Message of KNU President, Gen. Mutu Say Po, on Occasion of 63rd Anniversary of Karen People Martyrs’ Day

August 12, 2013

Dear Karen Nationals,
Patriotic Comrades in Resistance,

Today is the 63rd Anniversary of Karen people Martyrs’ Day. This date has been designated as Karen people Martyrs’ Day, for commemorating President Saw Ba U Gyi, together with other Karen leaders, comrades and Karen civilians, who have sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Karen people. At the same time as being a sad day for the whole Karen nation, it inspires a sense of pride within the Karen community for the emergence of such patriotic martyrs. On this occasion of the Martyrs’ Day, I wish all the Karen nationals, with a tie to the martyrs, to be healthy physically and spiritually, and be able to take pride joyfully in the sacrifice of lives by your loved ones and the emergence of martyrs for the nation.

In the 63 years of armed resistance, the sacrifice of lives by countless martyrs is for the Karen peopleto be liberated from oppression and to lead a life of dynamic progress, peace and prosperity. The sacrifice of lives by our martyrs has made the Karen people to be able to exist as a nation, and the Karen people’s resistance movement to continue to exist and be active, up to this day.

The sacrifice of lives by our national martyrs means that the martyrs have fully discharged their national duty. However, their sacrifice has not yet fulfilled their hopes. The duty of fulfilling the hopes of the martyrs and giving meaning to their sacrifice of lives falls into the hands of us, who are still alive.

Dear Karen Nationals,
Patriotic Comrades in Resistance,

Today, the leadership ofour organization and our nation’s future political movement is faced with a challenge. It is necessary to study the features of this challenge in depth, lay down a political program in consonant with the situation and face it with boldness and unity. At the same time, it is necessary to review, amend and adjust the leadership of our organization, unity within the organization, the performance of duty by individuals within the organization and perform for achieving the real needs of our people, in accordance with the objective conditions, to the highest degree.

Dear Karen Nationals,
Patriotic Comrades in Resistance,

The political stand of the KNU is that, as movement of the Karen people is political, it must be resolved politically. The aim of establishment of armed organizations by the KNU is notto fight the enemy for victory and seize the State power. The aim is to protect the organization and the people, to be able to resolve the political problems harmoniously, to achieve equality and self-determination for the Karen people and all the other ethnic nationalities, to establish a federal union based on democracy. As the KNU accepts the resolution of Karen political problem through political dialogue and negotiation as the most correct way, whenever the condition allows, the KNU has to establish peace with the regimes in power andresolve the Karen political problem politically through dialogue.

After accession to power, U Thein Sein, leading the government, made overture for peace building in the country and held ceasefire negotiation with the ethnic nationality resistance organizations. As the overture was made, the KNU accepted the dialogue, agreed to preliminary ceasefire and it is to hold political negotiation. To make the ceasefire durable, to be able to build peace in the country and to cease armed conflict, the KNU has drawn up a Code of Conduct for the armed organizations to follow and submitted it. After getting full guarantee for ceasefire from the armed organizations in the whole country, the political problems causing armed conflict have to be resolved. At the same time, for building internal peace and resolving the political problems that have caused armed conflict in the country, the KNU has to discuss and work with other ethnic nationalities for the right to equality. The ethnic nationalities got together and laid down a frameworkfor political dialogue. The program for political dialogue, laid down by the ethnic nationalities, has to be discussed and fine-tuned with the government. The government did mention about acceptance of the demand made by the ethnic nationalities for resolving the political problems.

Dear Karen Nationals,
Patriotic Comrades in Resistance,

The meeting now is the first step for political dialogue for resolving political problems through dialogue demanded by us. In moving and performing politically, knowledge, attention and diligence are especially necessary. During the time of armed conflict, due to different reasons, though the Karen people wanted to participate and cooperate, they did not have the permission to do so. However, it is a situation for the entire Karen people to participate and work in cooperating and working politically. Now is the time and situation for the Karen people to participate and cooperate with unity and boldly express aspirations of the Karen people. Being a people, the Karens want to live indignity like the developed peoples. They are a free people and have the rights to self-defense and self-development. No one can infringe these rights. However, we have not received our rights to freedom fully and officially, up to thisday. For full guarantee, the rights of the ethnic nationalities should be written precisely, in the Constitution. Up to now, the government does not have clear and tangible programs to address the problem of the ethnic nationalities and to establish a fully democratic State. For that reason, the KNU leaders, all the KNU members and the entire Karen people are required to express, with unity, aspirations of the Karen people and work with vigor to achieve the goal for which the martyrs have sacrificed their lives. In our future effort, it is necessary for us to work with Karen organizations in other countries, organizations of other ethnic nationalities and the democratic forces concertedly, correctly and systematically and with mutual understanding and support, in all sectors.

Dear Karen Nationals,
Patriotic Comrades in Resistance,

Today is the day we commemorate our national martyrs. With the solemn honoring, it is vitally important for us to make a pledge to work like the martyrs while they were alive, for achievement of their aims and fulfillment of their hopes. May the spirit of the martyrs be in the hearts of us, who are still alive, and may we be able tofulfill the aspirations of our people to live as a free people and to eternally progress and be strong is my wish with love.