Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma

Ralph, Sheera

Description

Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma is about commitment to an ideal, individual survival and the universality of the human experience. A memoir of two tenacious souls, it sheds light on why Burma/Myanmar''s decades-long pursuit for a peaceful and democratic future has been elusive. Simply put, the aspirations of Burma''s ethnic nationalities for self-determination within a genuine federal union runs counter to the idea of a unitary state orchestrated and run by the dominant majority Burmans, or Bamar.

This seemingly intractable dilemma of opposing visions for Burma is personified in the story of Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera, two prominent ethnic Karen leaders who lived—and eventually left—"the Longest War," leaving the reader with insights on the cultural, social, and political challenges facing other non-Burman ethnic nationalities.

Fifty Years in the Karen Revolution in Burma is also about the ordinariness and universality of the challenges increasingly faced by diaspora communities around the world today. Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera''s day to day lives—how they fell in love, married, had children—while trying to survive in a precarious war zone—and how they had to adapt to their new lives as refugees and immigrants in Australia will resound with many.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Military history
• Memoir
• Southeast Asia
• Burma
• History of Asia

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 février 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781501746956
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

FIFTY YEARS IN THE KAREN REVOLUTION IN BURMA

FIFTYYEARS INTHEKAREN REVOLUTION INBURMA The Soldier and the Teacher

Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera

Edited by Stephanie OlingaShannon With an introduction by Martin Smith

SOUTHEAST ASIA PROGRAM PUBLICATIONS AN IMPRINT OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS ITHACA AND LONDON

Southeast Asia Program Publications Editorial Board Mahinder Kingra (ex officio) Thak Chaloemtiarana Chiara Formichi Tamara Loos Andrew Willford

Copyright © 2019 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher.Forinformation,addressCornellUniversityPress,SageHouse,512East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. Visit our website at cornellpress.cornell.edu.

First published 2019 by Cornell University Press

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Names: Ralph, Saw, 1930– author. | Sheera, Naw, 1932– author. | OlingaShannon, Stephanie, editor. Title: Fifty years in the Karen revolution in Burma : the soldier and the teacher / Saw Ralph and Naw Sheera ; edited by Stephanie OlingaShannon ; with an introduction by Martin Smith. Other titles: 50 years in the Karen revolution in Burma Description: First edition. | Ithaca : Southeast Asia Program Publications, an imprint of Cornell University Press, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2019018733 (print) | LCCN 2019019512 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501746949 (pbk.) Subjects: LCSH: Ralph, Saw, 1930– | Sheera, Naw, 1932– | Karen (Southeast Asian people)—Burma—Biography. | Karen State (Burma)—History—Autonomy and independence movements. | Insurgency—Burma—Karen State. | Burma— Politics and government—1948– | Karen National Liberation Army. | Karen Women’s Organization. Classification: LCC DS528.2.K35 R35 2020 (print) | LCC DS528.2.K35 (ebook) | DDC 959.105—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019018733 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019019512

ISBN 9781501746963 (epub/mobi ebook) ISBN 9781501746956 (pdf ebook)

To the Karen people

Contents

Editor’s Preface List of Abbreviations Timeline of Key Events

Introduction

Martin Smith

Par t 1THE SOLDIER: SAW RALPH’S STORY 1.  Early Life 2.  Japanese Occupation 3.  The Revolution Begins 4.  Walking across Burma 5.  Life as a Soldier 6.  Family 7.  Revolution Headquarters 8.  Psychological Warfare 9.  Life after the Revolution

Par t 2TEACHER: NAW SHEERA’S STORY THE 10.  Childhood 11.  Burman Harassment 12.  Bible School and Missionary Work 13.  Marriage 14.  Children 15.  The Karen Women’s Organization 16.  The Fall of Manerplaw 17.  Australia

References Index

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1

13

21

32

44

54

70

76

92

102

115

120

123

128

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142

149

158

165 167

Editor’s Preface

This book comprises two very different, almost opposite, perspectives on five decades in the world’s longest civil war. Here the same conflict—the beginnings, daily life, struggles, and joys—is explored through two lenses: that of a soldier and that of a teacher. Brigadier Saw Ralph Hodgson and Naw Sheera Hodgson’s enduring involve ment in the Karen Revolution has afforded them a long and broad view of the 1 conflict. From day one in 1949 through to their retirement in 1997, they were drawn into some of the key events of the revolution and actively worked with some of its key players. Saw Ralph’s story is that of a combatant, a guerrilla, a general, and a strate gist. He came from a privileged cosmopolitan AngloKaren family but chose to walk away from that to live as a revolutionary in the jungle. He found suc cess in the rebel army and rose quickly through the ranks. He became general staff officer for the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and took part in some of its most definitive events. In the KNLA he found what he loved: adventure, camaraderie, a sense of purpose, and a life very different from what was expected of him. But it wasn’t without great sacrifice. He was forced to cut all contact with his closeknit family, and he expected never to see them again. Drawn to the excitement of battle, Saw Ralph was forever away from his wife, Naw Sheera, and their children. Naw Sheera was born in the jungle. The civil war was thrust on her remote village when the Burmese burned it to the ground and she made a remarkable escape. At a young age she learned to survive and depended on these skills to raise four children alone in the midst of the revolution. As a young woman she was determined to become a teacher. That determination remains today in her encouragement of her grandchildren’s education and spiritual growth. Her Christian faith is her unshakeable rock, and by her own recognition it was through faith and prayer that she survived.

1. “Saw” is a Karen honorific equivalent to “Mr.” in English, while “Naw” is an honorific for Karen adult women equivalent to “Mrs.” or “Ms.” Both honorifics are primarily used by Sgaw Karens, one of the Karen subgroups. To protect his family, Saw Ralph never used his family name after he joined the revolution. He was known only as “Saw Ralph” or by his rank—for example, “Colonel Ralph”.

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