European Karen Network special tribute to General Saw Tamla Baw, Former President of the KNU

27 June 2014

European Karen Network sends its condolences to the Karen National Union, and the family and friends of General Saw Tamla Baw, who passed away on 26 June 2014, age 94.

The passing of General Saw Tamla Baw is a great loss for the Karen people and the whole of Burma. He was a strong and fearless leader who dedicated his life to the struggle for self-determination, democracy and freedom, not just for the Karen, but all the people in Burma. He believed in unity for all ethnic nationalities, under the principles of freedom and equality, within a federal democratic Burma. He was a practical leader who lived by example, and won the love and respect of the Karen and democracy loving people in Burma.

His experience in the British Army, fighting along side the Allies during WWII, and his dedication to the Karen resistance, gave him a great deal of knowledge and understanding about Burma’s history and the struggle for freedom for his people.

He will be remembered as a father of the Karen resistance movement, who never fell for the political tricks of the Burmese government.

European Karen Network pays our respect to a great leader, a resistance icon against one of the world’s most brutal regimes, and yet as a father of peace and unity. General Saw Tamla Baw did not live to see peace and freedom for his people. But his spirit of hope and peace will remain with us, and the struggle for self-determination, freedom, equalities and democracy will continue.

Let’s work harder to fulfil General Saw Tamla Baw’s dream of a free Burma.
The Karen people will be free.
Burma will be free.

European Karen Network
……

The European Karen Network was set up in July 2009 with the aim to raise awareness about the situation of the Karen people of Burma, and Burma as a whole. EKN is a network of Karen community based-organisation across Europe. We are the voice in Europe of the Karen struggle for freedom. We pressure European governments and the rest of the international community to do more to bring about democratic change in Burma.
https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanKarenNetwork