Interview: On current Karen situation

No.03 - 2/2007
6 February 2007
Politics

Interview: On current Karen situation
 
Following news of Col Nerdah Mya's agreement to return to the fold yesterday, S.H.A.N. had interviewed the Karen National Union (KNU)'s representative for Europe and East Timor, Member of Central Committee and Head of Special Warfare Section, Brig-Gen Saw Hsar Gay:
 

^{Brig-Gen Saw Hsar Gay}

SHAN: What was the purpose of this signed document?
 
HG:  The purpose was to unequivocally show where we stood at the time when a lot of speculations about the KNLA wanting to part from the political leadership of the KNU. We all knew that this was not true but at that time it was not prudent to expose who was fabricating these stories which were leaked to the press. It was part of the plan to destabilize the KNU.
 
SHAN: Was there any doubt about some officers supporting the former 7th Brigade commander?
 
HG: Not really, we at Headquarters knew that all the HQ officers and brigade commanders were 100 % supportive of KNU central and the leadership. Regarding 7th Brigade I was pretty certain that the battalion commanders were also not supporting the former brigade commander but were supporting the leadership. I met with the battalion commanders of 7th Brigade at that time and discerned no wavering from their part. 2 IC (Second in Command) and a few company commanders I met at that time were also all in tune. We have professional and dedicated commanding officers in 7th brigade who are politically alert and loyal. They all respect the leaders individually as well as the constitution. Our G.O.C has created an atmosphere of consensus within the KNLA so that while we obey orders but we are allowed to speak our minds and we feel that our opinions are listened to which is very motivating.    
  
SHAN: Why did the political leadership not act sooner when 7th Brigade commander started to question the authority of the central leadership?
 
HG: It was out of prudence and in the hope that he would see that he was  being manipulated and enticed and was acting against the cause and the people .
 
SHAN:  Manipulated by whom?
 
HG:  By people who were out to look for their personal agenda: power or influence , money  and limelight  where the motivations of those who were steering Htein Maung in that direction . Now he will be abandoned as he became useless to their plans and they will be  plotting  as how to pursue their objectives. They used  and misused the name of our  great hero General Saw Bo Mya  and are using  the names of his wife and sons all in order to try to achieve their objectives.
 
SHAN:  After all this what is the final balance of this whole episode which has created so much consternation and speculation  around the KNU ?
 
HG :     Well, first of all  the KNU and its current leadership have proven  to be prudent , cautious yet firm and, above all,  through collective leadership  and  mutual respect the  142 delegates  who voted the Central Committee and choose the big 5 of the EC, namely, President , Vice President, General Secretary   and Joint Secretaries 1 and 2,  have made a good choice  if we judge at the performance of our leadership under extremely difficult conditions .
 
Secondly, it was good to see that our political allies whether the other ethnic nationalities and the Burmese pro - democracy forces, even if they sometimes were worried and confused due to   the course of these  sad events, have always  believed in our ability to handle the situation and supported us politically and morally. It was a victory for what we have stood for six decades!
 
SHAN: What will the SPDC reaction be you think?
 
HG: It is difficult to predict but I hope that they will not respond by increasing their military pressure especially in the 7th Brigade area in order to test the new command as this will lead to unnecessary suffering on both sides and as there is no military solution to this conflict but only a political one. We are, as we have always been, ready to negotiate a political settlement but as an organization and not individually, nor geographically and never forgetting Saw Ba U Gyi `s 4 principles, our people and our allies.
             
SHAN:  How do you think that this whole episode has affected the cause internationally?
 
HG:   It promoted our cause and all those who oppose the SPDC but naturally it has promoted the role of the ethnic nationalities proving how crucial and important they are in the arena of  the Burma political equation. Every time we survive a crisis like this one,  we earn  more and more respect from the international community and our allies, and convince our enemies that the greater the pressure, the more united we become  .