Kachin Education Centre

Myen mungdan hta BA,BEd janmau gup ai jawng sarama langai mi a shata shabrai gaw lap 6000-7000(US$ 6 hte 7 lapran) rai nga ai. Sarama gaw shi lu ai shata shabrai kaw na nta shap rawng ra ai, shat mari sha ra ai, jawng sa jawng wa motorcycle sau mari bang ra ai, tsi mari sha ra ai, mare buga hte makam masham hpung de alu bang ra ai, si hkrung si htan machyi makaw hkrum ai jinghku jing-yu ni hpe karum ra ai.Dai jawng sarama a jawngma tai yu sai lawu tsang jawng n lung shangut la lu ai numsha langai mi Thai mungdan kaw nta nchyang ma (mae baan) galaw yang shat mung lani mi ma masum hkru hkru lu sha, nta mung n shap rawng ra, tinang du nga ai Thai buga de alu n bang ra ai(nta madu ni bungli galaw lakmat a matu gumhpraw bath 3800 bang ya ai), nta madu ni a maw daw jawn ai majaw motorcycle sau n mari bang ra ai, machyi makaw hkrum yang tsi n mari ra ai, tsi rung rawng ra yang Baht 30(Lap 800 matsat tsa) hte machyi mai hkra tsi tsi la lu ai. Mae Baan (Housemaid) langai mi a shata shabrai bath 3,000 (lap mun sanit 7,000 kaw na 8000(lap sen lahkawng 200,000) rai nga ai. Malaysia de lu sa ai ni shabrai htam masum(Baht 15,000) lu ma ai. Japan de lu sa ai ni shata shabrai lap sen 10 kaw na sen 20 lu ma ai. American shabrang lagai mi shanhte mugdan hta shata mi amu galaw nna lu ai gumhpraw hte Thai kaw shata kru amu n galaw ai sha majoi mi sa dung sha lu ai nga tsun ai. Mungkan ntsa e Myen mungdan a npu e nga ai mungdan lahkawng sha nga sai. Anhte a mungdan gara hku byin wa sai kun?

Prat ram ai Jinghpaw Wunpawng sha ni n-gun lagaw garai n yawm yang, masha ni kaw gumhpraw naw mai tam yang, tinang buga hpe gan kau da nna maigan mungdan ni de pru sa wa ra sai. Majoi shingra bum sin nga nna nta masha yawng matsan si na malai lu su nga mu nga mai ai prat dep ai mayu sha ni hte jighku hku nna matsan nhkun kaw na lawt pru lam tam ra sai. Tinang buga hpe kadai mung tsaw ra ai. Nam maling na awoi lagang pyi shi a nam shalawng hpe n ja ai. Sinat lang ai ni sha myu tsaw myit rawng ai n rai. U myi pai pyi n chye gap ai wa mung myu tsaw myit gaw sinat lang nna masha gap sat ai wa a myu tsaw myi hta n yawm na re. Myu tsaw myu tsaw ngu nna shada da asak gyam hkat, mung tsaw mung tsaw ngu nna buga kata hpun lawk kashun sha hkat, lungseng nhkun kashun sha hkat, ja nhkun kashun htu hkat nga ai hta, masha mung n sat, mung masha ni hpe mung n zing ri shingtsang ai sha, buga lamu ga hte nhprang rai mung n jahten shama kau ai sha, maigan de hpaji shakut, kan bau bungli sharin, gumhpraw tam, kanau kasha ni hpe bau maka, jawng shalun, kanu kawa hpe gumhpraw shagu n jaw, tinang a buga hte nawku hpung a matu alu bang ai gaw, grau nna myu tsaw mung tsaw myit hpe tatut madun dan ai rai nga ai. Ya prat hta n-gup hku myu tsaw mung tsaw ai hpe kadai n kam sai dum ra ai. Masha sat ai myu tsaw masa hpe mung mung shawa masha hkyet rung wa sai dum ra ai.

Dai majaw Jingpaw Wunpawng ramma ni, laika hpaji n sharin sana rai yang kanu kawa tam ai sha n mai la sha dung nga sai. Mungdaw mung dan sutgan kashun htu sha nga ai lauban ni a mayam n mai tai ai. Dai gaw mungdan hpya sha ai hpe n-gun jaw ai sha rai nga ai.

Majoi shingra bum hpe kade n ja tim ji wa ni tawn da kau ra sai. Mahkawn shabrang maigan sa, ama ni hte gumgai dingla nta nga. Maiggan du nga sai ni yak ai ngu aput angun n mai tsun ai. Mungkan ga gaw tinang buga n re ai majaw lusha nga shara, kanawn mazum lam gara kaw mung yak ai sha re. Tinang buga pyi yak nga ai n rai ni? Atsawm chye nga yang gara kaw mung tinang buga sha re. Karai Kasang gaw mungkan masha yawng a matu ndai mungkan ga hpe hpan da ya sai re. Masha a ginru ginsa hpe kadai hkum pat da lu na rai ta? America mungdan mung sumsing lamu mungdan n rai. Japan mungdan mung sumsing lamu mung dan n rai. Du ai shara kaw astam htum hkra shakut shaja nna ja gumhpraw, hpaji hparat, kan bau bungli sharin la na n mai lagawn ai. Dik shale gumhpraw n lu tim, Inglik ga Inglik laika, Japan ga Japan laika, Malaysia ga, Malaysia laika Thai ga Thai laika chye hkra sharin la ra ai. Ga amyu myu sharin chye la ai majaw myit malai lu ai nhtoi n nga na re. N sharin la kau ai majaw chyawm gaw lani mi myit malai kaba lu na rai nga ai.

Rai tim, maigan du ai ramma ni n mai lagu ai. Lagu ai masha hpe bungli madu ni n ra ai. Lagu chye ai masha hpe shaning tup kadai mung n bau da lu ai. Lagu ai wa gaw shi a lam shi pat la ai sha rai nga ai. N mai lagawn ai. Maigan mungdan hta mung shanhte mung chying sha ni pyi bungli n lu nna yak nga ai. Dai kaw anhte sa yang shanhte madu bu ni n kam galaw ai bungli hpe shawng sa galaw ra ai. Three-Ds ngu ai Dirty, Difficult, and Dangerous jobs (matsat shabat amu, yak ai amu, hkrit tsang ra ai amu) galaw ra ai. Lagawn ai wa a matu kanang kaw mung bungli n nga ai. America mungdan hkan e gumsan magam a kasha rai tim jawng n lung ai ten shi jai na gumhpraw shi tam ra ai. Democracy ngu ai gaw majoi mi dung sha, lagu sha, masu sha na mung masa n rai. Masha yawng rap ra ai akyu hkam sha na matu yawng jawm shakut shaja ai masa she rai nga ai. Maigan du ai Jinghpaw ma ni tinang buga zawn nawn nna kam ai hku wang lu wang lang nga chye ai. Ndai bungli grai yak ai, wora bungli n kam galaw ai, nga nna ya sha ya sha bungli lata, bungli htawt rai chye ma ai. Aten ma hkam, taxi shabrai ma hkam, phone shabrai ma hkam nna bungli matut ya ai manang ni hpe pyi mara shagun chye ma ai.

Tinang a buga e nga yang laning lap mun mi pyi n tam yu ai ni maigan du yang tinang a aprat hpe malap mali rai chye ma ai. Nkau mi tinang lu ai shata shabrai hpe beer, tsa man man lu nna ginlut kau chye ma ai. Kade ning na wa tim, nta de gaw pyek mi mung n shagun ma ai. Dai gaw akyang laban ai ngu ai rai nga ai. Dai majaw maigan de sa mayu yang, Inglik ga, Inglik laika sharin , Thai ga Thai laika hpe sharin, Malaysia ga Malysia laika hpe sharin, Japan ga Japan laika hpe sharin, computer hte ta dip jak typing sharin, dik shale Miwa ga hpe sharin da nna shajin ra ai. Mana zawn zawn, ma-a zawn zawn hpa ga mung n chye shaga, hpa bungli mung n chye, hkam kaja lam mung n nga, tsa chyu lu, malut hkayawm chyu lu, kun-ya chyu sha, gumhpraw hpe majoi mi hkawyawm nna nat kau kau rai, kani hte nang hpam lu sha mung n kabai kau lu, lagu sha, masu sha, akyang bai laban, kadai hte mung n chye kanawn n chye hku hkau, pyaw daw kadaw sharawng rai yanag gaw maigan de sa tim manang ni hpe myit ru shangun, ruyak jamjau jahkrum lit shali na rai nga ai majaw, apyaw sha tinang a dai daw dai hpang buga sin nga ai mahtang grau kaja na rai nga ai.

Mrs Clinton said sanctions alone had not changed the government's behaviour.

The new approach follows a review of US policy towards Burma initiated after President Barack Obama took office.

Burma's hardline regime has refused to release political prisoners, including Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, despite international pressure.

Mrs Clinton's announcement came after talks with international diplomats on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The talks were chaired by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

"We want credible democratic reform, a government that responds to the needs of the Burmese people, immediate, unconditional release of political prisoners... serious dialogue with the opposition and minority ethnic groups," she said.

"We believe that sanctions remain important as part of our policy, but by themselves they have not produced the results that had been hoped for on behalf of the people of Burma.

"Engagement versus sanctions is a false choice in our opinion," she added.

"So, going forward we will be employing both of those tools, pursuing our same goals. To help achieve democratic reform, we will be engaging directly with Burmese authorities."

Existing US sanctions against Burmese leaders would remain in place, Mrs Clinton said, but could be eased if "the core human rights and democracy issues that are inhibiting Burma's progress" were addressed.

US officials said that Congress would be briefed on specifics of the new policy of engagement on Thursday, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Next month a Burmese court is due to give its verdict on Ms Suu Kyi's appeal against her extended house arrest.

Ms Suu Kyi was sentenced in August to a further 18 months' house arrest after a US intruder stayed at her home.

She has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention and the extension will keep her out of elections next year.

A lion tirelessly chases and catches a prey. But before it can taste the fruits of its arduous labor, a flock of hyenas robs it and all it can do is helplessly look at the perpetrators. Such is a common example we often see on television programs aired on Animal Planet.

Just like the poor lion, Mr. Lahpai Gam (a pseudonym) has had to abandon his well-tended farm after the National Defense Army-Kachin (NDAK) confiscated his land.

On his nearly five acre farm, Mr. Lahpai Gam has already grown numerous crops such as rubber plants, walnut trees, hardwood trees bearing a pungent smelling edible fruits (locally known as Tanyin Tee) and pineapples. He has already invested a lot of money, four years of time, passion and effort in the farm.

Since 2004, farmers have engaged in slash-and-burn cultivation to sustain long-term gardening in the area. They knew that the new road which is part of the Ledo Road (also known as General Stilwell Road which was used during WWII) will pass along the Sadung river. This gave them incentive as they dreamed of easy transportation. The road will be a major commercial route connecting India and China in the future. It was already completed in 2007.

As usual, farmers do not have land ownership permits (Land Grant) because they do not know whether it is wise to apply for land owner permits from the government. In fact, no one applies for land ownership permits in Sadung Township areas. Since they did not apply for land ownership permit, the areas are essentially free land before the government.

NDAK later also came to start large scale farming covering hundreds of acres in the areas. They applied for land ownership permits from the government and as a result local farmers’ lands have now fallen under the control of the NDAK and their newly acquired land permits.

NDAK then confiscated land from local farmers and gave them a measly 50,000 Kyat each (approximately US$50) as compensation. There are about fourteen farmers so far whose land has been confiscated.

Since losing their land in 2008 to the NDAK, farmers are now opening up new lands for farming nearby. Everyday they can see the plants they cultivated before having their land confiscated and feel deeply saddened for losing them.

When asked why the farmers were compensated so little, an NDAK official in Sadung Pa town who has knowledge of the story (he asked to remain anonymous) dared not comment on the subject.

The NDAK signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military government in 1989. It attended the government-orchestrated National Convention which drafted the constitution that was ratified in the 2008 referendum. Recently, under government pressure, the NDAK has also agreed to transform itself into a border security force.

When asked why he did not complain to the officials, Mr. Lahpai Gam said that he is afraid of being recognized and subsequently targeted.

Sadung area is under the control of three officials – the military government, NDAK and Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Sadung area became a new township in 2008.

As a result, there are now more government offices such as immigration, labor department office, telecommunication and fire station, in addition to a police station and military base. According to sources, these offices were built on private land and compensation for confiscated land was far from satisfactory.

A local resident complained that none of the three authorities are fulfilling the needs of the people who now have to serve three masters.