Karen Rebel Commander Takes 'Peace Strategy' to Europe

By ALEX ELLGEE / Mae Sot

Karen rebel commander Ner Dah Mya left on Sunday for a European tour carrying details of a "peace strategy" which he said he would discuss with officials there.

Ner Dah Mya is a colonel of the Karen National Liberation Army, the military ring of Karen National Union.
A meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel is included on his three-nation itinerary.

"We can’t talk about the peace strategy now but we want to ask the international community to help arrange it," Ner Dah Mya said before leaving Mae Sot.

"If the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] is not willing to participate and take this opportunity to change, and stop human rights abuses, then in the end they will have to unconditionally surrender.”

Ner Dah Mya is the son of the late Gen Bo Mya, widely revered for his military exploits and engagement for the human rights of the Karen people.

On the eve of Ner Dah Mya's tour, the newly elected General Secretary of the Council of Europe, former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, pledged to do what he can to help build a "new Burma."

Jagland promised to be "an advocate for the fight for human rights done by Ner Dah Mya. I will do what I can to help him and the people of Burma.

“Coming from a country like Norway, which was occupied by Germany for five years, I understand his motives very well. He needs all the help he can get for building a new Burma."

In Norway, Ner Dah Mya will also meet members of the Norwegian royal family, and visit the House of Literature in Oslo.

Before leaving for Europe, Ner Dah Mya told The Irrawaddy: “I believe the trip will be extremely successful and will bring great change for Burma.

“All these people believe in our cause, they are already sympathetic to Karen people so when I tell them about our secret plans for the future of Burma, I am sure they will support us.”

Ner Dar Mya told The Irrawaddy, he wants military assistance as well as help not only with negotiations and humanitarian aid

“If we get foreign military assistance then we can push the Burmese regime to make real democracy. Burma has to change, people are suffering every day, it has to all stop—the rape and torture of our people”.

Ner Dah Mya has been invited by two young billionaires Olav og Frederik Selvaag and Erich Holte, who made their money out of civil engineering. They met Ner Dah Mya during a trip they took to Karen state in 1998.

“They came to Karen state and fell in love with the Karen people and saw how the Karen people are suffering at the hands of the SPDC,” Ner Dah Mya said.

After Norway, Ner Dah Mya will travel to Germany and Italy, where he is scheduled to meet the Italian deputy foreign minister.

The Council of Europe, founded in 1949, is made up 47 states, including Russia. It is distinct from the European Union and has a particular emphasis on human rights and democratic development.

Within the Council of Europe is an independent institution, the Commissioner for Human Rights, mandated to promote the awareness and respect of human rights in its member states.
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