Interview

Surrender is Out of the Question

By THE IRRAWADDY Tuesday, November 9, 2010

COMMENTS (9)

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Col Saw Lah Pwe

Col Saw Lah Pwe is the commander of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army's (DKBA) Brigade 5, which broke away from the DKBA when the DKBA leadership agreed to join the Burmese military government’s border guard force (BGF).

DKBA Brigade 5 is positioned near the Thai-Burmese border in the area of Myawaddy and the Three Pagodas Pass. On Sunday, the DKBA launched a surprise incursion into Myawaddy and took temporary control of several government buildings, and on Monday, fighting between the DKBA and government troops broke out in and around the town. Also on Monday, the DKBA attacked government troops in the Three Pagodas Pass area and burned government buildings. The fighting has sent thousands of refugees fleeing across the border to Mae Sot, Thailand.

Saw Lah Pwe spoke with Saw Yan Naing of The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

Question: What is the reason you entered the town of Myawaddy on Sunday and seized government buildings?

Answer: We heard that the Burmese military regime forced the residents of Myawaddy to vote. People didn't want to go, but we heard that the junta threatened them with a gun. So we started to deploy our troops in Myawaddy for security.

Q: How is the Burmese government pressuring you?

A: The Burmese authorities told me that they will give me 500 cars and other business opportunities if I agree to join the BGF. They pressured monk U Thuzana [a monk highly influential in the DKBA] to visit me and ask me to accept the BGF. When nobody could persuade us to join, the regime told us to leave Myawaddy. They said they don’t want to see us any longer. But I told them we will not leave. This is our Karen land, so Karen people must live in it. There is no way to leave.

They told me they will give me everything I want if I accept the border guard force. I told them I work for the people. The responsibility of our troops is to protect the people.

Q: What do you think about Burma's election?

A: The election will not bring democracy to the people of Burma and equality for ethnic minorities. It is not real democracy. It is the way they [the junta generals] shed their skin. People don’t support this election. It is not truth. The international community needs to come and observe what is really happening in ethnic areas. They should come and solve the problem.

Q: Other DKBA brigades accepted the BGF. Your Brigade 5 is the only brigade that rejected it. What do you think about the BGF?

A: The BGF is the way the regime will eliminate and manipulate our Karen people. We will uphold four principles of our Karen resistance leader Saw Ba U Gyi [the assasinated Karen resistance hero] until we win the battle.
The four principles of Saw Ba U Gyi are:
• Surrender is out of the question.
• The recognition of the Karen State must be complete.
• We shall retain our arms.
• We shall decide our own political destiny.

Q: You have been operating under a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese government for 15 years. What you do think is the government’s perspective on the ceasefire agreement? Are they serious about the cease-fire?

A: The regime asked us to come and cooperate with it. We cooperated for years with the aim of peace and in the interests of our people. But they don’t want peace.

They don’t respect the agreement. They are not honest about the ceasefire agreement. They are not honest with their people or the ethnic minorities. They will only manipulate and eliminate us. Under their rule, we can only breathe, but can’t survive.

Q: Compared to the Burmese government, you have few soldiers. How will you counter the government troops?

A: We pull our troops out of Myawaddy and deploy outside the town.

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COMMENTS (9)

Ba Wrote:

11/11/2010

A war can solve any problem? Don't look too far , just look at the present. Super Power America went to Iraq and Afghanistan and spent trillion of dollars and thousands of lives. What was the result? Can they declare victory and go back home happily?

Ho yes, they are ok because their people work hard and pay tax to their government to support for the war. What about us? I never thought that in this 21st century, people would be living in the forest while others set the temperature of air conditioners in their homes. 60 years of fighting is enough time to learn lessons from it. If we never learn, even we we are old, we will still be kids. It's time to think about everything ime to think about everything

Superkolay Wrote:

11/11/2010

When cease-fire groups form an alliance and do nothing, I think DKBA Brigade 5 and the SSA-S should form an alliance to show "Federal Army" actions always speak louder than words.

Chin Kalay Wrote:

10/11/2010

Taking Myawwaddy might give troubles to some Karen people, but give privileges and boons to some Karens and Myanmar refugees. This is a sham from DKBA. Thank you, DKBA.

Free Man Wrote:

10/11/2010

"..Bama as a majority race some way or other oppressed the minorities.."

Thank you for acknowledging the fact, which is conducive to national reconciliation. I believe the more people like you we have, the faster genunine peace will come to Burma.

"... take the fight against the military oppression rather than on a racial basis."

I am totally in one with you.

"Fighting against military oppression will bring what we want to all races in our country.."

I think we will still have to work harder even if the regime is gone because I doubt that the majority of fellow Burmans have the kind of understading that you, DASSK, Aung Naing Oo, Win Min, U Aung Khin, Zarni, some other fellow participants on this forum, etc. have when it comes to the ethnic issues.

Zaw Min Wrote:

10/11/2010

I hope Na Hkam Hmwe and his troops fight against the junta as those opposing the military junta rather than only as Karen opposing majority Bama rule. Even though Bama as a majority race some way or other oppressed the minorities, they also are getting the same bitter taste that the minorities had suffered for decades if not a century.
Therefore, take the fight against the military oppression rather than on a racial basis. Fighting against military oppression will bring what we want to all races in our country and make it that much harder for the military to marshal support for themselves if the fight is on a racial basis.
People with guns will fight with guns. The rest will fight with what they have - election, posters, words, slogans, even simply ignoring them - and the country will return to its righteous rulers, the democratic, freedom loving people of all races and religions.

khin Wrote:

10/11/2010

We have a saying in Burmese, " de-pote-hte-ka-de-pae". The junta and the DKBA had an agreement to make a sham uprising if their sham election failed, so that another coup will be justified.

James Wrote:

10/11/2010

What's the point of taking Myawaddy for only two days. You give trouble to the Karen people.

saw taw Wrote:

10/11/2010

Good for you, Col.Saw Lah Pwe. Someone has to stand up for what is right and remove this evil out of the country. Soon we will be there with you, you are not alone. This is not between you and the regime but this is between the Karen who are defending their land from invaders who bring destruction to all Karen and those who live within the Karen nation.
You are a hero who stands for rights, not one who is using their language like wrong is right and right is wrong. God be with you and protect you because what you have stood for are fellow human beings who hvae gone through enormous suffering. Victory is yours, and those who stand for justice and freedom for the oppressed.

Saw Dennis Wrote:

10/11/2010

In the same manner as the military regimes of the past and present, it is time the freedom fighters for democracy, human rights, equality and self-determination used flattery, deceit, threats, enticement, treachery etc., all the deceitful means, as a standard strategy in dealing with the present military dictatorship and the one coming after the election. Only then, will regimes understand and respect the freedom fighters.