Fighting for a Cause
The United States of America is the land of freedom and we who live here cannot imagine what it is like to live without freedom. We certainly do not know what constant terror and hopelessness feels like. But there is a people group called the Kachin who is living in fear and oppression right now.The Kachins are a distinct people group with their own unique language and tradition. They live in the northern part of Myanmar where natural resources such as timber, gold and jade are abundant. They have lived in this region autonomously until the British colonization and the subsequent rule of the Burmese military regime. Since then their culture and traditions have been under constant threat, and their social and economic wellbeing have also gradually deteriorated. And right now there is a war in the Kachin State between the Burmese military and the KIA (Kachin Independence Army). It has been more than a year since the war broke out and there are now more than 70,000 internally displaced Kachins. They have tried to flee to China for help but were turned away. The government, instead of helping its helpless Kachin citizens, continues to send the Burmese military forces, which only perpetuates the war and the desperate condition of the Kachin people.
I am a Kachin and I cannot keep reading about the dire situation of my people and do nothing. I know I am just an MAA fighter, and not a politician or a person of power. I have also never been interested in politics, because thinking about politics in the context of Myanmar makes me feel so helpless. As a kid growing up in Myanmar, I have witnessed firsthand the injustice and the inequality of the ruling military junta. In addition, I have lost two paternal uncles to the Burmese military. But let’s face it. This is no politics. There are people who are desperate for help and their cries simply cannot be ignored.
Therefore, I dedicate my next fight on October 13th to my people, the Kachin. A portion of my prize money along with the money from my sponsors and tickets sales will be sent to the Kachin refugees. I know I cannot solve the problem but this is my way of saying to my people, who are suffering, that I heard their cries.
The detail of the atrocity going on in the Kachin State can be read here: www.kachinnews.com.
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