Revolution is not Revenge

 As Myanmar’s revolutionary journey shifts from day to month, year to year, our ideas about our revolution become matured. I would like to tell you about my experience in the past few days about the knowledge of revolution. We went on a trip and spent the night in a KNU battalion last few days ago.

      We arrived there in the evening. So it was fun to watch them playing sports and swimming in the Thaung Yin River. The soldiers can speak Burmese well and they are friendly.  We were accommodated and sent to the riverbank to take a bath in the river.

       After taking a bath and having dinner,we took a break.During this time,a comrade called us as the battalion commander had called for us. So we went to the battalion commander’s house.

       The battalion commander is so friendly without any pretense.  He asked about our names and the troops we had served before the CDM, and said, “I just want to talk with you, so stay comfort.” And then we talked about the views on the revolution and on the situation of army.

     I learned more about the ethnic nationalities’s feelings and sufferings while talking with the commander.We felt sad when he told us about the atrocities against Karen villages during Khin Nyunt and Than Shwe’s government.U Khin Nyunt’s shorts troop mobs set fire to Karen villages and raped ethnic women.

     We have been heard about the short trope mobs since training in the army.  They are famous and really brutal forces all over Karen State. All soliders in the Shorts can speak Karen.  They came to the villages with civilian clothes, made friends with the villagers and asked for food from the villagers.

   And then they talked about the baddnes of government and military. So the honest villagers thought that they were Karen soldiers. And when the villagers replied them about the badness of government and military, the short troops beheaded the villagers and burned down the whole village. These short troops are so cruel and cold blooded.

    The instructors were proud to tell us about such atrocities, during our training period in the army and we were envious of the warriors.  While Pha Htee was talking, I was ashamed of myself for being envious of the previous strategy.And the battalion commander said that “In the past you used to think of our ethnic armed groups as rapists who destroyed villages?  But go and ask any village in Karen State then you will find out who is actually burning and raping.”

       When we were about to return, the battalion commander said that, “We are not taking revenge for our revolution.”  We are not as cruel as they used to be.  Many of my comrades came in due to their whole villages were burnt down and their family members were brutally killed.  I always tell them not to mix revenge and revolution. We are fighting to change the country, not for the revenge. If Myanmar had a good leader, it would be much better than its neighborlands.  We also love Myanmar country as much as you love.”

        I really like what Pha Htee said and I respect him a lot.  I feel very sorry for the atrocities of the dictators and empathize the ethnic people.The more pure they are, the more ashamed of myself for ignoring the brutal oppression of the ethnic groups. So we decided to try as much as we can for destroying the atocities of dictators by doing right things and strategies.

I would like to talk with Pha Htee again when the situation calms down. 

Thank you so much.

Chan Min (PSDF)

Translated to English by Nasir