mae Sot sometime.
Our last conversation was by telephone a few weeks ago. He said, “Now the State Peace and Development Council is trying to divide our Karen soldiers, especially those at the grassroots level. But our soldiers don’t listen to them.”
Mahn Sha always worried that the Karen people will be weakened and lose control over their future because of divisions among them.
Now he is dead. According to an eyewitness and his office staff, he was killed by two gunmen, one of whom greeted him in Karen with “Ha Ler Gay” which means “Good evening.” It appears that a great Karen leader was killed by a Karen.
Who dares to kill a great leader like Mahn Sha? The answer lies close to home. Just look at the conflict within the KNU and the armed breakaway groups. If the Burmese military had wanted to kill Mahn Sha, he wouldn’t have lived such a long life.
Those who dared to kill Mahn Sha simply don’t understand the value of good people.
They will probably never understand that his death also diminished the chances of a better life for younger generations of Karen.
The day after his assassination, many of my friends and older Karen were still crying.
When I asked how they felt, they answered quickly and emotionally: “Sad and angry.”
I want the assassins who killed Mahn Sha to know they took his life, but they can never kill the history of what he did for Burma as well as the Karen people. A new Karen generation will carry on his work.
Mahn Sha’s name will always live in Karen history and in the history of the Burmese democracy movement. A good man will never die!
Shah Paung
Irrawaddy
15-2-08
Mahn Sha: “Sixty Years in Vain”
Days before his assassination on February 14, Karen National Union leader Mahn Sha spoke to Irrawaddy reporter Aye Lae about Burma’s prospects for peace.
Speaking on February 11, the day before the 61st Union Day—a holiday intended to celebrate unity among Burma’s ethnic peoples—Mahn Sha argued that after sixty years of efforts to impose unity by force, the country must restore democracy and introduce a federal system of government to halt its ongoing disintegration.
Question: Tomorrow is Union Day, but it is said that there is still no solidarity among Burma’s ethnic nationalities. As a Karen leader, what would you like to say about that?
Answer: Before independence was declared [in 1948], all ethnic nationalities, all people and politicians representing them, tried very hard to gain genuine independence. But when the time came, we did not get what we expected.
After gaining independence, the people of Burma, including ethnic minorities, did not gain any freedom. People with power just used it as they liked. As a result, the country has become one of the poorest and least secure in the world.
So sixty years have been wasted in vain, and instead of prosperity, we have fallen into poverty because of the military dictatorship. There is no security. That’s why we want to establish a democracy and federal union, which is the best form of government to bring all the ethnic nationalities together.
We want a government elected by the people that can guarantee that kind of system. In other words, we want political change. We want to establish a truly independent, truly united country. The country will never prosper if it continues like this.
There is no [economic] security. There is only unemployment. There are many who must leave the country to find jobs. Educated people go abroad and workers abandon their homes to find jobs in neighboring countries. There is no development at all. So I think political change must come at once.
Q: But ethnic minorities are also disunited, as we can see within ceasefire groups, armed resistance groups and political organizations. It is also said that there is no solidarity among different ethnic groups.
A: The country has disintegrated because of the ethnic chauvinism of the military dictatorship. If there were no military dictatorship and no ethnic chauvinism, and the country adopted democracy and a federal system, it would be peaceful, united and developed like other countries. I can say that for sure.
The military dictatorship has caused the whole country to disintegrate. But many ethnic nationalities are working together in opposition. We have a lot of political agreements with other peoples and their representatives.
As we cannot wait for the regime to act, we have been drafting a federal constitution. We are cooperating with one another to abolish the dictatorship. The main cause of the country’s disintegration is the dictatorship. If it fell from power today, the country would be united today. We believe that.
Q: Do you mean that the regime is the cause of all the disunity among ethnic nationalities?
A: Yes. They create disunity so they can continue to rule the country by force. They think that if the country is peaceful and stable, there will lose their rationale for holding onto power.
[Some have argued that] the country would fall apart if the junta was no longer in power—that Burma would be like Bosnia. But it is totally untrue. It is totally unfounded. In fact, the opposite is true: if the dictatorship lost its power, the country would be more united.
Q: As a representative of the Karen people, do you have any other comments you would like to make on the occasion of Union Day?
A: We cannot count on the regime to bring democracy or a federal system. To achieve a genuine union, all the peoples of Burma, and the politicians and organizations representing them, must work together with firm spirit and unity.
We must abolish the dictatorship and its policy of ethnic chauvinism. We must establish a genuine democracy and federal system by ourselves, with our own hands. We must be determined, and we must take practical measures to achieve our goal.
Aye Lae
Irrawaddy
15-2-08
Statement from the children of Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan
We are very sad to lose a great father and a great leader.
We were lucky to have a father who was caring and full of love. He gave us guidance and support, and taught us tolerance and to stand against injustice. He could not give us wealth or luxury, but ensured that we had an education and the opportunity to fulfill our potential
He was always humble, yet a strong and brave leader. He dedicated his life to the struggle, and always put the welfare of his people and his country before himself. His example of determination and self-sacrifice to win our freedom won him the love and respect of not just the Karen people, but also the Burmese democracy movement and of freedom loving people around the world.
He will be remembered by many not only as an inspirational leader, but also on a personal level for the many acts of kindness he performed for those who needed help.
We are proud to be his children, as all Karen people and all people who long for freedom in Burma are proud of him.
Our father may be dead, but we will remember him. He taught us that it was our duty to work for the Karen people, and as his children we will continue his dedicated work towards true freedom for our people and peace in our country.
His determination for freedom and democracy lives on within us and within the Karen people. He did not live to see freedom for our people, but his dream will be fulfilled. The Karen, and all the people of Burma, will be free.
We will be establishing a foundation in memory of our father. From February 15th donations can be made online at www.zoyaphan.com.
Saw Say Say
Nant Bwa Bwa Phan
Nant Zoya Phan
Slone Phan
Black Thursday for Kawthoolei
Padoh Man Shar, general secretary of the Karen National Union, an ethnic Karen rebel group, died today after being shot by two anonymous gunmen.
Man Shar was shot by two gunmen who pulled up in a vehicle around 4:30 p.m. (local time) in front of his residence in the Thai-Burmese town of Mae Sod and stormed into the building, local residents said.
A neighbor of Man Shar said, "They fired one shot, followed by another two shots."
The Karen rebel leader was on the first floor of his residence in Mae Sod when the two assassins drove up in a van at about 4:30 p.m. (Thai Standard Time), came upstairs and shot him.
The gunshots hit Man Shar in the chest, reportedly killing him instantly.
Eyewitnesses said the two gunmen, after shooting Man Shar, got back into their vehicle and headed into town.
With only two office workers on the ground floor of his residence and no security guards, the assassins easily found their way into the house and upstairs to the unsuspecting Man Shar.
The body of Man Shar is still at his residence. Meanwhile, Burmese activists and pro-democracy groups expressed their condolences and deep regret for the unfortunate fate of the Karen rebel leader.
One of the two gunmen, who arrived in front of Man Shar's residence in a dark colored four wheel vehicle bearing the no. 425, greeted Man Shar with 'How are you,' in the Karen language, before taking out his gun and shooting him. The other assassin, who closely followed the first man, is also believed to have fired shots at Man Shar.
A Mizzima correspondent who later arrived on the scene said that so far a 9 mm bullet has been recovered and that Thai police are conducting an investigation.
An eyewitness said both assassins are approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall.
An eyewitness said one of the assassins has a dragon tattoo on his right palm and both the gunmen look over 30 years of age.
The two gunmen, who kept nearly ten feet of distance between them when entering Man Shar's house, were heard speaking and greeting him in the Sakaw Karen dialect.
Two KNU office workers on the ground floor rushed upstairs at the sound of gunfire. As the assassins came down, one of the gunmen fired an errant shot at the two office workers.
Padoh Man Sha, age 64, is survived by two daughters and a son.
We reproduce here Mizzima's interview with Padoh Mansha
on February 12, 2008.
Q: Will the SPDC'S announcement on Saturday lead to democracy in Burma?
A: No, these announcements won't lead to restoration of democracy in Burma, but will lead to perpetuation of military dictatorship in Burma.
Q: Why did the junta issue these statements both surprisingly and hurriedly?
A: International pressure mounted after the September Revolution. It is very clear that the people inside Burma cannot tolerate the situation any longer and it has become unbearable. The regime is worried about the hindrances and stumbling blocks in their planned road map due to international pressure and UN participation. It is very clear when you see what they said in their press conference held on November 16. They said very clearly that they would not accept any interference from anyone in regard to their roadmap. It means they will go ahead with their pre-planned roadmap. They won't accept any intervention from both the UN and the international community.
Q: Can they really hold general elections in 2010?
A: They cannot hold general elections whenever they wish. They issued Notification 1/90 before. We must first ask them how they will implement their previous notification. They cannot do anything without implementing their previous notification at anytime in 2010 or 2020.
Q: They have a track record of holding such referendums and elections using coercion and intimidation. Can they repeat it this time?
A: Yes, they can. But the May 1990 election produced unexpected results for them. So they formulated the National Convention and Road Map to make the unwanted election result null and void. This time they will have fail safe planning to win by any means. We must consider concrete and resolute responses to counter their plan this time.
Q: What is likely to happen?
A: We cannot accept their current course. We must stand by the idea of mobilizing masses and mass movements.
Q: What are the responsibilities of the people?
A: The people can do many things. For instance they can resort to political, economic and social non-cooperation. These are examples of some responses they can make. At the same time, we must promote and intensify our political struggle, mass movements, armed struggle, international campaigns, and international pressure among other things. We must communicate with the junta in the language they understand. They will not care if we continue and pursue the usual policy of appeasement with them.
Mizzima
14-2-08
Image: Mizzima
Padoh Mahn Sha assassinated at home
Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan the General Secretary of the Karen National Union was assassinated at his home today in Mae Sot, Thailand at approximately 4 p,m. Thailand time. Although details have yet to be confirmed it was reported that two assassins were involved.
A Pwo Karen, he was born on the 5th July 1943, in Taw Gyaung village, Pantanaw Township, Maubin District, Delta division, Burma. He graduated from Rangoon University in 1966 with a degree in History. He officially joined the Karen National Union in1966 although he had worked in the Karen underground movement for three years prior to this whilst studying at university.
From 1975 to 1984, He served as Joint Secretary of the KNU's Nyaung Lay Bin District and in November 1984 he became a member of the KNU central committee and relocated to the KNU's Headquarters at Manerplaw where, in 1988, he acted as a personal secretary to General Bo Mya . At the KNU's 11th congres in 1995 he was elected as a Joint General Secretary, and then later at the KNU's 12th congress, in 2000, he was elected to the position of General Secretary this appointment was extended after the 13th congress in 2004.
14-02-08
KHCPS
Karen rep given surprise welcome by Madrid
The Karen National Union’s European representative, who was in Madrid late last month on a special mission, suddenly found a warm reception awaiting him at the country’s foreign ministry.
“The big surprise was that they were all new men,” said Saw Hsar Gay aka Saw Sarky, whose last visit to Spain was in April 2003. “Yet they knew about myself and Sai Wansai (Shan representative) as they had already gone through the records.”
The meeting with Dr Jose Luis Garcia Galan, Deputy Director for Southeast Asia, Pacific and the Philippines, and Jaime Moreno Bau, Desk Officer for Southeast Asia, Pacific and the Philippines, took place on 25 January, and lasted one and a half hours, 11:00-12:30.
They were interested to know about the changes brought about by the August-September protests and crackdown and what we thought about the latest tightening of EU sanctions, according to Saw Hsar Gay, who is also a KNU Central Committee member and Special Envoy to East Timor.
“I explained to them that the most important change was that Burma has become highly visible to the world”, he said, “but that I hoped that the non-Burman ethnic states’ issue has not been overlooked amid the furor”.
He then went on to explain to them about:
- The Panglong Agreement and the failure to implement it
- The abolition of the 1947 constitution that had made the Union legally defunct
- The UN General Assembly’s standing resolution on Tripartite Dialogue
- The ongoing efforts by the democratic and ethnic opposition to establish a federal democracy
- The continuing repression and military offensive in the ethnic states especially in Karen State
Regarding the latest sanctions imposed by the European Union following the bloody suppressions in September, Saw Hsar Gay said, “The tightening of sanctions and imposition of targeted sanctions have always been what we have asked for during our previous tours to the European capitals. However, we would also need to follow the results to make sure that they are not only effective but also constitute as clear messages to Burma’s military rulers of the EU stand.”
The meeting also discussed a high level meeting for a Karen and Shan delegation in the upcoming months, according to him.
“All together, I believe we have achieve a lot in promoting Burma and especially the ethnic nationalities issue,” he conclude.
From 2001-2007, Saw Hsar Gay and Sai Wansai, General Secretary of Shan Democratic Union (SDU), had made 15 trips to 9 European countries to wage their two-men lobbying campaigns: Portugal (4), Greece (2), The Netherlands (2), Spain (2), Austria (1), Czech Republic (1), Italy (1), Norway (1) and UK (1). France and Germany, among others, are in their future agenda, they said.
SHAN
11-2-08
Image: Saw Hsar Gay
Mae La Villagers Fear Attack
Villagers in Mae La refugee camp near Thailand’s Mae Sot border town fear a potential attack by the newest Karen National Union (KNU) breakaway army.
The breakaway group of ethnic Karen is led by Maj-Gen Htein Maung, according to camp sources.
Fear increased recently after the assassination of Col Ler Moo, a son-in-law of Maj-Gen Htain Maung, head of an armed group known as the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council, which split from the Karen National Union in February 2007.
Residents in the Mae La camp have been ordered by camp authorities not to use lamps, candles or electronic lights after a 9 pm curfew.
“We are afraid of an attack,” said a student in the camp. “We were also told to be on alert and to be ready to escape if are attacked.”
Some former KNU soldiers who live in the Mae La refugee camp have joined with Thai soldiers to strengthen camp security, sources said.
Col Ler Moo was killed in a bomb explosion while he was sleeping on a bed in the communications office near the group’s headquarters. Sources say he may have been killed because of his timber business dealings.
Ler Moo once controlled illegal logging in the KNU Brigade 7 area near Pa-an Township in Karen State, with the influential support of his father-in-law.
Ler Moo was injured in an assassination attempt while he was crossing by boat from Burma to Thailand in Tak Province in early April 2007.
Sources said the breakaway group believes the KNU was behind the assassination attempt.
Maj Hla Ngwe, secretary of the KNU’s information department, said, “It is difficult to guess weather they [the breakaway group] will attack the camp or not, but such events have happened in the past.”
In 1997, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, a KNU breakaway faction formed in 1995, attacked Mae La camp with support from the Burmese army.
More than 45,000 villagers live in the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand’s Tak Province, according to a report by the Thailand Burma Border Consortium.
Saw Yan Naing
Irrawaddy
6-2-08
Image: Family from Si Ka Der village, close to Bukee village, hiding from Burma Army attacks. (Jan 23. 2008) - FBR
More Karen Refugees Flee to Thai Border
Over 250 mostly Karen villagers from eastern Burma fled recently to the Thai-Burmese border to escape forced relocation, according to a Karen relief team leader.
Htoo Klei, secretary of the Karen Office of Relief and Development, based at the Thai-Burmese border, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that 255 people had arrived on February 1 at two villages about one day’s walk from Ei Tu Hta camp on the Burmese side of the Salween River.
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are now camped at the former villages of Per Ler Der and Lay Ther Koh. The relief team is not in a position to provide any food or other supplies for them at present, Htoo Klei said. However, on February 2 the relief team was able to transport some plastic sheets to the villagers to shelter them from the rains.
He said that the displaced villagers do not currently intend to seek refuge at Ei Tu Hta camp— built in mid-2006 and currently housing some 4,000 refugees from northern Karen State and Pegu Division—however they are not sure how long they can stay at their present locations because they believe the tatmadaw (Burmese army) are planning to cleanse the area of villagers.
“The main things that IDPs need are firstly security and secondly food,” Htoo Klei said.
In late January, four IDP families arrived at the Salween River although the exact number of persons had not yet been reported to the Karen Office of Relief and Development, he added.
The four families are originally from Plaw Der Kee village in northern Karen State. They were forced to relocate to Thee Mu Hta village by Burmese government soldiers in early January, Htoo Klei said. However, instead of relocating, the villagers fled to the jungle as they feared the soldiers would use them as forced labor as there were no other villagers nearby.
The Burmese military government commenced offensives against civilians in northern Karen State and Pegu Division in late 2005. Since then, they have consistently burned down homes and killed dozens of villagers.
According to a January 29 report by the Free Burma Rangers relief team, more than 30,000 Karen villagers were violently displaced in 2006 and early 2007. Of those, over 6,000 have since fled to the Thai-Burmese border, it said. The other 24,000 villagers remain in hiding as they are continually under attack by Burmese troops.
Villagers in the targeted areas told the Free Burma Rangers: “If the Burmese army is not stopped or we do not get help, in the future when you come to Karen State, there will no longer be any Karen people. Please tell the rest of the world to help us.”
Shah Paung
Irrawaddy
5-2-08
Image: Family from Si Ka Der village, close to Bukee village, hiding from Burma Army attacks. (Jan 23. 2008) - FBR
KNU celebrates Karen revolution day
The Karen National Union marked the 59th anniversary of Karen revolution day yesterday in a celebration at the Karen National Liberation Army headquarters in KNU-controlled territory.
The secretary-general of the KNU, Pado Manh Sha gave a speech at the event calling on all Karen people to take part in the struggle for freedom.
“This is a revolution for the Karen people to free themselves from being enslaved, and so all people of Karen nationality should take part in it,” Pado Manh Sha said.
He also said that people should follow the four principles set out Saw Ba U Gyi, one of the KNU’s original founders.
“One, never talk about surrender; two, Karen arms should be in the hands of the Karen people; three, we must complete the development of the Karen nation; four, only Karen can shape the future of the Karen,” Pado Manh Sha said.
“We have to stick to these four principles set out by Saw Ba U Gyi; we need to march on under the leadership of the KNU,” he said.
“The KNU vows to stand firm to the end for the benefit of the Karen nation.”
Thousands of Karen people attended the celebration, along with people from various pro-democracy groups.
KNLA military commander-in-chief general Saw Mutu Say Pho was given a guard of honour by KNLA troops.
One KNLA brigade 7 soldier, who was on security duty during the celebrations, said that the Karen people should be united.
“We should always recognise ourselves as Karen people, and we should carry out our duties within this movement with unity and cooperation and without betrayal,” he said.
A Karen woman who attended the celebration said she hoped the Karen people would be successful.
“I believe in this revolution because it stands on the side of truth, and I hope we will achieve our goal,” she said.
Battalion 101 commander lieutenant-colonel Phaw Doh warned the Karen people against listening to groups who had defected from the KNU, such as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army.
Phaw Doh said that the KNU would welcome back any of soldiers who wanted to return to the KNU.
“It is every Karen’s responsibility to play their part for Karen nationalism,” Phaw Doh said.
“Whether they have broken away from the KNU or not, it is important for them not to do things the enemy [State Peace and Development Council] orders them to do. We all still share Karen blood,” he said.
Revolution day celebrations were also held at other KNU brigades and battalions yesterday.
As part of the celebrations, a medal for heroism was awarded to Brigade 7 commander brigadier-general Saw Johnny.
Htet Yazar
DVB
1-2-08
