Burma Link | May 31, 2017

Over many years, General Baw Kyaw Heh, Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), has been defending the Karen State and working towards genuine and lasting peace. General Baw Kyaw was a graduate of KNLA’s first Commando Battalion and fought in several major battles.  He is now in charge of the KNLA’s stronghold Brigade 5, located deep in the jungles of northern Karen State. General Baw Kyaw Heh is also a vocal advocate for preserving natural environments and is one of the driving forces behind the Salween Peace Park, an initiative established to protect indigenous lands and wild life, to defy top down development models and promote a locally-defined development agenda. Over the years, General Baw Kyaw has seen many efforts to find peace come and go. The key to achieving peace in Burma, he says, is for ethnic groups to stay strong and united. In the following, General Baw Kyaw talks about the opportunities hidden in hard situations and gives words of encouragement to Karen young people. This is his message for the Karen youth.

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The interview was conducted as part of the joint documentary “Unrecognised Leaders, Tomorrow’s Hope: Raising the Voices of Forgotten Youth” by Burma Link, Karen Student Network Group (KSNG) and Karen Youth Organisation (KYO). The interview is the second one in a series that Burma Link, KSNG, and KYO will be publishing in the coming weeks. This interview series is meant to give more in depth understanding into the situation of young ethnic refugees from Burma as well as refugee advocacy and Burma’s political situation.

Burma Link started planning this documentary film project in August 2016, consulting numerous refugee-led organisations and other organisations working on refugee issues and producing advocacy films to set the direction for the project. Based on our positive experiences working with refugee youth along the Thailand-Burma border for years, we decided to focus on creating a film that would amplify the voices of the youth, share their stories, and enhance national and international awareness and support for the realisations of social and political aspirations of the youth. The project was planned and conducted in close collaboration with two local youth organisations: the Karen Student Network Group (KSNG) and the Karen Youth Organisation (KYO).  We also partnered with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and Right to Play who support the distribution and advocacy of the film. The central role of education in the film grew organically during the filming and interviewing process, as did the youth’s strong pleas for national and international actors to recognise and support their education.

Burma Link’s team members involved in planning the project all have years of first-hand experience from the Thai refugee camps and working with young refugees. Over the years spent along the border area and in the refugee camps, we have developed a thorough understanding of the security context and how it has changed over time. This context has been given serious consideration ever since the beginning of the planning process, and appreciating its complexity and state of constant flux, we started the planning process by arranging meetings with central actors including various local organisations. Considerable time was spent in considering the security aspects about this project before the filming started. Everyone taking part was clearly explained about the project and that it will be spread to local, national and international audiences as widely as possible. Everyone taking part has been given the option to be anonymous and unidentified.

For more information and screenings, please visit the film’s website and follow the Facebook page.

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General Baw Kyaw Heh’s Message to Karen Youth

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English translation:

[/fusion_fontawesome]I would like to tell the young people that the future and strength of Karen people lies within Karen young people. In a difficult period and hard time, even when we have to flee and live in third countries; we can take it as an opportunity. There is an opportunity while you are in a hard situation.

I have seen that even though young people have to flee to refugee camps and third countries, they have had opportunities to learn education and build up their lives. Now, there are many Karen people living in other countries. They got different kind of education from different counties. I believe this is a good thing for youth people to lead their people and bring freedom to Karen people.

If Karen youth respect and value their time with the opportunities they have and working together, I believe that Karen people have capacity to build rights and freedom. I would like to tell that all young people to value their life and time and work together. They are new generation and we have hopes for the youth people. And I would like to tell young people that even when you are faced with hard situation; there are opportunities that you can take from it. Even if the opportunities are big or small; we will take it and build up our people’s lives.

In the future, I would like you, Karen youth, to work together under one goal, putting different expertise, knowledge, education, and points of view together as a strong point for our Karen people.

I hope that one day, we will be able to work together and work toward freedom of our Karen people. Now, I have seen that many Karen youth, men and women from third countries and inside Burma, they gain education that we can compare it with international standard and this is really good. It will be better if we can do it more in the future.

Don’t feel sad and disappointed because you had to go and live in other countries and if you are looked down upon by other people. One day, we will build up our country and this is my hope and expectation. I want you to respect your value, opportunity and time. One day, we will get what we should get.

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