Going Home Where We Belong

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

2010-10-26T07:35:00.001-07:00

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

(September 6 – October 3, 2010)

From time to time I go through an experience –a person, a process, a provocation-- that is memorable and transcendent. This year, when I returned to my home in Karen state, there were a few such experiences that I carried with me. And, I share them here.

A Karen Soldier’s Thoughts (in conjunction with mine)

He is the functional equivalent of a drill-sergeant. He trains the enlisters during their first four months of basic training in the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). He is in his early thirties, maybe. With a soft smile on his face he wears, he carries a small green army bag across his shoulder all the time. And, he smokes when he comes back to his barrack to take a break. He can be seen half laying and half sitting, leaning against the bamboo wall or a pile of rice-sacks at the corner in the barrack. Other times, he can be seen around the training ground, with the soldiers.

I was on the military compound to teach at the nearby Officers’ Training School. Since the compound is an all-male-club, there were no female accommodations. So, when we arrived, myself and another female friend, they first built a separate a new bathroom for us. They emptied the instructors’ barracks to house us. And, during my stay there, another female – an old friend – arrived, intruded. Then, there were three of us.

To reach the school where I taught, we have to traverse the training ground. Initially, it served as a stage for our intrusion – as we walked across it, we stuck out more brilliantly than we did when hiding in our new accommodations. They, in their dark uniforms; me, in my brightly-hued longyi.

Every morning, as I walked to the school, I was reminded of one of the cases I read in law school – the Virginia Military Institute case. Not because I felt any discrimination; on the contrary, I could not have felt more welcome. But because there were something missing: the presence of women attending such an important training school. As I made the trek to class, I pondered the absence of women: why were there no women? Do we need women to participate in this particular field of the struggle?

On evening, one of my female friends returned from her walk of the compound and shared an exchange she had overheard on the training ground. A senior soldier – the functional equivalent of a drill sergeant chastised a soldier, he said: “Don’t be like a woman.” It was a simple statement.

As usual, I did not contain my thoughts. I shared them with the Brigadier General. I understood it was a casual statement; but it was a thoughtless statement. The speaker did not think about what he was saying. And, to me, that was a problem. Why didn’t he think? Shouldn’t he think? What happens if he thinks? If he did not think before, shall he begin to think now?

On my last day, both of my friends left before me in the morning and I stayed behind to conclude my last class. When I came back from my class during lunch break (the lunch break was for me, because the soldiers and all the cadets had only two meals a day), there in the living room I saw the ‘drill-sergeant’ and a couple other soldiers relaxing. As usual, they were smoking cigars and talking quietly about many things.

As I finished eating, I overheard the drill sergeant talking to himself.

“It must be a lot easier to govern the country with peace than with war. Don’t you think, Tharamu [Teacher]?”

He made a statement to himself and at the end asked for my opinion, seemingly without expecting me to answer. And, he continued:

“It’s just a click if the military regime wants to rule peacefully. That way I wouldn’t have to fight either, and none of these men I am training would have to fight. I wonder what we would be doing if we did not have to fight.”

I turned back to look at him and saw that he was reading an old piece of a newspaper. I did not know what he was reading about exactly. He went silent for a while and then said:

“I’ve got enough of war. But, these Burmese troops occupying our land here must know that I get up every morning to train more soldiers like me. We will fight until fighting becomes unnecessary.”

I looked at him again. He was lying there, calmly, in his usual posture. No sign of anger or hatred in his look, nor in his tone. I got up and got ready to go back to my class as it was about time. I told him to have a good day and I left off.

On the way, listening to my footsteps, I thought what I might say to the cadets. Under my boots, there laid the ground – a red earth – for all of us. The ground did not complain about how many footsteps it had to accommodate.

As for my last conversation with the cadets at the Officers’ Training School, of all the things that I wanted to tell them, I chose 3 points to ensure they would not forget:

1) They are the precious sons of the Karen people who are trained to become the leaders of next generation and who will have to lead the country to peace and prosperity for all;

2) They must be individuals and leaders who think rationally, who are sympathetic to the weak and the suffering, who stand up against whomever or whatever in defense of justice for all; and

3) They must be individuals and leaders who treat each other as well as all other people with respect regardless of gender, ethnicity, and faith or religion.

And, of course, I wanted them to know that I love them very much simply because of their selfless sacrifice for something that they believe in – peace and justice for our people. The common good for which they brave the world’s ruthless regime, we are going to forever be indebted.

May Oo

xxx

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

2010-10-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

(September 6 – October 3, 2010)

III

The “Car Road”

I have traveled the road into Karen State from Mae Nu Hta for over a decade. It never gets easier. The path paved into the mountain is legendary for its difficulty: as soon as you cross the Salween, the mountain begins. The climb lasts hours, which feel like days.

This year, however, the path was somewhat different. The mountain was still steep, and the terrain unforgiving, but the efforts of villagers to ease the travel burden yielded a wide, clean trail. The sun, shining through the trees, dried the ground just enough to harden the clay.

The locals call it “car road.” They envision the day when there will be cars on the road they built. They imagine themselves commuting by car. Of course, these vehicles exist only in fantasy, this is the war zone of Karen state, and the sole means of transportation and commuting is on foot.

The clay is temperamental. With a little rain, it could easily turn into a slippery nightmare for an unsuspecting pedestrian. But with a little sun, it dries enough to make the walk seem more like a pleasant hike through the mountains. But the trail is long and wide, enough to permit a traveler to walk without disturbance from brush, to see wildlife far enough in advance to take precaution, and to enjoy the scenery of our home state. It did feel like walking on a small rural highway, indeed.

On the way back from Karen State, while walking down the trail, I overheard some Karen soldiers who were walking behind me talking about the “car road.” Their words were so soft, I had to slow my pace to hear them. Of the group, only one of them had ever seen a vehicle in person; yet, they all dreamed out loud:

Is the trail wide enough for a four-wheel truck? one asked.

Another responded, “It might be too winding.”

“But the trail can be improved and all kinds of cars can be driven here,” chimed in a third.

The fourth said, “This trail is not quite ready for a car.”

I have known these soldiers for years now. They have never complained about the terrain, or their routine burden of travelling it. After all, this is their life; this is what they have always known. And yet, their dreams about the "car road" saddened me.

In this world, in my world here, I have traveled and I can travel in any way I want: by airplane, by train, by subway, by car, by bicycle, or on foot. It is only when I go home once or twice a year that I am limited to foot travel; and it is then that I long for the luxury of travel choices. And I do not bear this burden gracefully; I become grouchy and grumpy with each additional step.

For now, “car road” in the war zone means a very heavily mined ground and not very desirable or exciting to have to walk on or walk across. I hope the day comes sooner when the local villagers in Karen State’s war zone can realize their dream about “car road.” The road from Mae Nu Hta into Karen State is a start, for we do not have to worry about landmines. But, still, it is not enough to erase the reality of war.

For now, it is just an imagined "car road."

May Oo

xxx

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

2010-10-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

(September 6 – October 3, 2010)

A Small Person with a Great Personality

I would like to share about a young man who is now a fifth grader at Day Bu Noh High School in Karen State’s war zone. He is smaller than his classmates, but what he lacks in raw height he makes up with his great personality. I met him 4 or 5 years ago. His mother runs a small shop out of her house on the way between Tha Dah Der and Day Bu Noh. We used to stop by the shop en route to Tha Dah Der. She has four small children; he was her firstborn.

From my porch, I can see the soldiers’ barracks. One day, while sitting there, I saw a young man standing amidst the soldiers. He was ordinarily dressed – a military green hat, and a small green bag across his shoulder. He wore a worn out t-shirt distributed by one of the relief organizations as a gift from Good Life Club (American Christian kids club in the U.S) and a pair of red soccer-shorts. But his face intrigued me, so I asked his name. One of the soldiers said the young man was from Welloh Klo, a place between Tha Dah Der and Day Bu Noh. I invited him for coffee.

He walked the twenty or so yards to my steps with a shy smile. He sipped his coffee quietly; his manner was respectful and serious. I asked him about his life, and he answered sweetly but precisely. He told me he was in his fifth year of studies, and had to leave home to go to school, because a school nearby his village only goes to the fourth grade. He lives with his uncle who is a soldier in the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in a military barrack with four other soldiers. . I asked him if he knew or recognized me. He smiled and said yes.

After a few minutes, he finished his coffee. He got up, and rinsed his cup with water twice. I listened to his stories and watched him with awe. And then, he thanked me and asked to be excused.

I was touched by his manner—the way that he engaged me—a stranger. And I pondered how such a sweet spirit could be preserved in a war zone. Such gentleness would be extraordinary even among children raised in the peaceful West, and yet his personality prevailed even in the face of the brutality of war.

My last night in Karen state, I asked one of the soldiers to ask the young man to visit me. Later, he came with a little red torch-light with a rope wrapped around his neck. I asked him what he had been doing; he smiled shyly and responded: “I was just doing my homework.” I told him that I wanted to say goodbye and to give him something before I left. I handed over some small gifts; he thanked me and left.

I was struck by several things about this young man: first, the grace which exceeded his age; and second, his seriousness in his study. But mostly, I was humbled by his disposition, against such odds. Yes, the war has destroyed the lives of thousands of Karen people, but this young man reminded me of the beauty that persists.

May Oo

xxxx

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

2010-10-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Going Home Memoir: a few words into a deep heart

(September 6 – October 3, 2010)

An Exchange between Saw Pler Gay and His Daughter

Saw Pler Gay, a young father returned from working all day in the field and retired to his terrace to smoke a cigar. From there, he could see his daughter, a second-grader, doing her homework diligently inside the house. Suddenly, she stopped working on her lesson and turned to her father, asking:

“Daddy, when my friends go home and do their homework, their parents help them. How come you and Mummy never help me?”

Her voice was curious, not accusatory. But she wished her parents spent their evenings helping her with her schoolwork, and her father felt her sense of loss. So, he looked at his daughter and said these words:

“My dear daughter, your mother and I do not even know how to read. How could we possibly help you?”

His response possessed a mixture of love, apologies, and shame, speaking volumes with just a few words. She returned to her workbooks, and he returned to his cigar.

This is a family of people who were born in the war zone of Karen State. They were deprived of the luxury of education; their foremost thought has been to survive the war—the battles waged on the front lines, as well as those waged in their day-to-day lives: the fight for food, water, shelter, and health.

And yet, despite the differences, what strikes me is the universality of some of the problems faced by Karen children in Karen state and abroad. I spent the summer collaborating on a Burmese Community Center for Education in Indianapolis. The absence of parents from the education process of our children persists here too. We were constantly faced with the problem of lack of parental involvement – the issue is not one of parental indifference, but incapability. One of our organizers reported about the tour she led which was sad but a brutal reality:

“It was a very excited trip for the parents and for the school. Some of the parents arrived on time at the school. Actually, they arrived early. The first thing that they did was introduce themselves to the school principal and to ENL teachers. Then the ENL teacher introduced themselves. Parents and teachers talked for a while. Then ENL teachers showed them their kids’ class and introduce them to the class teachers. Everyone looked happy and excited. That was a very wonderful trip. Oh! Actually, while parents and teachers were talking and asking questions, one of our parents cried because she felt little for herself. She said, ‘I could not be able to help my kid with the homework because I don't understand the language.’”

Although we may be frustrated by the lack of involvement at first blush, incidents like these shed light on the real story: the anguish of parents, biologically charged to educate their children, who lack the skills to carry out that charge to the fullest. And despite the distance of Saw Pler Gay and the native Karen here in the United States, Karen parents are more or less in the same situation.

We may not be able to help Saw Pler Gay, or any of the millions of parents in Burma’s war zones who cannot help their children with their studies. But, we might be able to help the parents in Indianapolis. We have to remain innovative and daring in our approaches to creating programs. After all, here in the United States, it has become a national campaign to engage parents more insistently and to better our children’s potential in their educational achievement.

May Oo

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Going Home Photo-documentary Book Still Available

2010-07-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Just would like to remind you that our Going Home Photo-documentary Book is still available if you would like to purchase. As always, the proceeds go to Going Home Activities Fund. Please click on the title and it will take you directly to the page where you can purchase on line.

For those of you waiting for our new documentary, the Going Home Diary, we hope to be able to release it by August. We will keep you posted.

Thank you all very much for your generous support.

Sincerely yours,
MO
On behalf of the Going Home Team

"A Continued Struggle: Images of Karen Revolution" - Documentary Commemorating the 61st Anniversary of Karen Revolution Day - With English Subtitles

2010-01-31T21:31:00.001-08:00

We hope you find the film informative. For further information, and to obtain a DVD copy of the film, please contact us at nawmayoo@gmail.com. Applicable fees apply.

The GH Book Comments / Review

2009-11-17T04:47:00.000-08:00

# 6

Poe Shan ( Thailand )

Most situation reports describe the suffering of the Karen people, and then it's easy to mislead the readers to believe that the Karen people are helpless, disorganized and can't do anything without outside help. Instead of showing only the suffering of Karen people, this book “Going Home Where We Belong: Stories of Resilience and Hope”, - shows how the Karen people suffer, but how they survive, resist, and keep their dignity, their hope, and their communities alive.

(I agree with Klihsree from ( University of Maryland ) comment, because there are many pictures of you.)

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Review/Comments on the GH photo-documentary Book

2009-11-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

# 5

When I first met the Karen people in 1989 I was deeply moved by their qualities of hope, courage, and faith in the face of great adversity. Added to that was their inner strength and determination to live in a free and just society. The example of the Karen people is a gift to the whole world.

The photo/journal, Going Home Where We Belong, by May Oo and Nieneh Plo speaks volumes to those qualities as the Karens "look toward a brighter future".

Everyone interested in young people who are determined to end oppression and injustice should read this book.

Steven E. Hulme,
Executive Director
Karen Emergency Relief Fund, inc.

Reviews / Reflections on the GH Photography-documentary Book

2009-11-04T07:12:00.000-08:00

# 4

"...the pictures are powerful and the stories are compelling. However, objectively speaking, I think there are too many of your pictures in the book. It's not necessarily a bad thing, especially this is your first publication, but I think half of what you have put in would do the job. People will still know who you are. If you want the book to be about the people, then I think it might be something to consider in the future. If it's more about you, then I think you need to put more of your pictures..."

Klihsree (University of Maryland)

Reviews / Reflections on the GH Photography-documentary Book

2009-11-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

# 3

"...the book arrived yesterday--wow! I have to say I didn't know what to expect but I am overwhelmed with the power of the story and the photos. I looked through it last night and I will spend much more time with it over the coming days and weeks. ..."

Daine (UC Davis), California

Review / Reflection on the Going Home Book

2009-11-03T04:16:00.001-08:00

# 2

Thomas (Australia)

"I finished the book,well done,very strong passages, strong emotions, sometimes pathos takes over (revolutionary style), bit Angels & Demons bipolarity..certainly the book is intended to stir up and energize for recruiting support or keeping up morale..it makes the reader wanna know more and dip deeper(maybe that was intended)...."

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Photography-documentary Book Review

2009-10-17T16:16:00.001-07:00

# 1

Saw Greh Moo (Canada)

The “Going Home Where We Belong: Stories of Resilience and Hope” by A.MO. Mutraw is a reflection on a people’s struggle and determination to resist oppression and injustice in their homeland. A quick and careless glance over the book might easily lead someone to believe that it is nothing more than a collection of photos and brief personal stories. But a serious reading and contemplation through the introduction pages can instantly turn readers thought around about the book even before one has a chance to read through everything. The book demonstrates to the readers that in the midst of oppression, suffering, and fear, it is the human spirit that prevails and withstands everything. No matter how difficult, tragic, and dreadful a human life will be, it is his or her spirit that makes it move forward and prevents it from falling apart physically and psychologically. The personal stories are written in a simple form, either through the author personal conversation with the people or a description of the people the author had personally met. But they tell everything. One striking scenario is when a woman recounted how she repeatedly has to run away from the Burmese soldiers when they came into her village. But she treated it as if it is normal for her running away when they came and coming back when they left. Through her story I can see a way of resistance she has utilized without giving in to the invading army. In other words, she has signalled that the army may come as many times as they want, but they can never force her to leave her beloved homeland. Looking through the prism of my personal experience, the book has particularly struck me in the chord. Having grown up in the Karen liberated area, experienced the Burmese invading army as a child, and now living in the West with little sense of belonging to mainstream society, I couldn’t draw more parallel experiences from the stories in the book. The author’s description of her exiled life, where she could hardly see herself fits into mainstream society, is most particularly true to my experience and many young Karen living in the West. Even with a first world citizenship, sometimes I wonder where my allegiance really lies. After many years, even with successful life and decent education in exile, I still could not find my rightful place. But after reading “Going Home Where We Belong,” I can now see where the problem is: it lies in the sense that while physically living in the West I am psychologically living in my beloved homeland. That’s why I never feel at ease and fit into the mainstream society where I call my new home. I highly recommend this book to any Karen, particularly the young generation, to read and study it carefully. The quality of the pictures is high, but the value of the stories is higher. And anyone interested in learning how ordinary people resist oppression and refuse to accept their fate in the midst of subjugation should read this book.

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Going Home 2009 Visual Memories (Click Here!)

2009-09-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone -

If you click on the link, you will be taken to the Going Home 2009 Online Album.

Enjoy.

Regards,
GH 2009 Team

Online Album Updated (Click here!)

2009-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends:

Please visit an updated online album by simply clicking on the title . Pictures are of Karen New Year celebration in Butho Township, and Commemoration of 60th Karen Revolution Day in Mutraw (Pa-pun) District.

Best,
MO

Reflection of Going Home Where We Belong 2008

2008-09-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Reflection on Going Home Where We Belong Program 2008

Although we had to start our Going Home Program for 2008 very late for the reason thoroughly explained by May Oo, we are pleased that we could successfully finish it by mid August 2008. And for this accomplishment, I would like to thank all the members of the Going Home Team, friends and colleagues at KSU, and leaders from Mutraw District/ Brigade 5 and Mergui-Tavoy District/Brigade 4 of Kawthoolei for their enthusiastic corporation and commitment to the Program.

We drove northbound on Thailand’s highways overnight from Bangkok to Mae Sod in the pick-up truck generously lent to us by the Mergui-Tavoy District. After a one-day break and arrangement for further trip in Mae Sod, we drove another seven hours toward Mae Hong Son Province where the homes of the Karenni refugees are. Twenty minutes on the backs of two motorbikes trough muddy and bumpy-jumpy track took us to the heart of a Karenni refugee camp known as Camp 1. Camp 1 is the largest Karenni refugee camp and is also one of the most populated or cramped refugee camps along Thai-Burmese border.

Our mission in Camp 1 was to hold a workshop on Understanding Local Government in cooperation with Karenni Students Union (KSU). The participants were mostly from KSU, Karenni Leadership and Management Course, Social Development Course, and other local organizations. Many of them were young post high school students, pursuing their further education in refugees-run training institutions in the camp. Their participation was quite encouraging although the topic of the workshop did not seem much relevant to their immediate futures. And this is when the need for more Going Home programs by more of us who have been away from home caught my attention again.

Most of the participants were dreaming about resettling in the United States and other so-called third countries whether alone or with their families. Rumor also had it that the US was willing to take at least 15,000 or all of the refugees in the camp of around 20,000 populations, and a significant number from some 6,000 residents in Camp 2, another Karenni refugee camp.

These refugees left their home for many miserable reasons and fled into Thailand for refuge. Now many more reasons have compelled these refugees to seek a safer and better life to wherever circumstance takes them. They have little clue of what lies ahead, and even fewer clue on how they would ever be able to come back or go home once they resettle in another foreign land further away from their home. Probably these are the main reasons why some of them are hesitant to make the decision to resettle. But for some, the home has been left behind, and there is very small hope of returning to it; so why not grab the opportunity that seems to promise a better life in the future? Maybe this opportunity will give us and prepare us with some necessary tools to come home and rebuild it when there is a chance. Exactly. This is not a bad reason to leave home, and it is indeed an important thing that should be done as soon as possible.

Last year the Going Home Team witnessed our people fleeing from home into Thailand due to the war and oppression in our homeland. This year the Team witnessed our people in refugee camps heading to yet other foreign lands due to the gloomy life in refugee camps in Thailand.

We leave our home further and further away from us. We seek better and brighter life. And of course, we all say that we want to go home and be with our people, help them, work with them sometimes in the future. At the same time we know and feel that it is not easy to make this dream a reality. But we won’t dream if we think we can’t make it. Our home misses us. It needs us. And most of all, it welcomes us back. Let’s go home, my Karen/Karenni friends.

Neineh Plo

Co-founder

Going Home Where We Belong

Going Home 2008 - Greetings

2008-08-31T07:30:00.001-07:00

August 31, 2008

Dear Friends of Going Home Where We Belong Program:

Warm greetings. I am pleased to inform you that we had just successfully executed our Going Home 2008 program and that we are now back in school again for another academic year.

Before I go on, I need to acknowledge you and apologize to some of you that our plan did not quite go as we anticipated and therefore there were some miscommunications. The reason for that was that all three of us here at Indiana University did not receive our necessary travel documents on time back from the Homeland Security Department. Therefore although we planned to begin our trip by May 7, we could not actually leave the U.S until July 1. We did apply for our travel document six months ahead and that’s why we did not anticipate that it would have caused us such trouble.

Nevertheless, we are pleased to inform you that the much delayed program went very well although it was severely cut short. There were some minor changes in all the activities, but generally we were able to do most of the things we planned to do with the unwavering cooperation from our colleagues back home. We spent a week with the KSU and other organizations in the Karenni Camp 1 for a workshop on Understanding Local Government, which was originally planned to be a joint program with KSNG. After that, we spent another brief period in Mutraw District (5th Brigade) with our officers from the four northern brigades (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th). Together with our officers, we had a 2-day session of critical discussion on Civilian and Military Administrations with a focused look into the importance of accountability and transparency. Following our time in 5th Brigade, we continued the last part of our Going Home program in the Mergui/Tavoy District (4th Brigade) and spent one full week there for a course on Understanding Local Government: Public Policy Making and Analyzing and Critical Thinking. It was a refresher course for the district leadership and we had the most incredibly enriching time learning and sharing with our leaders.

In the following segments, we would like to update you with the situation back home, about the people, and hope for the future of our peoples and our country.

We would like to thank each and every one of you for your generous contribution to this Going Home Where We Belong and we very much hope that many of you will be able to join us in person in the near future. No matter how far and for how long we have been apart from the beloved land, it remains true that the land is a home we belong to just as much as it belongs to us. Please join us whenever you can and reclaim it.

Sincerely Yours,
Going Home Coordinating Team

Going Home 2008 - Karenni First

2008-08-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

The following is a memo on our Going Home Where We Belong – Summer 2008 trip which we started on July 2 and ended on August 20, 2008.

In Karenni Camp 1 (July 7 – 12, 2008)

With the initiative of Karenni Students Union (KSU), Going Home team participated in a workshop entitled Understanding Local Government. The participants were mostly from the Social Development Course, Karenni Leadership and Management Course, and other individuals working with different camp-based organizations.

The intention was to strengthen their understanding of how things are done at local government level, the systems and bureaucracy, and how to make and analyze public policy. The course was more of discussions based on the practical means available in their community. We hoped that discussions on various issues concerning local government or public policy would encourage our participants to take part in public works, or to be interested in public services.

Though we had a great short week with our participants, on the other hand, it was disheartening to see and know that most of our participants, especially young students, were drifting in the dream to go to third-countries. While it is perfectly understandable that every human being searches for green pasture where life offers hope – in their struggle and for their brighter future – and that our peoples are of no exception, just to see them drifting reluctantly simply because the current situation is so bleak even to maintain hope is heartbreaking.

Most of them participated so enthusiastically but the uncertain tomorrows in the refugee camps keep them far from being settled.

We found that it was part of the negative impact created by the resettlement programs currently so popular in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. However, the root-causes of such situation go deeper – the 60 years old unresolved civil war, the continuation of oppression based on ethnicities and religions, and the uncertainties of refugee-camp life.

We would like to thank KSU for organizing the workshop despite the situation that was not so encouraging. Such initiative was a long-shot but necessary one, for we must not give up on believing and hoping that situation must change and we must overcome any and all the difficulties in order for us to rebuild our nation, a nation undergoing desertion on daily basis now because of the unbearable oppressions.

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Going Home 2008 - 5th Brigade (Mutraw Dist.)

2008-08-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

In 5th Brigade with the Officers from KNLA Northern 4 Brigades
(July 13 – 30, 2008)

5th Brigade is in Mutraw District of Kawthoolei. The place we were in was called Weh Gyi and was located by the River Salween. We traveled by a boat from Mae Sam Lap for four hours to get to Weh Gyi. It was also a place where the infamous Weh Gyi dam is to be built against the will of the local people, endangering the livelihood and the existence of all the people and living things in the area.

Going Home team was invited to lead a refresher course on Civilian and Military Administrations: accountability, transparency, and checks & balances, an initiative of the 5th Brigade as part of its short and long terms planning to restructure the Organization at district and brigade levels. Participants in this course were the officers from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Brigades. The underlying goal of such course was to bring about a more systematic structure within the organization and to ensure checks and balances between orders of authority. With critical look into the current structure and state of the organization, we had so much vibrant and often heated discussions during our 2-day session. We learned that admitting to our own weaknesses and realizing our inabilities are necessary pains to go through if we are to better ourselves and our struggle. Some of the things that we discussed and learned during this 2-day session would be reflected in the outcomes of, at least, Mutraw District Congress which was held in mid-August 2008.

We would like to thank the Brigadier of 5th Brigade and all colleagues from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Brigades – KNLA - for this important opportunity to share and learn from each other. Moreover, we would like to thank all of them for their steadfast understanding of our difficulties in trying to come back home. Although there was expectation that Going Home team would be bigger this year than 2007, we were sad to present them with yet again a small group. Though we as coordinators were disappointed, our hosts - our leaders and colleagues – were more understanding of and ever enduring the imperfect efforts we made.

While in the 5th Brigade, we had a chance to observe the commemoration of Karen National Defense Organization Day at the new training site with the Karen soldiers from Commandos School.

It was absolutely encouraging to meet with our officers and soldiers who are working hard, always bettering themselves, and positive-minded. Their energy and unfailing commitment give us hope for a better future even in the midst of all difficulties. But, we all are aware that to gain complete recognition of Karen State, freedom of our peoples, and to realize our rights to peace and prosperity must be a national effort and that it is not merely an effort can be made and achieved by a group of brave men and women. We feel deeply grateful that many of our peoples are making all kinds of enormous sacrifices to carry on the struggle of the Karen people, for a better future of the Karen people and for a peaceful Burma. But, we understand that we all as the people of Burma – Karens and non-Karens alike - have a stake in each other. The wellbeing of the Karens depends on the wellbeing of all others in Burma. We cannot deny that we will rise and fall together as one people, as one nation, in Burma.

Going Home 2008 - In the South (Mergui/Tavoy Dist.)

2008-08-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

In Mergui/Tavoy District (4th Brigade – KNLA)

The chairman of Mergui/Tavoy district had requested for a course of Understanding of Local Government for the district leadership and we were glad to have made it this time although it was long delayed. During the intensive period of the course, we studied the functions of local government, specifically how public policies are made and analyzed. There were lots of comparative analyses over the situation on the ground, the ever-changing circumstances, and the practices. The participants included the entire district administration including the chairman and the brigadier of 4th Brigade. Mergui/Tavoy District is one of the most vibrant districts in the KNU and we were greatly encouraged by their enthusiasms and active involvement in the discussions.

Going Home 2008 - Reflections

2008-08-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

Conclusion

We had a chance to observe the 58th Anniversary of Karen Martyrs’ Day fell on August 12, following the 8.8.88 anniversary of students uprising in the cities of Burma. All the Burmese services by VOA, BBC, RFA, and DVB aired programs analyzing the current political situation in Burma and the movement for restoration of democracy in commemoration of the 8.8.88 anniversary.

As we listened, we were disheartened by the fact that Burmese language media – excluding the government controlled media inside Burma – was despicably subjective in their presentations of the problems in Burma. Although the purported analytical presentations were coincided with the commemoration of the 8.8.88 anniversary, it was about a country in which various ethnic groups, including the ethnic Burmans/Burmese are residing. The presentations, and almost all the analyses and views, centered on the urban-based movement led by students, monks, and the NLD in particular, disregarded the collective efforts made by various ethnic minorities groups. The plights of ethnic minorities and their efforts to bring about change in the country were treated as side-dish. The Burma question was separated from the question of ethnic minorities as if they were from another planet.

What appears to us, and what we learned through out our time with folks on the ground, is that there is little prospect, if there is any, for our beloved country so long as the Burma problem is seen and understood in the terms of “theirs” and “ours.” The general notion presented by the Burmese language media portrays the struggle of ethnic minorities as a separate struggle from the struggle for change in Burma, the pro-democracy movement, per se, as a whole.

We think that it seems more imperative now than ever for the Burmese people in general to know the histories of their own country and their own fellow country-people. In the eve of our nation’s independence in 1948 when the entire Karen peoples went out on the streets of Burma to protest, their unequivocal demand was and still remains the respect for and recognition of democratic values which includes equality and right to self-determination. Since 1948, the Karen peoples had rejected any idea that might lead to civil war.

Given the dire situation in which our country is dying a slow death, we think no time is more right than now that the people of Burma come to term with the reality – that is –Burma is a one community of which the membership belongs to all the ethnic peoples. And, we must understand that membership of such community means we see the stake that each of us has in our neighbor’s dreams and struggles as much as we see in our own. In same regard, we believe that the persistent resistance - politically, culturally and militarily - of the multiple ethnic nationalities for equality and their right to self-determination should be factored in as a part of - not as a separate - the broader political struggle for democratic change in Burma.

To be sure, we are challenged to understand that the wellbeing of the Karens depends on the wellbeing of all others in Burma and vice versa. The stake is too high to pretend that one will rise when others fall in Burma. Even SPDC understands that it cannot rise alone while others are falling and such understanding can be seen in efforts to recruit and organize groups such as USDA.

It is clearer to us now that for the KNU, the question is not whether or not it can fight off the military regime. Rather, the question is what is then next after the military regime. However, everyone else in Burma will have to answer this collectively with the Karens.
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Invitation to Join Going Home 2008

2008-02-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

GOING HOME WHERE WE BELONG
Going Home 2008

Dear Friends:

It’s time now again that we resume our discussion over the ongoing project that we started last year – Going Home Where We Belong. Of course, this year will be Going Home 2008. After reflecting on our experience last year, we are with the opinion that we would need to revise our overall program a little bit while the fundamental objective would remain unchanged.

For Going Home 2008, we would like to concentrate most of our resources (especially time and money) on the ground-works with our partners back home. That means we would not put as much effort to solicit new members from the Western countries to join our program as we did last year. Although the program will remain Going Home Where We Belong and new and old friends will always be more than welcome to participate in this program, we have also concluded that the established Going Home team will carry on with what had been started already last year. That is, Going Home 2008 is a continuation of Going Home 2007 (www.goinghomekarens.blogspot.com).

The new leadership of Karen Students Network Group (KSNG) has pledged to work with us this year. Mergui/Tavoy District, the 5th Brigade (KNLA), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and the Karenni Students Union (KSU) will remain our core partners in this program.

Some of our friends from England and Australia have extended their encouragement recently to this program and pledged to take part in every way possible way. It is wonderful and we hope that they can personally join us as well when the time comes. Our friends from Canada also continue their commitment to participate in different ways if they could not join us in person. That, we also appreciate. Of course, we wish that all Karens/Karenni around the world /could join us in persons, for this would mean so much to our peoples back home.

For this year program, some major adjustments would have to be made due to the changes taking place in all arenas including politics, military, and economy in the U.S, Thailand , and elsewhere. Especially those of us who have to be responsible for the logistic part of the program, it is certainly going to be a challenge. We ask that you kindly share us your generosity again.

Soon, we will be sending you a more detailed plan to cover our tentative activities on the ground with our partners back home. With this invitation, we just would like to bring back to your attention that it is now time again to think about Going Home, for we have been away from our motherland for so long!

With best wishes,

May Oo (haye@indiana.edu)
Neineh Plo (nplo@indiana.edu)
Going Home 2008 Team

2007-08-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

MEMO ON GOING HOME SUMMER 2007

The following is a memo on our Going Home Where We Belong – Summer 2007 trip which we started on May 13 and ended on August 4.

Background: As we began to formulate this program, we had decided that this first trip back home would be based on three main goals: to educate ourselves with the situation on the ground so that we could prepare for better services in the future; to share our knowledge with those who certainly would be interested; and to build a stronger bond between us despite the geographic disparity. Ultimately, we expected that a trip as such would humble us in many ways, would enable us to appreciate education more, and would strengthen our commitment to the betterment of our peoples’ future.

Activities: As we had informed you previously prior to the beginning of the trip, we generally divided the program into two main parts. As appeared in our Work Plan 1, the first part of the trip involved meetings & discussions with various youth and students groups in the refugee camps, workshops, and town-hall meetings with our leaders of respective organizations such as the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Karen National Union (KNU). We traveled extensively from north to south and then back to the north again as to fulfill our set agenda.

Going Home - MEMO 2

2007-08-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Reflection: Of all the activities, there are a few that we think important to be evaluated so that we could learn from the strengths and weaknesses of our experience in order to better our future activities:

Meetings & Discussions and town-hall meetings with Various Groups

We met with the youth and students group based in Karenni camps 1 and 2, had a town-hall meeting with leaders of KNPP, and we also had a day long meeting and intensive discussion with leaders of Mutraw District/5^th Brigade of KNLA.

Most meetings we had were semi-formal and topics for discussions were picked by our participants to address the currently prevailing concerns over the situations. The issues ranged from what make national leaders to the increasing departure of our people for third countries and its psychological and practical impacts.

From these meetings and discussion with the youth, students, and our leaders, we learned that our people continue to live in various forms of fears and that any positive improvement of situation has been disproportionately small despite so many rapid activities going on along the Thai-Burma border as well in the international community. While we would very much like to be encouraging, we are aware that being able to assess the realities to the fullest extent possible is the only way we can move forward. Our discussions were often painful as we all had to swallow the bitter truth about deterioration in our revolutions – the highest calling to fight against dictatorship and ethnic chauvinism.

Nevertheless, we also found strengths in many of our remaining peoples and leaders whose courage and commitment to bring forth change continue to stand unwaveringly. Likewise, our people living in the active war-zone also continue to demonstrate their determination to retain our homeland at any cost even while many of us are far and away from that land.

Essentially, we found that there should be constant communications that aim to develop meaningful discussions, debates, and thereby better understanding of and cooperation among groups in different countries. We also found cohesiveness of ideas and orchestrated activities are imperative if we are to succeed as a people doing revolutions.

Going Home - MEMO 3

2007-08-15T13:19:00.001-07:00

Workshops and Teaching Courses

We had a successful week-long workshop with the camp-based groups in Karenni camp 1, kindly coordinated by the Karenni Students Union (KSU). We consider it a success not only because we were well received by the participants, but also we had some of the most active participants and non-traditional discussants in the workshop. Their contributions to the discussions had enabled us to better understand where we are at this point in terms of preparedness. Though we do not envision every individual in our respective communities to become politician, we learned that there should be systematic programs – through curriculums, for example – to give quality political education, among others, to various levels of our peoples. We believe that their improved political awareness would serve as a great asset to our revolutions as a whole.

After the Karenni camps, we had a one-day meeting in Weh Gyi with the local and regional leaders from 5^th and 3^rd brigades. The 5^th Brigade was our host for this meeting. The meeting was tense as issues discussed were ranged from defending our people who continue to live in the active war-zones, countering systematic and destructive projects such as dam constructions along the Salween River to population movements especially through our people departing for third countries, etc. We spent three days in Weh Gyi. Those who came to the meeting included battalion commanders, district level officials including departments’ heads, and other officers from the brigades including the two brigadier generals. During our stay, we went to visit the new arrivals in Eithoohta refugee camp. They came mainly from brigade 2, fleeing non-stop attacks by the SPDC against their villages, and they arrived on the same day that we got to Weh Gyi.

Going Home - MEMO 4

2007-08-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

In the South, we spent a week taking part in the three-months long training organized by the Mergui/Tavoy District/4^th Brigade for new generation and second-line leaderships. MO spent thirty hours (five days) on teaching the intermediate level understanding of federalism in the context of the Karens’ struggle.

Based on the notion that the Tennansarim Division (Mergui/Tavoy District) is to become a member state in the future federal union, participants discussed the possibilities and prospects of their home state. That, we considered progressive development and that we were greatly encouraged by the participants.

Going Home - MEMO 5

2007-08-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is the final part of our Going Home memo and we would like to welcome any comments our viewers might have in order to better prepare for Going Home 2008.

At the end of the first part of Going Home trip to the South, we came back to Mae Sariang to begin the second leg of our trip into Karen State. We spent exactly two weeks in Karen State altogether while a week was spent for training on federalism and the Karens’ struggle. It was an intermediate level as it was also the second time a training of that kind organized. Participants were again from Klerlweehtoo District and Mutraw District. The entire course was centered in the constitutional preparation of Kawthoolei as a member state in the new federal union we envision. We believe that series of discussions we had through out the course were stimulating and the participants were very involved. At the end of the course, the participants came up with a list of powers Kawthoolei should retain constitutionally in order to be a sovereign state where the citizens of Karen State can really enjoy freedom and prosperity under the rule of law. Exercise as this one, we believe, enabled our people to think more progressively and more futuristically. This course also served as a warning to all of us how prepared we should be to embrace the change we have been fighting for and that preparation is needed now along with the struggle. For now, the discussions are still general and it is our hope that we will be able to have more discussions on the details as to how we are going to prepare ourselves simultaneously with the struggle for liberation. ----

We technically ended our Going Home trip after we came out of Karen State on July 14. MO traveled to continue her professional obligation for two weeks to take part in a constitutional seminar and meetings with various constitution drafting committees from the states. NNP went back to Karenni camp 2 to spend about a week with his family before we all headed back to the US. Hsakuthay joined us until we finished the workshop in Karenni camp 1 and then he asked to spend time with his family in the refugee camp. Kellen was with the team through out the trip and she also participated in the constitutional seminar as a team member of the Center for Constitutional Democracy in Plural Societies from Indiana University School of Law.

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