Not to be late for all - Is the KNU

[an400642@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Not to be late for all - Is the KNU ready for the future ?

Not to be late for all - Is the KNU ready for the future ?
Was it ready for past opportunities ?

        Time's hours, minutes and seconds are moving regularly warning
and saying good bye to everyone with no favouritism. It also has brought
unexpected changes simultaneously.

        To focus on the existing sector of the world, especially in
Burma, the historical documents showed that the ethnic people dwelled
there since thousands years ago. Yet there were no exploitions and human
right abuses. The ethnic people spent their living in harmony. Then
Burmans who were originated from "Tahaung" came down to this land. Some
despotic people full of chauvinism raided the ethnic people's places and
ruled them. Most of the ethnic people moved to the deep forests and
mountains in order to survive and recover from the sufferings of
exploitions, which were initiated and rooted since that time until now.

        In the Chinese/ Burmese up-rising, the-1967 labour strike, the
1969 Kyunswae (South East Asia games) up-rising, the 1974 U Thant
funeral up-rising, the 1976 Thakin Kodaw Hmaine up-rising and the 1998
democracy up-rising, it seemed the contained feelings of suffering came
out from the whole people in Burma. The people wanted to end the one
party ruling system. They also hoped and needed the ethnic
revolutionaries to join their struggles for democracy. Meanwhile, in
those situations the ethnic revolutionary groups continually have had
internal misunderstanding and conflict within their groups. So they
could only watch the changes in the country.

        The Karen National Union (KNU) is the most experienced and
strongest group among the ethnic revolutionary groups. Its rates of
income and recruiting soldiers were the highest during 1970-80. Although
since that time in stead of building up the abilities of the next
generation for the future, extending propaganda in the media, taking the
chance of using the weaknesses of opponents and effectively attacking
them, collecting all of the unjust acts of the enemy for news world
wide, the leaders were invested in individual economics, they were
satisfied with building up strong bases and either directly or
indirectly despising and pressing down the younger people who are active
and educated. At that time a high ranking military officer of Burmese
army from the south eastern command area, in Paan (Karen state),while he
drank together with some of his comrades he complained that if the Karen
rebels are realy making an  offensive against them, they could not
defend it, instead they would defect or leave their areas.

        Though in this opportunity, thee KNU leadership absolutely
believed in the strong bases in their territories and still concentrated
on their property and neglected the duties unaware of the changes in the
current situation. Positive reports from the bottom made them think that
everything was going well. Suddenly, on the  8th of August, 1988 , there
was a countrywide democratic up-rising. The people needed the
revolutionary groups to participate. But the leaders of the KNU were
only able to lift up their wrinkled foreheads and watch the changes
through thick glasses with no response. After that, the bases they
believed were strong have fallen one by one. In 1991, some KNU troops
penetrated into the Ayeyawaddy delta region. On behalf of this chance
the groups might have worked together to pressure and abolish the SLORC,
but every group avoided involvement and ignored this event. Finally most
of the Karen people in the dalta region suffered a many causaties and
troubles. It was because neither the KNU  nor the other groups have
enough mutual  understanding,or wish to participate in unity. They just
only worked to benefit and emphasize their own associations and
nationalities. Even though they have the policy of " unity to destroy
the common enemy" not much has been done.

        Now in the last situation, there are only Karen, Arakan, Chin
and Burmese revolutions (ABSDF) remaining. The other groups have made
cease fire agreements with SLORC. Never the less it is still necessary
to increase more firmly unity and cooperation with systematic
preparation. It is the beginning of changes again in Burma, after Daw
Aung San Su Kyi has been released. The KNU also has made a  decision for
the peace talk with SLORC. No one knows whether it will succeed or not,
but it seems a lot of people are wishing and hoping for the best.

The pre-meeting of cease fire between KNU and SLORC began on the end of
1995. Times after time it has several discussions and meetings on both
sides, although there many SLORC troops still have military activities
deployed and have set up new regiments and occupied the occupied the
Karen territories by showing the reasons of regional security for the
infamous Gas pipeline to a major offensive if the peace talks fail. It
could be the same as the Karenni situation.It is just a time of a yellow
traffic light. After the yellow light, the red or green light should
follow.

        Is the unity enough for the changes?
        Do they already have systematic preparation? 
 But they must not be too late for the people.

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