On Friday USAID officials came to visit Mae Sot, which of course meant that all of the CBOs (community based organizations) here had to drop their work with little notice to prepare presentations for them. On the one hand, they are happy to, as USAID provides substantial funding for their work, on the other, USAID never seems to mind interrupting or inconveniencing that work. Part of my organization's job is to help our CBO partners to prepare those presentations, practice presenting, and practice responding to questions. For this visit, we were correct in anticipating that USAID's main question would be how the unfolding policitical changes in Burma would affect their work - how are their organizations changing to adapt to these new circumstances, and indeed, is their work even still needed?
They gave well thought out answers, as these are questions that local leadership are discussing daily as the context continues to evolve. Mostly, they assert that they will serve these areas as long as there is need, and so far, there have been no signs of the central government reaching into the border areas to provide services. Ultimately, they are making plans to integrate into the central ministry of health - trying to standardize health worker trainings to match that given by the Myanmar MOH, trying to achieve accreditation for those trainings, that would be recognized by the Myanmar MOH. They are preparing for the future, in hopefully, yet realistic ways.
As part of the presentation for USAID, Backpack Health Worker Team showed a video they have made several years ago about their work. The video is now outdated, as it was made several years ago, before elections, and the new government. It talks about the SPDC ruling Burma, their offensive against the Karen resistance, and the oppression of hundreds of thousands of people in the border areas, subject to forced relocation, forced labor, military attacks against civilians, systematic rape, destruction of food stores, and other atrocities.
So the government has now changed, and the Karen resistance are in talks with the new government regarding a cease fire (despite the fact that the western media are reporting that the cease fire has already been signed, this is not true. The KNU signed an agreement to continue talks regarding a possible cease fire). But the kicker is, that most of the government is actually the same people that were in charge before. Some of them have traded in military uniforms for suits, but the majority of the 'new' government are actually old players. Which basically means that people that have been oppressed for decades are now supposed to reconcile with their oppressors, without the latter ever actually acknowledging any wrongdoing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting they hold a grudge, continue the conflict, or refuse to work with the new government. And Burma certainly isn't alone is this situation. South Africa, Cambodia, and Rwanda have had the most famous recent reconciliation processes. I really can't imagine being a Rwandan whose family has been slaughtered, and then being asked to work in the same building as, live in the same neighborhood as, and send my children to be taught by fellow Rwandans who helped perpetrate the violence, or even just watched while it happened.
Similarly, it is hard to imagine people from Burma's border regions now being able to trust a government comprised of the very people who have spent the past six decades trying to take their land, kill their people, and disrupt their way of life. How can we actually ask them to do this before there has been any acknowledgment, any reckoning? No wonder they are wary. No wonder they are cautious. What amazes me is that despite that, hope is still the dominant sentiment here. Despite everything, despite having had family members killed by mortars shot into civilian villages, despite having seen clinics and schools burn in their communities, despite having suffered higher rates of malaria than anywhere in asia, and rates of maternal mortality as high as anywhere else in the world - because the government both refuses to provide healthcare or allow anyone else to, despite it all, they are still willing to try, to set aside that anguish, and to risk trust.
The reality is, there isn't much other choice -uncertain as this path may be, from this vantage point it seems the only one with a chance of turning away from continued conflict, and everything associated. Even facing that reality, the strength, the courage, the determination it must take, to grasp the hand of your enemy, to keep your gaze focused forward, I find both stunning and admirable. I don't know if it is forgiveness, or just pragmatic compartmentalization, but I hope, when enough has changed, that a moment can be taken to recognize that courage, and to recognize what has been lost.
They gave well thought out answers, as these are questions that local leadership are discussing daily as the context continues to evolve. Mostly, they assert that they will serve these areas as long as there is need, and so far, there have been no signs of the central government reaching into the border areas to provide services. Ultimately, they are making plans to integrate into the central ministry of health - trying to standardize health worker trainings to match that given by the Myanmar MOH, trying to achieve accreditation for those trainings, that would be recognized by the Myanmar MOH. They are preparing for the future, in hopefully, yet realistic ways.
As part of the presentation for USAID, Backpack Health Worker Team showed a video they have made several years ago about their work. The video is now outdated, as it was made several years ago, before elections, and the new government. It talks about the SPDC ruling Burma, their offensive against the Karen resistance, and the oppression of hundreds of thousands of people in the border areas, subject to forced relocation, forced labor, military attacks against civilians, systematic rape, destruction of food stores, and other atrocities.
So the government has now changed, and the Karen resistance are in talks with the new government regarding a cease fire (despite the fact that the western media are reporting that the cease fire has already been signed, this is not true. The KNU signed an agreement to continue talks regarding a possible cease fire). But the kicker is, that most of the government is actually the same people that were in charge before. Some of them have traded in military uniforms for suits, but the majority of the 'new' government are actually old players. Which basically means that people that have been oppressed for decades are now supposed to reconcile with their oppressors, without the latter ever actually acknowledging any wrongdoing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting they hold a grudge, continue the conflict, or refuse to work with the new government. And Burma certainly isn't alone is this situation. South Africa, Cambodia, and Rwanda have had the most famous recent reconciliation processes. I really can't imagine being a Rwandan whose family has been slaughtered, and then being asked to work in the same building as, live in the same neighborhood as, and send my children to be taught by fellow Rwandans who helped perpetrate the violence, or even just watched while it happened.
Similarly, it is hard to imagine people from Burma's border regions now being able to trust a government comprised of the very people who have spent the past six decades trying to take their land, kill their people, and disrupt their way of life. How can we actually ask them to do this before there has been any acknowledgment, any reckoning? No wonder they are wary. No wonder they are cautious. What amazes me is that despite that, hope is still the dominant sentiment here. Despite everything, despite having had family members killed by mortars shot into civilian villages, despite having seen clinics and schools burn in their communities, despite having suffered higher rates of malaria than anywhere in asia, and rates of maternal mortality as high as anywhere else in the world - because the government both refuses to provide healthcare or allow anyone else to, despite it all, they are still willing to try, to set aside that anguish, and to risk trust.
The reality is, there isn't much other choice -uncertain as this path may be, from this vantage point it seems the only one with a chance of turning away from continued conflict, and everything associated. Even facing that reality, the strength, the courage, the determination it must take, to grasp the hand of your enemy, to keep your gaze focused forward, I find both stunning and admirable. I don't know if it is forgiveness, or just pragmatic compartmentalization, but I hope, when enough has changed, that a moment can be taken to recognize that courage, and to recognize what has been lost.
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