Transcript: Episode #106: The Karenni Resistance
Following is the full transcript for the interview with Khun Be Du, which appeared on June 2, 2022. This transcript was made possible by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and has not been checked by any human reader. Because of this, many of the words may not be accurate in this text. This is particularly true of speakers who have a stronger accent, as AI will make more mistakes interpreting and transcribing their words. For that reason, this transcript should not be cited in any article or document without checking the timestamp to confirm the exact words that the guest has really said.
Host 01:41
I'm really excited to bring you the upcoming interview with a very special guest. You'll hear him discussing all the great and courageous work that he's currently engaged in. And if you feel inspired to help him continue these efforts, please consider making a donation earmarked for his projects or you can give a general donation that will support the wider movement and Myanmar our ongoing support has been so very helpful and appreciated by those in the country who are struggling during these dark days. Simply go to insight myanmar.org/donation to contribute today or stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear more options for now let's hear from that guest himself by novel luck Good luck not say bed and fucka yawning.
Brad 02:43
A really really, really, really good day today. So my guest today is queen bedroom with the currency nationality defense force or key NDF and also the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation with the national unity government. So coming to thank you for joining us, I would just ask you to begin by introducing yourself and what it is that you do as part of the K MDF what you do within the national unity government. And also just to introduce to people who might not be familiar with it, what is currently state
Khun Be Du 03:52
Hello, good morning from chronic states. My name is committed to and I work for energy as a deputy ministry at the muret in the meantime, I since the the cool now we were conducting non non violence demonstration. But later now I have to set up the revolution groups. That's the only way that to fight back the Military Region the coup so I found the enjoy with all my friends from the current state. We found an organization called the Ukrainian nationality defense force, which is Alliance and coalition of the different PDF from the current state. We so far we have about 19 battalion and strong five beds Military Region in the current state right now. And you might not familiar with the current state, in fact, it is just the chaos state. But the term the, the terminology that called the KR basis refers to the minority, one of the minority groups in the state, but when we call ourselves the current state, which mean that refers to the the coalition of the different identity and, and also former name of the state. So, we like to prefer we like to call ourselves as a crony. And right now, the crony is more like showing a unity and also working together under the terms and not only just the within the current state, but also the nationwide including the N ug government is happy to assess the inclusive nature inclusive term. So it become the reconciliation and it's become the coalition and unity not only at the state level, but also in the national level. So we I become a new GE government, as Kenny represented it. So different political party, Congress tried together and the we collect 4% and send to to be the new GE government. So I become one of the energy government. This is the introduction about me and my my people or my, my situation or my state. Thank you.
Brad 06:57
Excellent, thank you. And so let's, let's start focusing a little bit on current state. So for those who may not be familiar with the history, currently state or previously, as it was called Chaos state, was under very heavy military repression, even even during the quote unquote, democracy of taxane. And under the NLD. At the time Kaos state was was under a very heavy military occupation. Is that a fair statement?
Khun Be Du 07:32
Yeah, that's correct. The current state has a long history of the struggle. The, during the military coup in 1962, there was a strong fight and ask him about the equality and restore democracy. Since that time, the military or oppress and conduct the four cut, cover the food cover the communication, cover the medicine slide and other transportation. So majority people were flee to Thailand, since that time, and some of the people are already in the broth in the different country already. So a long history we fight, we demand better the equality and democracy. So when we have within think, reform, the people started to come back and started to do a little bit development. But in the meantime, there are resistant organization that cannot sign ceasefire cannot really reach to the peace agreement. And then that's continued until the end of the government from 2015 to 2010. Teach the Nikolay session was continue Of course, at that time, a lot of deployment economic and stability or risk to during that democracy reform and negotiation were happening. But after the coup after MailOnline take over the power then everything was abandoned. Now we face in the strong fight was begin with the people who are strong people move in and then suddenly we changed into the revolution. So when we fight back, so what happened now is the four of our town main towns town, destroy or ban like or dim also, nonfat cone and peck on also on mostly fighting Hi, Ben and due to military the The coup, the SSC truth, use a lot of extra ordinary extra use of power, like using mortar using the airstrikes and try to target all these civilian houses. So with with our houses, more than more than 500 houses are already destroyed a 60 after the coup, and of course, not just using the MATA and astray, but also on the ground, the military burned the house and killed the people. There's more than 300 people well shoot to death by the military region since that time, so But of course, we have to receive that otherwise we have to run away we have to fleet to another country. Again, this is not a choice for us. This is the only choice to stay here and fight back. So we continue to fight with the Military Region until today.
Brad 11:10
Okay, so let's let's talk about the security situation, then because you you've mentioned, mortars, you've mentioned shelling, you've mentioned bombing, all these sorts of things. Let's let's take it back a little bit. Let's go back to let's say, April, May of 2021. Were you dealing with a lot of ground troops, they have a lot of Dumbledore soldiers coming in and committing crimes.
Khun Be Du 11:42
Correct. Our state, the FEIS began in May 21 of the May in dim also, it was begin by the SSC truth now they are trying to eliminate all the bloggin demonstration there so when they enter into the town, there was a funeral events and people were gathering there and pray for the person at that time, but SEC just came in to that area and shoot the people and arrest about 10 people. So since that time, people cannot patient anymore and they started to fight back to the SEC truth on that day. So the fight was began and since that time, sec send more than 1500 soldier from different areas especially from NATO to to Crown Estate, they sent two way one is from tongue to lie call which is by car and then they were much towards the dim also improved so town and enter bed to like all the other truth is coming from town G to pay loan and sign and to enter into loikaw. So, the number of troops on the ground deploy and they been going into about 100 village and those village are all affected by the SEC. Most of the village the crosses burned down all the people out there are killed by the SEC. Of course, since that time, we find that we fight very strongly. And of course the fight is not the traditional way anymore, it was used to be on the at the very remote area and fight it at the remote area. Nowadays, we fight on the ovens we fight on the main road especially so we cannot let the SEC come out of their battalion and go into the village and destroy the village. So we choose to fight them at their places we choose to fight and they may do so since the operation starts the fight they mostly escalate on the main road of the chrony state. And it's mostly happened at the demersal Lyco non Petco and Petco conscious
Brad 14:42
and I mean, I just want to emphasize you know, you talk about I think you said 1500 sec soldiers and for those who are not familiar, the population of current state is only 300,000 and something it is it is quite a small state. So 1500 soldiers is a very large force to bring into a state like this to bring into that type of a population. So I think we could say at this point, every 200 person in currently state is an SEC soldier, which is a very, very scary number. I think. And so how has this conflict changed over time because, as you say, you the fighting is not traditional anymore, the fighting has changed because it has to change. And we're seeing more and more reports of mortar shelling artillery, shelling attack helicopters, bombing planes have have the SAIC the tomato started to focus on air superiority and not so much on ground combat.
Khun Be Du 16:02
This correct, the current state is very small and the number of population are also quite small. As a matter of fact, there was to one battalion and deploy in the States. So there's already about 2000 soldiers deployed on the ground before the fight began. And the fight when the fight began and escalate, there was more another 1500 sec soldier were also ascendant and try to do this karate oppression against the people here in the current state. So, we all have experienced that this will happen and it is now happening. So, the the, the use of too much paper and the soldier and during clear message that they were not tolerant and try to destroy everything. So this is the clear message by the SEC, but we cannot set and we cannot just run away, it has to fight that. So I'm on the ground, we fight well, I believe that 1% of the PDF or key MDF die about 30 people from the SSC die or like injure and also the number of the fights every time we fight, we cried out winning and controlling we will train we will also eager and we did this is that to fight and with resources that we have, that's why we are winning on the ground. So, of course the SEC truth since they cannot fight very well on the ground, and they rarely able to take over different places and most of the places are losing and retrieve. So, in order to recover their control, they using this mortar and artillery fire against the people. So, using a lot of loss of the motor share fire from different battalion to the target places. So, every day from here I can hear that, at least that did more bombed to the fighting sites every day. And and just does not just like that, but also if the fighting happen more than 30 minutes, they ask in the call in the airstrikes they are calling the helicopter helicopter and the fire fighter Jack and started to bond. So, one day last February 21 they asking for play fight in the same time and to helicopter coming in the same time and fighting that area. So this is the extra use of the forces and try to force that the the resistance groups here in the current state. Besides right now, follow the deploy more than four of their tank with their truth on the front lines. So, in the beginning, we believe that there's only to tank trying to wandering around the Leichhardt town, but down the ascending mall, a tank car and then with mortar on the end fight on the tank and fire to the people. So this tent are also much and in the North American town right now. So they are not, they already passed the Navajo, they are moving to so Voltaire village for today, and we believe that they are moving towards the Moscow right now.
Brad 20:42
So that's, I mean, that's very concerning. And my question then is, you know, you have this this great advantage over the Dumbledore in terms of the quality of the fighting, you're talking about 30 to one ratio, which is which is incredible. Is there anything that you can do to protect yourselves from attack helicopters, mortars, artillery tanks, these sorts of things is is there any defense for this?
Khun Be Du 21:12
We we only run or take cover if there is fight there is a helicopter come in. Because there's no there's very small chance for us to fire bad with the rifle there, we don't really have the the FN six stay stay girl things like that. So, we cannot really fly by the with the the fighter jet or helicopter. So, to answer yet we are under the attack by the aeroplane and the helicopter this only that worries us, if there is no use of these Arab fighter jet and the helicopter, we are winning we are controlling every day. So this is the this this the thing that we have an and of course, that's also not do a lot of hands to us to soldiers to soldier We are not scared about the fight. But of course the SEC in order to oppress the target in the paper, the target in the civilian so in February, in the beginning of February, this does change it to SSE born one of the intp camp in the preucil called rakibul Village kill tree in Austria innocent people and scared everybody now these people has to run to the cave and sleep there at night because they see they believe that SEC fighter just wandering everyday on above what they have their sky so they have to they cannot they are not there to live out at the village anymore they move into the case and live there for night and in the days and they come back for work like that. That's just one example. But there are other four as well in Nam Paco SSC kill the trip of the head Walker at that town, they are near the front line and they are waiting for the rescued and then they will shoot to a bone to death on the napkin one time and and this month on the February 21. They also bound the SSC also bond the hospital call in a village called Low backhoe. This as the village of food of the intp the display person they move into that area and organizing the medical care by the community and those of the clinics were reopen and run at that village but SEC just targeting those hospitals tried to bond now. So the people has to close their hospital right now and has to find another way in order to provide health care. So this is the fight in the SSC fight Ms. Using the very brutal arbury in the right way now, in order to fight the resistance movement in the cranium state instead of the killing the frontline soldiers to soldier the bomb in the village They are bombing the city and make us to retreat from our frontline on from our grounds to retreat. So this is the happening and nobody really help us. Nobody really talks about this everyday Fight, fight that Jeff come in on the Skype every day. And it just has to wait and see No, we cannot do anything.
Brad 25:27
So, so I think you've touched on a very important element. And definitely, let's talk about that. Now. It's not just about the fight between, you know, the tomato, and the K MDF. It's, it's the war crimes, it's it's the calm that is being done to civilians. It's the harm that is being done to the villages. It's the harm that's being done to the IDP camps, where people who have already lost their homes have gone for shelter. And then once again, they are being attacked and bond. So let's, let's talk about the state of these sorts of crimes. So I know you've spoken in the past about the IDP camps being bombed? How, how often or how frequently does that sort of thing happened
Khun Be Du 26:17
it happened very often. We haven't every time the plane will come in, they are deliberately bound to the civilian houses for at least the fire to the ground, if it's missing could be about within about the 100 meter around that and if that the hill some of the Sibneft house we can understand but every time is some most of the the fight is risk to about the one minute away and target in those houses. So one of the new houses pay and very big one they bond there and kill two other civilian in February also. So um these are happening to everyday and for us about another SMRs in December 24 When SSC true come into the village they started to arrest people and then kill those people are on the 24th of December not just arrest and maybe kill but also burn alive. We strongly believe that those people are burned to death by the SEC on the corridors are about 49 people were killed on that day alone. So this is happening is happening everywhere well we can see that out SEC through pass over we can if we go back that area we discover at least one to two civilian where die not lost in last week also the SEC truth after the past movie and they shoot one of the civilians who are on the motorbike now he is very hardy for his family healthcare. So he ride the motorbike but as he from the ambush this without question they should this that people say this people are die and and that's no justice. Nobody can record us for the justice on the ground now because the all this ground. The administration has thought so I'm only we document those incident and those situation. That's the only thing that we can do, though. Yeah.
Brad 29:16
So I mean, there's a lot there. Let's let's start on packing it because I think we have a tendency of just looking at the situation and saying, oh, it's bad, it's bad. And then we don't look at it deeply. So let's let's start looking at some of these things. First of all, I want to talk about the Christmas Eve massacre. Because I still get nightmares from that. You you say about 49 people were killed on that day 24th of December 2021. And, and I think it's particularly insidious, because some some regimes are known to do this. They will pick a day which is a holiday in the West. And they will commit crimes on these days. Because they know that the media and the governments will not notice they will not have time to notice because it's a holiday. So this is the day before Christmas Day. And I mean, dozens dozens of bodies burnt up some of them in their cars, some of them with their hands tied behind their back seat, and he was it was horrendous. Can you get Can you tell us what it was that you found? On that day?
Khun Be Du 30:37
Right. D Prisma killing began by the on the day that people are ready for pray. Now they amid the world they at least take holiday and go back to family prays together. This is the situation in current estate. Most of the people here are Christian, nine 80% are Christian. So we really value on the 24. And on the day mostly pray. But on the early morning, sec Go into the village where they started to take ground and arrest the people. So we believe that about 40 people were arrested on that day. But as soon as we heard that SSC are arresting the people, we informed two different people. So we we knew that by accidentally SCCR on the on the site because the SSE saw one of the villager who tried to find his buffalo on that day. And when SSE to start him, asked him to start he started to run. So the SEC shoot that villager on the spot, but luckily he was able to escape. So as soon as the people heard about the SEC, on that site, was the people also realized that people were arrested there. So they found one of the BGF, the Buddha guard forces, which is the ceasefire group that they were, intentionally try to maintain peace and stability. So they were based near the preucil town, and at that time, they heard about this incident and they tried to go to do mediation, but instead of listen to them, as they see also killed this, those are the four of the BGF. So, we we as soon as the people had died, they started to burn the people around 12pm alternate Tyner then the people were started to realize that that believe that only some of the people die, but then they started to ban the behavior the arrest more than eight truck car and motorcycles. So people were thinking that thought that this car this behavior, but in the next day, when they discover when they go and check the place, they start to found the body up on the truck car on the ground in slider. So everybody gets shot on the next morning because the nobody will realize that these people were killed on that day. So that's what the the situation and of course the sad truth after they killed these people, they started to take money you know, they there are the petrol supplier trucks, they took some of the money, they threw the people phone and when the be the villager the family member tried to call their family there was somebody pick up the phone and talk back nothing. So this is clear that the SSC are taking the property on the spot on after the kill now, and they're also preucil Villagers see that they carry bad rice and other properties. On the truck car, so, it's clear that they are taking the property and kill these people, and they retreat back a little bit on the mountain. And, and of course, after realize that the people are abandoned there, we try to take the body we tried to catch her the feature, but SEC or not allow us so, on the fire mortar, they fire the machine gun from the top of mountain to the incident site. So, until the 27th of the December 2021 We cannot recover the body, but luckily we able to recover at the end even in Thai and started to check. So, we all we found all we found is that the three so called body in their remain body are able to count and there are a lot more number that we can not count began to ash and because of the wind and the situation as a flow away. So we cannot recover the the whole body from the site and and we also asking the CD and delta delta not to the Delta to check the body. And we barely can distinguish the situation the the body can kill, before banned or banned after kill something like that we cannot really say so these are the situation but we we take some of the DNA tests for the people and we probe we keep them the body properly. So that one day we can show to the world that these people are burned to death or killed by the SEC on that day. So these are the only evidence that we can recover. So after that, we are asking the police for to collect the evidence to collect the filing. So we asking the community to report number of their family members are missing. So we got to turn off the 49 people our report that they are missing on the day that kill So we conclude that 49 People were die on the Christmas event on the Christmas killing by the SEC.
Brad 38:04
I mean, it's that is just a particularly extreme example. It's a particularly heinous example. And once again, it's also an example I think of, of religious based violence, because yes, the junta are doing terrible things to everyone. They don't really care about religion. But when you see a mass killing like this on Christmas, in a predominantly Christian state, you have to you have to consider that there is perhaps a special level of hatred that the junta have for people who are not Buddhist, like them, which is which is horrendous. So let's then look at the the broader sort of situation now. You say that they target civilian homes, you say that they target IDP camps, all these sorts of things. So the military's argument is going to be that because the resistance groups do not wear uniforms. And because the resistance groups are civilians, they are trying to target legitimate military targets. And it is it is the responsibility of the PDF. It is the responsibility of resistance groups to not hide among civilians. That will be the argument that the military has, what would your reply be to this?
Khun Be Du 39:42
I totally in denying the SEC argument. As a matter of fact, as soon as we set out the resistant foods as we asking our people to say I tend to follow the the written down value the rules and also refer our rules to the international now. So, we have very, very restricted very good rules that apply to our soldier our truth and we have we all have a uniform, we we wear the distinguish mark on the neck, because we know that which one is our soldier and we have a particularly different color from the SSC. So, we, we, on the frontline, we have we have a clear market. And the other is we are not based in the village we make his camp in the remote area. And we base that and they know that this, they they've been monitoring us by drones, by the by the plane every time. So, when we started training, they know exactly where we are training and where we are camping, and they will report to the malicious crew to to to start this kind of activity in the beginning. So, they know where we are. So, we are not on the town or not in the village, we ask our to not to go into the village with the weapon or with the uniformed if they have to travel they have to go straight and just stop for a minute and go now not to camp or not to do any exercise or any activity within the civilian places, we are not using the the public plenty we have in our home operation Oh cleaning. So this is the situation that we can be in. But of course, the whole nation are not supporting the SEC not supporting the coup not not supporting this kind of brutality and massacre to the people. So they all resist that and they all support in this resistance movement. So everybody more or less the they are relating they are supplying food they are providing clothes and other needs to the people on 10 down the resistant mood for my for example, my group, we have more than 1000s of 1000s of soldier and 1000s of the rifle, automated rifle until now and never call it a piece of tests or I forced the people to pay for the bullet for the pay for the foods like that. But we get donations from everybody every time so we're able to survive wherever to reimpose our needs. That's why the whole people are supporting the movement or country are supporting the revolution. That's why the SEC are so angry and they are targeting that people are deliberately the number of people in the prisons, they are not having food not. And the SEC instead of in the beginning when we do demonstration they arrest people. So a couple of number of our soldier also arrested because of the go into the training and they are now in prison in Lyco. But after we find that there is no more prisoner increasing, there's only one things increasing is the number of killing the number of civilian die in prison every everyday so the peep the SSC base, targeting the people, which is mean that they are trying to do the brutality and try to show that the people tried to do the trick that scared the people so that people were not resistant anymore. People were not support the revolution anymore. This is the main intention that they tried to do. But it is the opposite impact that People stay continue to support the number of house people or village abandoned houses are bad, but nobody really say that we should start asking the resistant group to start the fight. Instead, they said, Please fight as as as much as you can and restore the freedom now, I cannot really care about my house. If I live under the SEC and I were just not only lose my heart but also lose my life and lose my children generation there is no hope there is no incentive under the SEC so please fight and please fooled by the the SEC from our area, things like that the main message to us so we continue to fight and that's why we aren't we never like get regress or grip pressure by the the community we stay get support we stay if we're to continue, like this. So the main thing is sec are really losing support, they are the only things they do best to show their brutality so that the people were scared, but it is not led by the people that more support in the revolutions supporting the the fight. And we are winning an SEC. Yes, losing every day.
Brad 46:47
So I just want to focus on one element of this, which I think is quite important. As you're no doubt aware, everyone in the international media is talking about Ukraine, the war in Ukraine. And I believe that a large part of this is because out of Ukraine, we are seeing a lot of footage, a lot of pictures, a lot of videos, these sorts of things. And the same types of crimes even worse crimes happening currently state but we do not see as much footage we do not see as many pictures, we don't have that visual representation. Why do you why do you think this is?
Khun Be Du 47:36
This is because of the lack of media, there is no much with media groups remain in the inside the country. So that's no much our report on the media and the second things the international community especially the those of the respect of human rights and democracy, they are not able to care or able to question about the situation in the Myanmar right now. All the condom the SEC action and they are asking to negotiate between the revolution group and the SEC. So, this is the only message that they give him but and the silence event they see some of the food tastes some of the situation and they keep quiet keep silent. So, this is the lack of the responsible or lack or the ticket action by the international community. The main the other main reason is also because of the China and Russia defendants the Myanmar especially the China is having a lot of concerns. If there is the west end of pro democracy and human rights government involved in supporting the change, then then it's created the worries to the China that's why China is rejecting anybody to to involve in the situation or criticize the Myanmar situation. So this is the main reason I think that is missing. As a matter of fact, we die die every day. A lot of village a lot of town like Ukraine or maybe we are like a cancer now, the Ukraine cases more like accident. So, the people when they are bleeding the people know and support indebted very urgently, but in case like cancer every, it's very dangerous it is very serious and nobody really realized or talk about this so much. And I wonder how much we have to die when so that the international will take action or started to do a better job, I believe the international government organization can do a lot of things they can support the humanitarian system right now, since the SEC blocking the row and and and trying to see everything the the food supply and other the utility shortage at now, sec also caught the mandates, transportation so nobody can really transport the medical medicine to the area so we have in the shortage of the medic, but this IDP the number and the forests of our current state we have more than 200,000 so I NDP are living in the jungle are moving to the tang near the Shan state. So um and nobody really is doing a good job to spot this display present and not just supporting the display people are also if they want to restore bad democracy rule of law we must start the SEC so there must be a more sanction a more the end on embargo things like they must impose right now. There are still many countries supplier the bond to the SEC countries like Ukraine including including former cases like a Ukraine also sell arms to the Myanmar government. So this the the SSE government sorry. So this is the we must start now with just not care about one side but also care. If they care about like this, we will win and one when we when we were combat not just democracy in the human right but also become a pro democracy country and a pro the the country that maintain peace and stability in the region. So we can do a lot more fruitful things to ASEAN or China. If the China's wants to do sustainable and mutual benefit or economies, we can be a better government in the future in the situation like that. If they ignoring and if they continue to support the SSC all the way get all the way CVS this Chiron Kili is Chiron, the oppression and all the stability all the regional economic and social cooperation will have a negative impact. So please, take action as soon as possible. It is not just good for the people of your mother also good for the whole world to have a better neighbor country. Like the
Brad 54:04
Absolutely. And so expanding on this point. I know that you've you've spoken about the displaced people, the internally displaced people IDPs and refugees. And certainly the situation is is very bad that people in currently state do have at least the possibility of escaping to Thailand, but that is a very difficult choice as well. Starting a new life in a foreign country, often without a passport, often not speaking the local language. It is a very difficult decision. It's a very difficult situation. So what specifically can we do to help the citizens to help the IDPs to help the people who have been most affected by by the country? What can we as individuals do to help?
Khun Be Du 54:52
Yeah, I strongly believe that the international community Schuetz started to talk about the Myanmar cases the the brutality of the SEC and asking their member of parliament to do something, if the politician in that those country are so busy, I think there must be people to raise the question and talk about that within their constituency or within their country, so that the the Member of Parliament or the government will follow and do something change. So, I believe that please talk about that and, and started to call for Member of Parliament or call for the embassies to take greater actions, and I will say at least to the session and to the embargo, things like that must be addressed right now. And not just pressure but also the Collect donation support to the NTP NTP, people, or display people. A lot of people were worried that the revolution can be the donation can be go to revolution, and given a negative impact and I work, I totally understand that the donation should go to the community directly. So I'm, I'm recommend the church organization or the community based organization, those are the human turian organization like NGO, the local NGO, operating here, they are not supplying the weapon or supplying the arm to the revolution, but they struggle with the the resources, they struggle with the the finance, so, because they they cannot provide for medics to the community anymore. So, please call brain collect donation and support this local NGO or community based organization or church based organization so that the people can have at least food and medical care amid the war are right now. So there's two things and the last thing is Fs the This fight is not just a civil war of war, like the revolution small groups of people are fighting back for their rights as we are here talking about the the the Military Region, the the Giunta, the brutal groups, the terrorist groups are taking the power and and the people or the the majority winning or the people support the government are on the other side. So this is the two sides of fighting one is terrorists, one is the legitimate government like energy like a man government and the truth that we mobilize are the the good defense forces of the people. So, when we choose when the international community choose between the two groups, please support one of the people government groups and against the terrorist group. So if you understand clearly or if you already see the whole picture, then do not afraid to support the people, the people support the government or people support the defense process. So support if you can and we will win. If you support us we will win first and we control the country first and then we will restore the peace and the stability as soon as possible. So please support us. The main things we need is the air defense system and if there is something that's available for us, we can match stronger and much to all the SEC places so are we were by that we were going through so please also find In a way to help us on that, thank you.
Brad 1:00:06
Okay, thank you for that. And so my last question then, really is what is the what is the path forward? Obviously, we want the international community to help. And they desperately need to and there's an ethical responsibility to help. But what is within the country the way to resolve this crisis? What must the Dumbledore do? What must the N ug do what must the Myanmar people do to end this crisis?
Khun Be Du 1:00:38
The first thing that Toledo has to realize that they are not the government, they are not welcome to the political power, they must realize that the Thermador the the National Army vs. Just to defend the nation, not to oppress the people. So they must realize that must go back to their duty and they are row. So we the country is asking this for a long, long time. But our country history already showed that the military are very eager to take power and their history that for a long time, they took power from 1962 to nine until 2010. So it's more than six decades that they took the power and the country become the most poor country in the war, not just only ASEAN, but also the whole country. So, we are become the extremely poor country in the world. So, this is the terminal has to realize that they are not good at the power, they are not happy in the country and buy into God by going putting the asset in the government there, the economic and social are all decline. So, the first thing that they have to realize that and just do their own only job that to do the defense things. The second thing is we must continue to resist the the terrorist action. So, the the people cannot just give up easily, especially the man with the whole country has to continue unite and fight bat, we are fighting the SSC, many ways we are blocking the production, we are criticizing the people who are supporting the military business, we ask the blocking the people who give test to the military. So this these are the duty for the whole people. So and the people must continue to do that, in order to fight the military. And more than that, we must unity. There are a number of the resistant groups set out during this the last year and we are fighting different places and different locations, different strategy, but we must unite and fight a more toxic way and more strategic ways. We must add right now, this is the the duty and the thing that we must continue and we are doing that. Of course the the revolution government and huge government is not supposed to have to set up the revolution or group like this, but we have no choice we are doing now. And we get him more stronger and wider net worth not just only defense forces, but also be able to negotiate with the ethnic UnCruise. These of the ethnic armed groups are struggling for a long time. And no government no institution were recognized of the price or their demand. But our energy, this revolution with change. We set them the multi people we have set in different religions. We are respecting human rights, and we granted the ethnic minority rise and we are also believing and moving toward the federalism because the only The because by believing and by doing that we were just not just fight just not not only fight in the military but also build in the unity and building and in cohesion of the different people and after the SEC or after the military give out the controls or the power we have the democracy against and that's better at the new people right and the new constitution were in place that constitution were become one of the key solution to to end the civil war and build unity among different people and respect the human rights and democracy. So, this is the people in your marvelous doing and please, we will continue to believe that we will continue to support this action and we will show the world that there must be a great support from international community to
Brad 1:06:10
excellent compatible Thank you very much for your time, are there any other thoughts or comments that you would like our audience to know
Khun Be Du 1:06:23
um, I was say the, in the criminal estate business one of the SM for that, we are struggling we unite in the local armed groups. And in the last five years, of course, there are the currently assess is consist of many different ethnicity and those ethnicity also having a lot of issue, but we we are now resolving those issues internally and we risk to Father agreement, and we are now unite and fight together. So some of the other region also become like this, for asthma and chronic state kitchen stay in Chin State, and also in people in sky Maguey. region, they also become like that. So we are with just one example. But the other region are also doing a lot of good job and, and uniting the people. And, of course, we have no choice. So far, we don't really have support from Thailand, and we don't really have support from our neighbor country like China or India. So I'm asking this neighboring country, please do not ignore and do not keep silent, they must ask something. And it is very important for them to choose the good government or the terrorists government. And I believe that they were like to choose art. And this is not internet affair anymore. If they are not acting right now. There will be display person flees to Thailand or China. And, of course, so far, we don't really have the medical system and things like that. So the head issue, the traffic issue, the environmental issues, and the most the sense that this the security in terms of healthcare were impacts to their country. So please do at right now and choose to support the US as a Democrat did as good neighbor country and never good government, like that.
Host 1:09:21
as inspiring as today's guest was, I know from experience, but when you're listening from so far away, there can also be a certain kind of helplessness and hearing about people's dire struggles. Thankfully, our nonprofit mission offers a reliable way for interested listeners to provide financial assistance to those local communities who need it most. All donations are sent to support urgent humanitarian missions, as well as those vulnerable peoples being impacted by the military coup. By taking an active role in helping to support the movement. You can help ensure that people like today's speaker, have even a few more resources to draw upon and can manage even just another week and continuing their efforts. If you would like to join in our mission support those in Myanmar who are being impacted by the military coup, we welcome your contribution in any form currency your transfer method. Your donation will go to support a wide range of humanitarian missions, aiding those local communities who need it most. Donations are directed to such causes as the Civil Disobedience movement CVM families of deceased victims, internally displaced person, IDP camps, food for impoverished communities, military defection campaigns, undercover journalists, monasteries and nunneries education initiatives, the purchasing of protective equipment and medical supplies COVID relief and much more. We also make sure that our donation Fund supports a diverse range of religious and ethnic groups across the country. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about past projects as well as upcoming needs. You can give a general donation or earmark your contribution for a specific activity or project you would like to support. Perhaps even something you heard about in this very episode. All of this humanitarian aid work is carried out by our nonprofit mission better Burma. Any donation you give on our insight Myanmar website is directed towards this fund. Alternatively, you can also visit the better Burma website better burma.org That's betrburma.org and donate directly there. In either case, your donation goes to the same cause, and both websites accept credit cards. You can also give via PayPal by going to paypal.me/better Burma Additionally, we take donations through Patreon Venmo GoFundMe and Cash App simply search better Burma on each platform and you'll find our account you can also visit either the Insight Myanmar better Burma websites for specific links to those respective accounts or email us at info at better burma.org If you'd like to give it another way, please contact us thank you so much for your kind consideration to love teaching me to love to love girls too long. So much