Due to the ongoing civil war between the Rangoon government, known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), and armed Karen rebels, I was forced to flee my home with my family in 1984, at the age of 7. I grew up on the border of Thailand and Burma with tales and memories from friends, parents and relatives who never ceased to talk about our homeland in Karen State.
Having worked as a Karen human rights activist for five years, I had a general awareness of the living conditions my people face everyday. However after traveling for 45 days in northern Karen State, the true, harsh reality of life was still unexpected and shocking. Memories and stories from my youth told tales of something more beautiful.
It took 11 days for my team and me to reach the area we wanted to survey. After a day traveling by car and boat, I had to walk 10 days to cross through 160 kilometers of mountainous jungle, rapidly flowing rivers and deep valleys.
After decades of civil war between the Burmese army and the Karen National Union (KNU), more than 150,000 Karen people have been forced to flee their homes and become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their own country. For 45 days, I traveled through these IDP areas in Toungoo and Nyaung Lin Bin District in northern Karen state. During this trip, I met with villagers who have been forcibly displaced by Burmese troops. I conducted interviews with them about Karen culture and the general situation inside Karen state. Most apparent were the deteriorating living conditions of the Karen people.
Toungoo district is structured into two townships; they are Htan Ta Bin and Than daung Township. Some parts of this locality are under the protection of the Karen Nation Union, (KNU). There are 207 villages and about 38,556 villagers are resident in this area. It is divided into two zones, low land and high land. The low land is recognized by villagers as a “peaceful” area where both parties -SPDC troops and KNU- avoid gun battles as much as possible. The high land area is a free fire zone, where any villager can be shot on sight by SPDC soldiers.
Karen Culture
There are many different tribes of Karen people living separately in Burma. Although they speak different dialects, they practice the same culture. In Toungoo District, there is a tribe of Karen people called “Karen Mor Nay Pwa “. When I interviewed them, I realized that they strongly want to preserve their culture. It appears that all the villagers would sacrifice their lives if something harms or hurts their culture or village. They are worried that the SPDC government will eliminate their culture. The Karen Mor Nay Pwa do not allow their children to marry with other ethnic groups, even other Karen from different regions. They are animist and believe in nature. They have a lot of taboos for their children to follow. The SPDC has tried to relocate them many times but have not succeeded yet. The Karen Mor Nay Pwa believe firmly in their culture and taboos and stand by them even today.
Karen villagers living conditions
Villagers living in war torn areas (high land) are still facing many difficulties and are frequently forced to leave their home and re-start their lives elsewhere. The villagers have no sense of security despite the fact that the KNU verbally reached a ceasefire agreement with the SPDC in January 2004. The negotiation of this ceasefire does not stop the villagers being in fear of their lives when traveling and looking for food. Many local Karen leaders point out that the SPDC uses the ceasefire process only as another tactic to infiltrate more areas in Karen state and to counter KNU activity.
Looking at the lives of people in these areas of Burma, it is clear that they never have time to rest. Even if they manage to resettle or live in a lowland area where the ceasefire offers some protection, they still have to work hard for their survival. In the dry season (February-April) they prepare land for growing rice. In the rainy season (May-September) they grow rice. After the young plants of rice grow taller, they have to clean up the grass which grows alongside the paddy plants. From October to December, it is the harvest period, the time to gather the crops. Having sufficient food is a major issue that is constantly on their minds.
After the harvest period in December, villagers survive by hunting and searching for bee-honey. They get a small income from these activities. They raise pigs, chickens and ducks to solve the family’s financial problems. Some also grow vegetables and cardamom plant, a seed they use as a spice. The purpose of these income generating activities is to get enough food for the family and to keep their children in school.
In the low land area, the maximum family income in one year is approximately 100,000 kyat (Burmese currency), the equivalent of about 4,000 baht. But, in high land areas (the free fire zone), family incomes are significantly lower because of the unstable situation. When I talked with one of the IDPs hiding in the free fire zone, he said, “During my life, the maximum amount of money I have had in my hand was 1,500 kyat.” (about 60 baht in Thai currency). We can imagine how poor these people are.
Child healthcare situation
Another major cultural issue is that parents want many children. They believe that children are a gift from God and so some do not accept the concept of family planning. Although parents are not always able to take care of their children or raise them up effectively, they want many children anyway. It is common, that among a family which has six children, half may die for various reasons at an early age. Sadly many children die from curable diseases as they do not have access to health care. Lack of nutritious food and hygiene, cold weather and unsuitable clothes cause children to be unhealthy often leading to death. The most common diseases in this area are: malaria, skin itching and infection (caused by mosquito-like insects whose bites cause swelling and soreness) and coughing.
IDPs children’s education
The majority of IDPs children do not go to school because they have to take care of their siblings when their parents are working in paddy fields. They also have to take care of cattle, pound rice and look for vegetables.
The number of children going to school is dependent on their parents having sufficient food. If this not the case, the children have to work in the paddy field with their parents.
Although the IDPs live in a difficult situation, the parents try to organize a primary school for their children in order to preserve their language. The aim of going to school is not to study for specific knowledge and skills but simply to be able to read and write. School teachers do not receive any teacher’s training and are unqualified. I learnt that teachers are willing to serve their people. But, they need more skills training in teaching methods, and building children’s political and cultural awareness. After talking with parents, I learnt that they are willing to develop their community through an education program. Today they have a much greater understanding of the value of education than before.
However, children have to stop school after they finish fourth standard as there is no secondary school in their village where they can continue their studies. Many go back to work in the rice fields to help their parents and therefore have no possibility of any further education.
Eating for survival
People in towns or big cities may imagine delicious food before eating and may have access to it. But, IDPs in a free-fire zone think differently. Rice and salt are the most common food for them. They have to eat for survival; they do not eat for flavour. Normally, they eat three times a day but owing to the instability of their living conditions and food shortage, often they have to limit themselves to two times a day.
IDPs dare not to store their food in the village as SPDC troops may take it or destroy it when they enter the area. To avoid this kind of trouble, they hide their rice in the jungle but may lose it if they have to escape approaching SPDC troops.
For IDPs fleeing SPDC troops, eating time is contrary to human nature. In some situations they have to eat at the time of cock-crow, before sunrise and late at night. It is mostly dependent on SPDC military activities and if they are forced to flee.
The night brings happiness for people in city to enjoy dinner with friends but for IDPs on the run the only matter is to find a place where they may sleep securely.
Hopes of IDPs
Firstly, we put
out hope in God. Secondly we put our home in United
Nations ... and thirdly, we put our hope in our mother
organisation (the Karen National Union) to save us from
tyranny
IDPs are the victims of war. When the SPDC organizes an offensive, villagers have to leave their homes and hide in the jungle without food and medical supplies. To identify whether the troops have left the village or not, some IDPs take the risk of secretly going back to an area close to their village. Sometimes they may go back to their home and rebuild their burnt-down house. But in some cases, IDPs can never return home because SPDC troops have laid landmines in the village.
Nevertheless, despite all these difficulties and dangers, IDPs live in hope. One IDP expressed to me that “Firstly, we put our hope in God. Secondly, we put our hope in United Nations peace keeping forces to come and help to solve the problem in Burma and thirdly, we put our hope in our mother organization (the Karen National Union) to save us from tyranny.”
After observing the plight of the IDPs in northern Karen State, I still share this hope. However a true cease-fire between the KNU and the SPDC must be immediately enforced and respected by both sides. A stronger stance and greater involvement by the United Nations would definitely speed up the process of cease-fire negotiations between Rangoon government and all ethnic armed groups fighting in Burma.
For IDPs to rebuild their life in Karen State and all ethnic regions of Burma, peace is a fundamental necessity.
Firstly, we put
out hope in God. Secondly we put our home in United
Nations ... and thirdly, we put our hope in our mother
organisation (the Karen National Union) to save us from
tyranny 