Thelma Gyi, the daughter of the charismatic Karen political leader, Saw Ba U Gyi, has called for the country’s ethnic people to stand up for their rights.
“Unite, demand the legal recognition of your state borders. Demand an end to corruption, war crimes, land grabbing, selling and exploiting the land rights for personal gain.”
Speaking just before Burma’s national elections Thelma Gyi urged all etnic people to remember that despite the military-backed government’s power that, “force does not equal strength. Strength is in unity, solidarity and loyalty.”
Thelma Gyi reminded ethnic people that they had much to lose in the national elections and indicated that she saw little to persuade her the elections would change anything for ethnic people.
“Voting for democracy while Myanmar still has an undemocratic constitution, it will be little better than a comedy act.”
Thelma Gyi said that until Burma’s military the country would remain oppressed.
“The result [election] is evident, nothing will change. It will need more than changing the military uniform for a civilian dress to convince the minority peoples of Myanmar the sincerity of the military regime, especially after a record of over 50 years of war crimes, land grabbing, selling and exploiting our land and rivers for the benefit of China and personal gain.”
Thelma Gyi pointed out that unless ethnic people united and worked together they would continue to lose.
“The votes of the ethnic minority (those who got one) will never be counted unless they demand with one voice in unity, in solidarity and in loyalty the legal recognition of each border state within the federal union of Myanmar.”
