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The construction of an Aung San statue has caused deep controversy in Kayah State during the past year. Dee De is a member of the Karenni State Farmers Union and Union of Karenni State Youth. He was arrested on 21 June, Karenni National Day, for his involvement in protests. In his commentary, Dee De argues why the construction of the statue is premature and a sensitive issue for the Karenni and other ethnic nationality peoples at this time.
In the second commentary, the Union of Karenni State Youth and LAIN Technical Support Group provide a chronology of events, outlining how arrests and the government’s handling of events have compounded rather than resolved political frustrations and inter-community understandings.
These commentaries are intended to contribute to a broader understanding to the many challenges facing the country and its peoples.
See the complete list of all the Myanmar commentaries.
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 Police about to arrest protestors outside the NLD office, Loikaw
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| The Promise and The Statue |
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A Commentary by Dee De
28 June 2019
Historical Background
Karenni, known today as Kayah State, became one of the states in modern-day Myanmar only after the country’s independence in 1948. Before 1948, Karenni existed as an independent land in history. The independence of Karenni was confirmed in a treaty between the British and Burmese King Mindon in 1875 prior to the third Anglo-Burmese War. Located in the borderlands with the Shan States and Siam, the territory had become a source of competition between outside rulers and interests. But due to the deep forests and mountains of the Karenni region, the local peoples had developed their own political systems, economy and cultures in their own unique way. They had connections with the royal court of the Burmese kings. They were not, however, treated as inferiors but as neighbours and ambassadors for goodwill.
After the annexation of British Burma, the colonial government did not interfere in the traditional systems of administration, economy and culture among the Karenni people. Despite 12 investigations into their status, the Karenni States were never incorporated into British Burma. The main concerns of the British were natural resources, including timber and lead, for which they signed contracts with the Karenni Zaw Pyar (saophas).
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 Protestors marching against the Aung San statue, Loikaw
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| Chronology on the Statue Case in Loikaw, Kayah State |
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A Commentary by UKSY/ LAIN
28 June 2019
General Aung San is commonly known as the “independence hero of Burma”. His legacy is, however, looked upon differently by the Bamar (Burman) majority and the country’s ethnic nationality peoples. Whilst the Bamar majority consider him a hero for bringing their people independence, ethnic nationality peoples respect him for his promise to bring their people equal rights in a true union. This is a promise that remains unfulfilled to this day, a failure that goes to the heart of the current crisis.
After decades of conflict and suffering, Karenni youth are attempting to use democratic rights to achieve the pledges of autonomy, freedom and equality that Aung San promised at the country’s independence in 1948. Sadly, rather than delivering peace and federal reform, the National League for Democracy government is prioritising the building of statues to Aung San in Kayah State and other ethnic nationality lands. The local peoples consider this a misuse of public funds and an attempt to erase their own history, continuing a practice of downplaying ethnic minority cultures by a policy known as Bamanisation. Based on these concerns, a course of non-violent public actions, directed towards the state government, began in June 2018. The chronology is described below.
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