Make a note in your tickler files: in the western world, March 27 is Easter Sunday (the Orthodox will be celebrating Easter on May 1 this year), but in Myanmar, March 27 is Army Day. What does Army Day mean? Possibly everything, if you're a Karen nationalist.
According to this Asia Times Online story by Lucy Murray:
One of Asia's longest-running conflicts and one of its least well known may be drawing to a close. On January 6 Myanmar's military junta, known as the State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, launched an all-out attack on Nya Moe, the remote hill-top base that is the last remaining stronghold of the Karenni Army (KA). This is not the first time the base, which lies on the border between Myanmar's Karenni state and Thailand, has come under attack. After all, the Karenni leadership, backed by the KA, has been fighting the military-controlled government in Yangon for almost 50 years. However, this is the most sustained campaign Karenni leaders have seen.
No, I'm not an Asia expert, nor do I follow the world's plethora of "civil" wars -- but as a young Marine more than twenty years ago I, like many others, would read Soldier of Fortune, Eagle, and New Breed magazines, in which the struggling "Karen Republic" was portrayed sympathetically and frequently.
Since those days, Eagle and New Breed seem to have passed their sell-by date, but Soldier of Fortune is still around. So, it seems, is the Karenni opposition to the regime in Yangon. I have to say, I was never really attracted to the life of a mercenary (yeah, I was reading SOF, but I was also reading "Doonesbury" and Philip K. Dick and Ayn Rand and Catch-22), but they easily engaged my sympathy for the Karen Republic in their fight against the brutal miltary dictators in Burma. Callow youth that I was, it was an easy call, and I've never changed my mind about it.
I've seen predictions and announcements over the years about the impending doom of the Karen resistance, but I guess they're still kicking:
For now, the KA is digging in for what might be its final stand. The base at Nya Moe is in a good strategic location, high up on a steep and thickly forested hill. The nearest SPDC base is just visible across the steep sides of the valley. Repeated attempts in recent weeks to take Nya Moe, backed by heavy artillery fire, have failed. But the base is not invulnerable. An ordinary Karenni soldier, visibly exhausted as he treks down from the base on leave, says: "Many SPDC soldiers will die for sure if they try to take the base. But if they attack very strongly with heavy artillery, we could lose it."According to Tu Reh of the KNPP, things may be about to get worse. "March 27 is Army Day in Burma. We believe the SPDC may try to end it by then." General Aung Htay remains confident that his troops can hold out, saying "We're ready to fight ... we'll fight as long as we can hold our weapons."
Perhaps on Easter Sunday/Army Day we'll see what's risen, what's still alive, and what is once and for all dead.
Posted by Craig Ceely at March 24, 2005 09:16 PM