I was born in a very terrible situation in a civil war zone in Burma. The living condition is very poor. My father was a revolutionary soldier of the Karen National Union (rebel) and fought against the Burmese military regime. My mom always took care of our family and our daily life was full with fear, suffering and painfulness. When I reached the age of ten, my father was killed in the battle field and it was a darkest day for our family.
For this reason, my mom didn’t want her children to join revolutionary group because loosing her beloved husband in fighting was a bitter experience and very painful so she didn’t want to loose her son again. In those days, most of the Karen people think that to be a revolutionary you have to be a soldier, you have to hold arms and fight for freedom and self-determination. There are no other alternative ways to get liberation without arm struggle.
At that time, to my understanding I also thought that arm struggle was the only way to get freedom. In my mind I want to revenge the Burmese soldiers. My father was killed, my uncle was killed, my cousin was killed, my friends were killed and my people were killed by the civil war, tortures, abuse and rape. Without you scarify your blood, you don’t free from slave and I have learned from the elders that “without sacrificed your blood, you won’t be freed from slave”. Fighting
means for me to protect my family, my village, my territory and my people. When I was 14 years old, I accompanied my uncle to the battle field and i sawfighting, death bodies, injure, pain and suffering. I had no idea but this experience has motivated me to be a freedom fighter.
When I grew enough, I joined the Karen revolutionary group but my mom didn’t want me to join and she just wanted me to finish my high school in the refugee camp. My mom gave up as she couldn’t stop me and let me in and she just prayed for me to be saved from all forms of dangerous situation. I served as a freedom fighter for two years in the jungle. Living in poor condition, no good food, no shelter, hard work and some nights I have had bad dreams but this difficulties didn’t let me down and I have learned a lot of lessons from this experience. After our territory was occupied by the Burmese army, I came back to the refugee camp and finished my high school.
My life has changed, I am changing and I am not like before but I still commit myself as revolutionary man. I want a big change in my community and my people to gain freedom, self-determination, and justice, respect of our human rights and life security. Arm struggle is not an only solution and I am shameful for the revenge. I don’t mean that I hate arm struggle, for I understand that fighting is to protect our families, our children and our people and our territory. The most important thing is need to have revolutionary thinking skills, understand the root cause of the conflict and building up a new vision for our justice and peaceful society.
When I finished grade ten in Tham Hin refugee camp I met with my old friend who work in Bangkok and he asked me to come with him to Bangkok for a two month training course. I was very happy to get out of the camp and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me even though I have no idea of what training course would be.
"...arum struggle is not the only way to gain our rights, freedom and justice."
I came to Bangkok with three other friends for the training. The training was about the community organizing training. The training taught us about thinking skills, structural analysis and community organizing skills. This training course gives me many new ideas. I have learned that arm struggle is not the only way to gain our rights, freedom and justice. We read about life history of Ghandi and Nelson Madanla and these stories gave us a lot of new ideas and thought. We have not learned about these kinds of stories when we were in school. This kind of study was not popular in school at that time. I dare to say that I have learned a lot of new ideas and this training course have change a lot of my thoughts and gave me new vision for struggling for peace and justice. I have developed my knowledge to struggle for building peace and justice in the society of Burma.
Two months ago my mom left to USA for the resettlement. She called me and she is worrying for my future. Many people said that Internally Displaced People and refugee people have no future. As I am her son, she does not want me to be in trouble and getting old without life insurance and she said, “Come to American and you will become American citizen, you will earn money and you can go back to Burma and start you work again (What do you thinking about it?). You stay in Thailand without any legal document to travel and any time Thai police can arrest you and it will be difficult for your future and I worry for you so much”
I understand my mom very well and I know she loves me very much. I just want to say that, “Mom don’t worry for me” American citizenship can’t give me my life insurance, I have faith in God He is the only God who can give me life insurance. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow but now I have to work here and serve my people and running to my dream that can give guarantee build a certain future for my people.
I said to my mom not to worry for my future even though I don’t know how my future is look like. My future is not have properties and nor living a luxury life. My future is to against any forms of injustice, oppression, live in harmony with our environment and build up a peaceful society. I truly understand that I have friends who will support my will. The only important thing is I have to show them and make sure they clearly understand my will.
I want to set up “Appropriate Education” for my people and give them the seed of thinking. I will find a place to implement my dream. When I went to India and studied at the School of Peace and stayed in Visthar campus I got a lot of ideas in the campus. In my campus (my dream), I will have school and training center full with trees, flowers and vegetables. Trees, flowers and vegetable will give us medicine, food, fresh air and peace of mind.
I want to bring IDP (internally displace people) children and children in war zone to come and have this opportunity to study. I have no doubt that the true change in the future is education but there are many types of education to guide your way in your life. I want my next generation to learn about the education of life, peace, equality, art, music, traditional, cultural and the ways to overcome injustice and oppression and reflect their life. Education helps our society “be peaceful, change yourself, plant peace in your heart and share your peace with others and against any kind of oppression and injustice”.
To read the other articles in the June 2008 Newsletter please click on the links below:
