For nearly 60 years, rebels from Myanmar’s Karen ethnic minority have waged an armed struggle. Could recent events give fresh strength to their campaign? The rebels have only a handful of bases but their determination remains as strong as ever “Our people have been oppressed by the government for too long,” said one of the group’s military leaders. “We are ready to fight”. The Karen people are locked in a David and Goliath struggle with the military junta. Unlike other ethnic movements, the Karen National Union has no ceasefire deal with the government.
The rebels at the border with Thailand are far from the generals in Naypyidaw – the same generals who have now bid farewell to a visiting UN envoy. Ibrahim Gambari finally got to meet junta chief Than Shwe and held further talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In Geneva, Myanmar’s military repression was deplored by the UN Human Rights Council.
