Karen Freedom Fighters vow to conti

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Subject: Karen Freedom Fighters vow to continue resistance

Karen Freedom Fighters vow to continue resistance
The Nation

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