News
June 11, 2007Karenni Cease-fire opened a Post-Ten School
A cease-fire group with Burmese government, Karenni Nationalities People’s Libration Front (KNPLF), started to open a Post-ten school for this academic year 2007 at border point 14.
The purpose of opening the school, it’s for the students in Burma those who are not able to continued their education said a KNPLF’s education officer, who take responsible for the program.
“We don’t have student amount regular limited, it is depend on their ability, but at least 10 people. It is some children hobby, actually now, we are calling students from deep jungle so that’s why, some students completed grade 10 but some are not” said an education officer.
In this Post-Ten school, they will more prioritized teaching English subject so students who completed grade 9 can also attend.
“Who success completed grade 9 and fail from grade 10 but it is depend on their ability. In reality, this school is not reach to Post-ten standard level yet. They will especially prioritize to teach on English subject, they don’t have other subjects yet” said the education officer.
This Post-Ten, it is the same as foreign NGOs support schools in refugee camps, so all the students have to stay in the boarding house and eat there, they don’t have to pay for school fee, it is free of charge.
The foreign donor decreasing supported for the Post-Ten school in Karenni refugee camp for this academic year and then the project was started in a KNPLF control area.
The budget’s 50% decreasing supported for the Post-ten school is, the school is in the refugee camp which under control by the local authorities, so the donor can’t access to camp and up set of it, said a Post-Ten teacher in refugee camp one.
This is the first time that KNPLF able to open a Post-Ten school in their control area and they don’t get any foreign support for the school, and it’s opened by their own organization supported.
There are 10 students and three teachers so they have to study for two years and then they will complete for the course.
Source: The Kantarawaddy Times/ Ngar Moe, E-Mail: kantarawaddy@gamil.com
Commentary
Cease-fire talk is a "MUST" for armed conflict resolution
By Soe Reh Release: 25 March,2007Karenni National Progressive Party, let by general secretary, Khun Rimond Htoo resumed the 1995's cease-fire talk agreement with military's representative, Col Myat Win of Burma’s intelligence body, Military Affairs Security, and four other government officials in Mai Sai- Tackchi lake,Thai-Burma Border last week, March, 23, 2007.
KNPP once made cease-fire agreement with the military junta in 1995 however fighting resumed within three months after signing the agreement. The KNPP considered the agreement was no longer exist however the military junta has constantly claimed that the KNPP is still being a legal member of cease-fire group with the junta.
Talk is a good tool or channel to redevelop confidence toward a concrete agreement between the two parties to recreate a positive livelihood of the Karenni people in Karenni (Kayah) state, Burma.
KNPP clearly stated in its political wills and objectives toward political and armed conflict resettlement must only proceed through table discussion and negotiation. This is a clear signal that the KNPP dose not believe in "war" as an answer toward "victory" but retain its armed to demand for political dialogue with military government.
The talk makes no mistake but finding a good wills solution for its people to re-enjoy peace and harmony back in the Karenni state rather than living in refugee camps and being seen as human zoo for decades by international tourists to the Karenni refugee long neck in Mae Hong Son province, northern Thailand.
The notion of hoping national political system change through armed conflict engagement have proved for the Karenni and its political leading institution to only continue facing more crisis, sadly, not more than that. Surely, the cease-fire talk is a must for the people to be able to return home.
Whether the talk will produce a good outcome or not, that will depend on military junta's attitude toward political and armed conflict resettlement in Karenni (Kayah) state and Burma as a whole.
Firmly, believe in political and armed conflicts must be solved through dialogue alone but make no strategic actions to negotiate with military junta face to face discussion on the conflict issues, that will be a miss and create more harm for the people to continue facing suffering, both physically and mentally.
Obviously, armed conflict engagement has only created a provocative exchange toward a greater pain and hatred between the mainstream Burmans and ethnic nationalities during the 60 years of civil war times but nothing more than that. The entire population cannot enjoy any good development from the armed conflict, in stead it has only torn up the country's economic, social and political development toward a more crisis situation.
The Karenni armed conflict occurred right after Burma granted independence from British in 1948 due to political and historical differences. The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) founded during the Karenni resistance against the Burmese intruders into Karenni state.
The KNPP proceeded its policy to regain historical independence, which was recognized by the British and Burmese king during the colonial period. However, this agreement is no longer exist. In 2003 the party passed a resolution to be in favour of self-determination within democratic federal union of Burma.
The KNPP is a member of the Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) and preparing state constitution in the framework of the federal union of Burma.
The armed conflict exchange will create more limited spaces and chances for the entire Karenni people and its political institution to operate a positive living. The livelihood of the people will remain unstable and eventually there will be nothing left. The ultimate goal to retain ethnic national identity through self-determination within the democratic federal union of Burma will only remain as a dream by the wrong actions and mindset.
Any political armed struggle without having an inertest or a sense of political talk and negotiation with its opposition party, it will lead them to face a big lost of political foundation. In addition, people power support will also continue to be drained.
There is nothing to do much other than cease-fire talk toward a concrete political dialogue to ensure the rights of its own people. No matter whatever outcome from talks or negotiation will look like, talks and negotiation must not be seen as a negative approach in finding out political resolution. That is the only natural mechanism to give both parties more understanding and awareness in making change for the people economic, social and political identity development. In this sense, cease-fire talk or dialogue with military junta should not be casting doubt too much by negative views.
