Latest Clashes in Nam Lim Pa village Mansi Township, Kachin State

 

17 Nov 2013

Severely shooting in Nam Lim Pa village, Mansi Township starting from 7:00 AM this morning on the 17 November 2013. A total of more than 2300 existing IDPs, students, the new IDPs coming from Kaung Lwin (aka Gawng Run) and Saga Nam Hkum villages needed to fled the village and running to different directions. Injured, trapped and killed are unknown.

On the 16th November 2013 evening around 4:30 PM, Myanmar Government troops entered to the village, surrounded all the students from boarding house while their having their dinner, and started shooting in the village. Because of shooting, all the IDPs, the students from the boarding houses running around to escaped. All of them were put in the existing IDP Camp in Nam Lim Pa, which was already too small for the existing 1000+ IDPs and not sufficient the rest 1300+ of native villagers, and the new IDPs coming from Saga Nam Hkum and Kawng Lwin.

A totall of 3 ships full of Government Troops arrive Banmaw jetty yesterday evening (16th Nov 2013) and heading to the direction to Nam Lim Pa.

Nam Lim Pa village is situated in the Southeast of Mansi township, and it was hosting 1000+ IDPs and left without no access by any AID Groups since 22nd October 2013 as the road was blocked by Govt troop. Yesterday, the aid workers from Karuna Banmaw Social Service –KBSS (Catholic Church's Development Desk) arrived there for the first time with permission from Tactic/Strategic Commander and G1 from Banmaw. The shooting started 2 hours after the aid team arrived to the village. The team reported that they were not aware that Govt Troop followed after them. In the mean time, those Aid Workers from KBSS and Aid Workers from Wunpawng Ninghtoi –WPN (Mai Ja Yang based) are trapped together with the villagers.

The villagers and IDPs are running to different directions – some heading to Mai Ja Yang, China Border, Some to Man Wing Gyi – China Border, and Some to Mansi. The churches from Man Wing Gyi and WPN are planning to receive them but there is no resources.

Because of the clashes starting from early October 2013, villagers from a total of 10 villages with 13000 population have abundant their homes and leaving in the 3 new IDP Camps: In Han Htet and Si Hkam Gyi villages in Mansi township and in Hpan Ka Kone village in Banmaw township.

Burma Army Attacks Kachin Villagers; Rapes of 15-Year-Old Kachin Girl and 29-year-old Kachin Mother

[image: Free Burma Rangers] <http://www.freeburmarangers.org>
www.freeburmarangers.org
[image: FBR - Love one another]
Burma Army Attacks Kachin Villagers; Rapes of 15-Year-Old Kachin
Girl and 29-year-old Kachin Mother *7 November 2013* *Kachin State, Burma* *In
this Report:* - *Attacks in Mung Ding Pa and Nam Lim Pa, with
hundreds of new IDPs held hostage in a church* - *Rape of 15-year-old
Kachin Girl* - *Summary of Burma Army Attacks and Activity in Kachin
State in October * - *Kachin mother raped*

- *2 children injured during attack on 15 October.*

On 22 October 2013, Burma Army soldiers from Infantry Battalions (IB) 47,
56, 236, 240, 276, and Light Infantry Battalions 601 and 602, all under the
command of MOC 21, attacked Nam Lim Pa and Mung Ding Pa Villages in Mansi
Township, 3rd Brigade, southern Kachin State. Burma Army soldiers took
villagers’ belongings, and caused 700 villagers from Mung Ding Pa to seek
refuge in a local Christian church. Burma Army soldiers held the villagers
hostage inside the church.

Some of these troops positioned themselves between Je Kham and Kawng Ja and
at 1:05 pm they began firing 60mm mortars at Mung Ding Pa village. At 2:05
pm, Burma Army soldiers attacked the village.

The commander of Burma Army MOC 21 arrested 8 male villagers from Kawng Ja
villages, KIA Battalion 12 territory in Brigade 3, ranging in age from 30
to 78. Their names are:
Maran Tu, 30 years old Laya tang, 43 years old Ndau Brang Tawng, 48 years
old Nhkum Mai, 45 years old Lahpai Zau Gam, 78 years old, Lahya Tu Ring, 32
years old Zinwa Naw, 35 years old

They were sent to Man Ta village the next day. As of the latest field
updates, these men were still held in Burma Army custody.

The day before, 21 October 2013, Burma Army troops from IB 60 and LIB 323
ordered villagers from Gawng Run, Nam Kahn and Je-U villages to remain
within their villages, and the soldiers closed the road between Gawng Ru
and Nam Lim Pa, which is in Kachin Independence Army’s 3rd Brigade
territory.

After the attack on the villages on 22 October, fighting broke out at 10:30
am between Nam Hkum and Awng Nan villages. 200 Burma Army troops from MOC
21 fought KIA battalion 12 troops. Fire exchanges lasted until 4:00 pm the
same day.

On 25 October 2013, KIA troops from Battalion 12, Brigade 3, exchanged fire
with Burma Army soldiers from MOC 21 when Burma Army troops arrived at Saga
Nam Hkaum, which is located in Mansi Township.

On the same day, at 4:00 am, 500 Burma Army soldiers from MOC 21 came to
Mung Ding Pa village, which had been attacked 3 days prior, and took 10
Kachin male villagers.

Also on the same day, the area under the control of KIA 4th Brigade, saw
fighting between KIA troops from Battalion 34 and Burma Army troops from
LIB 502 from 8:00 am until 11:30 am.
*Burmese Army Soldiers Gang Raped a 15-Year-Old Girl*

At 9:00 am on Wednesday 30 October 2013, Sumlut Roi Ja, a 15-year-old girl
from Lu Htawng Village in Kachin State, was gang-raped by several Burma
Army soldiers. The attackers were Captain Thet Hpyo Aung (also known as
Captain Zaw Htet Aung), and two soldiers from LIB 116. Lieutenant Colonel
Min Kyin San commands LIB 116, a mobile battalion under the Sagaing-based
33rd Light Infantry Division, which is commanded by Colonel Myit Maw.

Later that evening, Sumlut Roi Ja was handed back to her parents.
This rape report was relayed to FBR by Kachin Land News. *Kachin mother
raped; Villagers tortured*

On 2 September 2013, 200 Burma Army soldiers arrived at Nhka Ga village,
forcing KIA troops stationed there to decamp. Mr. Lahkyeng Hkaw Tup and
Yung Hka Hkyen, both from Nhka Ga village, were tortured and killed by
Burma Army troops from IB 137. Reverend Ram Me and 10 villagers were
arrested and tortured after being questioned by Burma Army troops. John
Seng Awng, son of Nhka Ga Village, was tied up and badly tortured. Burma
Army soldiers raped his wife, 29-year-old Nhtung Hkai Nang Htu, right in
front of him. They have one child.
*Summary of Burma Army Attacks and Activity in Kachin State in October*

During the month of October the Burma Army continued its campaign against
the Kachin people in Northern Burma. In a series of operational movements
government forces imprisoned civilians and forced them to work for military
purposes, carried out attacks against villages, and according to a local
newspaper (Kachin Land News), at least one officer and two soldiers
gang-raped a 15 year old girl.

In the course of operations, the Burma Army encroached on Kachin controlled
land, reinforced and strengthened existing positions, and disrupted
civilian activities throughout the area. Much of the fighting took place in
Mansi Township of Kachin State, but conflict was present throughout other
areas of southern Kachin and northern Shan states as well.

Between 9 October and 31 October at least six clashes took place. The Burma
Army shelled two villages, resulting in three civilian casualties, two of
which were children. Over the same time period, more than 700 civilians
were temporarily detained in a church.

The following is a summary of daily military activities conducted by the
Burma Army troops stationed in Kachin State.

*9 October 2013*

At 5:00 pm, government troops from Light Infantry Division (LID) 101
arrived at Nyawng Pin Ta village with four trucks. The village is in an
area controlled by KIA 26th Battalion, 2nd Brigade.

*10 October 2013*

An estimated 30 Burma Army soldiers from Myitkyina travelled in 2 boats to
reinforce Infantry Battalion (IB) 37 at Hu Kat village.

Burma Army IB 251 relieved IB 257 under LID 101 command, which is
positioned at Lung Tung village. The village is controlled by KIA
26thBattalion, 2
nd Brigade.

From 8:30 – 9:00 am, Ta-ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) Unit 256 and
forces from Burma Army LIB 505 and 506 clashed between Bang Hkalawk and Hu
Mang.

*11 October 2013*

At 8:00 am, around 100 Burma Army soldiers from IB 105 arrived at Mogoung
from Samaw by train, and then continued to Hpakant by truck. This area is
under KIA 11th Battalion, 2nd Brigade.

Government troops from LIB 438 set up positions for security at Numlang and
Pangsak. The area is controlled by the KIAs 25th Battalion, 5th Brigade in
Sub-Dawhpum Yang township.

Burma Army LIB 522 was operating near Han Htet.

*12 October 2013*

At 9:30 am six trucks carrying troops and one truck carrying horses
departed Kuthkai for Namhkam, via Muse. The area is controlled by KIA
2ndBattalion, 4
th Brigade in Kuthkai township.

Government troops from IB 51 arrived at around Moda Ji and Mat Tai, and
troops from IB 236 led by Colonel Hpung Myat from MOC 21 arrived at Sin
Hkan and Nat Hkuk villages in KIA 5th Battalion 2nd Brigade area, within
Shwegu township.

At 5:00 pm, around one hundred Burma Army soldiers from unknown units
entered Manwing with five trucks in KIA 27th Battalion area from Namhkam in
KIA 3rd Brigade area of Mansi township.

*13 October 2013*

Burmese army troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Chaw Htik from LIB 259
relieved troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Hpu Myint Ting from IB 235
stationed around Sanghka which is in an area controlled by KIA 6thBattalion, 2
nd Brigade in Hpakant Township.

At 11:00 am six military trucks went to Sinli from Lashio, and two trucks
transporting artillery and one truck carrying soldiers entered Kuthkai in
northern Shan State.

Mixed troops from the Burma Army’s LID 33 and LIB 321 were gathering to
make an operational movement at Mada Bum, located near Ga Ra Yang and Nang
Zaw Yang, controlled by KIA 3rd Battalion under 5th Brigade, Waimaw
Township.

Burma Army IB 105 operated around Njang Yang, and IB 298 operated around
Hka Garan Yang and Tayang Zup. This area is controlled by KIA 4thBattalion, 1
st Brigade in Njang Yang township.

Burma Army IB 241 troops were operating around Ta Ku Ti which is controlled
by KIA 9th Battalion, 4th Brigade, Kuthkai Township.

Burma Army LIB 336 set up positions and camps at Shadan Pa Junction, which
is an area controlled by KIA 23rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, Waimaw Township.

*15 October 2013*

At 9:00 am, two trucks coming from IB 58 military base dropped one
truckload of soldiers at Lamyang and one at Sailaw, in an area controlled
by KIA 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, Waimaw Township.

At 4:00 pm, troops from LID 99 with ten trucks went to Myo Tit, and a truck
with military supplies and two trucks carrying soldiers entered Dawhpum
Yang.

Burma Army IB 69 and LIB 323 departed In-Gyi, making separate operational
movements at Je Hkam and Prang Tai Maw. At 5:30 pm, Burma Army troops
advanced on Namhom, firing artillery at the town.

Two children, 14-year-old Nyi Nyi and 3-year-old Zaw Myo Chit, were
injured. Nyi Nyi is the son of U Win Tin and Daw Te Te. KIA soldiers
stationed at the village defended. This town is controlled by KIA
12thBattalion 3
rd Brigade in Mansi township.

Additionally, troops from IB 56 and 236 and LIB 602, commanded by MOC 21
Colonel Hpung Myat, were positioned at Nat Hkuk and Sin Hkan villages. This
area is controlled by KIA 5th Battalion, 2nd Brigade in Shwegu Township.

An estimated 120 Burma Army soldiers from unknown units arrived as
reinforcements at the base held by IB 145 at Ngaw Nga village – territory
controlled by KIA 8th Battalion, 4th Brigade in northern Shan State.

Burma Army LIB 505 strengthened fortifications at their base in Mung Yin,
in KIA 8th Battalion, 4th Brigade area.

Burma Army IB 240, which had been operating around Han Htet Man Wing Lay,
returned to Mansi Township, in the area under KIA 27th Battalion, 3rd
Brigade.

From 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, three fighter jets from Myitkyina Nampawng Air
Field flew drills over Myitkyina city.

From 8:00 pm – 8:15 pm, Burma Army soldiers from an unknown unit and the
TNLA clashed at Manlum near Nam San, which is controlled by KIA 34thBattalion, 4
th Brigade in Namtu Township.

*16 October 2013*

At 10:45 am an explosion occurred at Bang Poi in the center of Namhkam
Township.

At 11:00 am, 13 trucks full of troops from MOC 7 arrived from Dawhpum Yang,
and rotated into positions at Laja Yang, Nalung, Shadan Pa, and Nam Ngau.
At 2:50 pm, 13 trucks carrying troops who were rotated out left the area.

An estimated four hundred soldiers from IB 47, 56 and 236, and LIB 602
operated around Pin Chying in the KIA 3rd Brigade, area of Mansi Township.

At 6:00 pm, 11 trucks carrying troops from unknown units entered Namhkam in
KIA 8th Battalion, 3rd Brigade territory from Mung Wi before continuing on
to Lashio.

*17 October 2013*

At 7:00 am, a bomb detonated at Bang Poi in the center of Namhkam Township,
killing a civilian who was passing by. At 7:30 am, a second bomb exploded
at Bang Poi. One ethnic Shan civilian was injured in the blast.

IB 142, stationed at Namsan Yang, blockaded the Manmaw – Myitkyina – Laiza
road and searched the civilian population.

Approximately thirty Burmese soldiers from LIB 567 operated around Hka Lum
and Hpai Kawng – territory controlled by KIA 36th Battalion, 4th Brigade in
Muse township – and entered Mung Gu at 9:00. Troops from IB 142 and MOC 7
and 21 set up positions between Num Lang and Namsan Yang.

At 3:00 pm, more than 200 soldiers from IB 63 and 98 approached Nam Hkyi
village (a gold mining area) and a site where KIA Tactical Regiment 101 was
positioned in territory controlled by KIA 5th Battalion, 2nd Brigade,
Shwegu Township.

35 soldiers from LIB 309 and their commander operated around Uk Shi.
Another 33 soldiers operated around Nying Chan, and 20 soldiers led by
Captain Aung Kyaw Soe set up positions at Myo La village controlled by KIA 5
th Battalion under 2nd Brigade in Shwegu Township.

Troops from IB 253, Division 101, set up positions for security between
Ginsi and Lawngh kang, which is controlled by KIA 6th Battalion under
2ndBrigade in Hpakant Township.

Around 100 soldiers from IB 69 and LIB 323 operated at Kung Ting and
Manwing Lay, and around 80 soldiers from LIB 522 arrived at Mansi base,
controlled by KIA 27th Battalion, 4th Brigade, Mansi Township.

At 5:30 am, six trucks carrying troops and one truck with four horses
arrived at Kuthkai. They then departed for Laisho with the eleven trucks
witnessed the evening before entering Namhkam.

*19 October 2013*

At 2:00 am, a group of Burma Army soldiers from an unknown unit arrived via
two motorboats at BhoMo in BhoMo Township, controlled by KIA 1st Battalion,
3rd Brigade. Meanwhile, around 90 soldiers from LIB 323 arrived at Kung
Ding Kawn Man Hpa in Mansi township, which is in the area of KIA
27thBattalion, 3
rd Brigade. Approximately 25 soldiers from LIB 321 were operating between
Jang Wawm Kawng and Nawng Si Paw in Wai Maw Township, 5th Brigade, Kachin
State.

*20 October 2013*

At 8:00 am, around 100 soldiers from LIB 522 were operating around Madan
Yang in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade KIA area. By 1:00 pm more than 100
additional soldiers from IB 69 and LIB 323 had also arrived at Madan Yang
village, Mansi Township. Soldiers from LIB 323 and 522 were also operating
between Man Hpa and Yi Hku Man Kham. Soldiers from MOC 16 arrived at Man
Hpa and soldiers from IB 69 were continuing to operate west of Chawng Htawk.

*21 October 2013*

The soldiers from IB 69 and LIB 323 had moved from Madan Yang to Kai Htik
in the 27th Battalion, 3rd Brigade KIA zone by 9:00 am. These soldiers also
ordered villagers from Gawng Run, Nam Khan, and Je-U villages not to go to
outside of their villages and blockaded the way to Gawng Ru to Nam LimPa

*22 October 2013*

Around 200 soldiers from IB 69 and LIB 323 arrived at the road of Madang
Yang village and Ngau Hkaraw Lawa Yang village. This area is under
69thBattalion, 1
st Brigade of the KIA.

An estimated 100 soldiers from LIB 522 arrived to Ywa Tit Kung from Madang
Yang village in KIA 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, Mansi Township. Burmese
soldiers from MOC 21 were also taking up a position at Mung Ding Pa village
and LaiKa Sharin School. They collected 700 Students and villagers and held
them captive in a Christian Church.

Burma Army troops were taking up positions at Kawng Dung, Man Wing Ley, Man
Ta, Tan Tada, In Gyi, Prang Tai Ja Ma, Gawng Run, Je-U, Kawng Ja, Mung Ding
Pa, and Hka Gyin Mung Si in the KIA 12th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, Mansi
Township.

The commander of MOC 21 led Burmese Soldiers from Infantry Battalions 47,
56, 236, 240, 276 and LIB 601 and 602. One group of soldiers had arrived
between Je-U/Je Kham and Kawng Ja at 11:30 am, and at 1:05 pm the Burma
Army fired 60mm mortars at Mung Ding Pa village before entering the village
at 2:10 pm. These events were in the KIA 12th Battalion, 3rd Brigade area.

*23 October 2013*

Ko Hpung Myat from Burma Army MOC 21 led

 news

Shadip Jahpang <mrgumzet@gmail.com> Nov 10 01:21PM -0600

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "叶芳芳" <bungshikasha@gmail.com>
Date: Nov 10, 2013 10:52 AM
Subject: Fwd: news
To:
Cc:

*Manmaw Mung Ding Pa na anhte a myu sha ni hkrum sha ai lam hpe mazing da
ga..* hti byin hkra hti ga... ကုမုဒရာ ni interview sa galaw da ai re.

Date: Sun, Nov 10, 2013 at 11:46 PM
From: Khon Ja Kachin <khonja.kachin@gmail.com>Date: Thu, Nov 7, 2013 at
11:41 PMSubject: Fwd: news
To: "khonja.kachin" <khonja.kachin@gmail.com>
Cc: Nan Lwin <nanlwin6289@gmail.com>, Nan Lwin Hninpwint <
NanlwinHninPwintAung@gmail.com>


Dear Myit Rum ni,

These are articles of Nan Lwin @ Zatang Hkawng Naw, reported from Banmaw
earlier this week. She and her sister Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint Aung @ Zatang
Hkawng Nan have gone through extreme challenges together with local
villagers in the conflict in Kawng Ja, Mung Ding Pa and the area.

Our deepest gratitude goes to the strong ladies. Please contact them
directly if you find something/event/incident in your needs to be known by
wider society.

Maing Hkawng-Namlim Pa lam de du sa lai wa sai shiga dap na shayi sha Nan
Lwin ka da ai shiga ni rai nga ai. Anhte a buga shara shagu hta

Regards,

Khon Ja

Laiza Ethnic Armed Organizations Conference Statement

http://hugawngkachin.blogspot.com/2013/11/laiza-ethnic-armed-organizations.html

URGENT PRESS RELEASE- BURMESE ARMY ATTACK AND LOOT KACHIN IDP CAMPS

URGENT PRESS RELEASE - BURMESE ARMY ATTACK AND LOOT KACHIN IDP CAMPS .pdf

Burmese military has granted license to Kill and permission to fire Kachin Civilian to its ... the burmese military aggression and Brutality against Civilian ...

http://jinghpawkasa.blogspot.dk/2013/01/blog-post_7620.html

Kachin state is severely under fighting again for 2 days.

By: Khon Ja

The native village of my Dad and mine, Nam Lim Pa, Mansi Township, Kachin state is severely under fighting again for 2 days. We have a family house there, half of the villagers are cousins and close relatives and the rest are friends. The villagers from Nam Lim Pa, Awng Ja, Nam Hpu, Maing Hkawng have to run away again for the second time during the resumed conflict in Kachin. How can I sleep peacefully, and work peacefully in this deep shit???

Whatever the government, the President and MPC said are not realised on the ground, but just air and papers..

This is an Honor for All of Us’

Lahpai Seng Raw, co-founder of the Rangoon-based Metta Development Foundation, sits with her son Brang Lai in front of their home. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

My first role model was the late Maran Brang Seng, who was chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). He encouraged me to become involved in work to improve the situation of destitute Kachin communities along the borderlands of northern Myanmar. Today, I thank him and the KIO leadership for directing me on this path. ..."

=============================================

An ethnic Kachin woman who co-founded Burma’s largest civil society organization was awarded with this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize, along with four other Asian leaders. Lahpai Seng Raw, a stay-at-home mother turned social worker who helped launch the Rangoon-based Metta Development Foundation, which provides support to displaced people in Burma’s conflict-torn areas, says she was inspired by other Kachin leaders in her 40s. In an interview with The Irrawaddy this week, she said the prestigious award was an achievement that she shared with her colleagues, and added that the honor was a reminder that much work remains to help the people of Burma, also known as Myanmar, as the country transitions from military rule.
Question: First of all, can you share your thoughts and feelings about receiving such a prestigious award, which is the Asian equivalent to the Nobel Prize?
Answer: I was amazed when I first heard about it on July 12, while I was traveling to Lashio [in Shan State]. I am deeply honored by this award, but also humbled in the knowledge that I owe it all to the host of wonderful friends, colleagues and partners at home and abroad who have sustained me in my work with their wise counsel, help and encouragement. So I accept this award not as a personal honor, but as a celebration of our collective achievement.
I handed over the Foundation’s leadership role to a new generation two years ago. This honor is a force for our foundation, to the new generation, to keep up the work we are doing. There are many displaced people all over our country, including in my state, Kachin State. As you know, tens of thousands of Kachin refugees are among those who have been displaced in Burma due to unstable ceasefires. As the president [Thein Sein] said, only after negotiations are made and sustainable peace is built can the refugee issue be solved. I reckon the honor comes at just the right time, while our country is on the path of reform. It also highlights that much still needs to be done.
Q: What is your role in the Foundation, after leaving your leadership position in 2011?
A: I have been working in social development for more than 20 years, since 1987. I will keep supporting those individuals or groups who I have been helping. For our country’s reforms, our civil society group must be effective. We still have to keep up a lot. I will serve again on the Foundation’s board of trustees this coming September.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the Foundation and its present work?
A: I began providing assistance for community development in 1987. After a decade assisting people in the communities, the Metta Development Foundation was formed in November 1997, several years after ceasefires were made with ethnic armed groups in Burma. It [the Foundation] provides support for community development for the ethnic [communities] in these areas.
Q: What are the specific activities of the Foundation?
A: We support the community’s needs, which involves agricultural awareness, education, health care, and relief and social rehabilitation works. For example, rehabilitation in the post-Nargis [cyclone] period was not only a matter of building shelters, but also raising awareness among teachers and parents about hygiene as well as environmental issues. … We focus on the community’s proposal to implement a project, based on their decision, which is the most beneficial for them.
Q: When you started the Foundation under the previous military regime, what challenges did you face?
A: We were able to travel to areas where international organizations could not go. The locals also cooperated with us. We did not face huge challenges implementing our projects, except for the lack of international aid. If we had secured more foreign aid or technical assistance under the previous government, we would have done more.
Q: When you traveled, were you be able to work in ethnic areas affected by civil wars?
A: Of course, we were able to work in areas where ceasefire agreements were signed. We have also expanded our reach to help people displaced by natural disasters, not only man-made disasters, since 2004. We provided support to the tsunami victims in 2004, to the 2008 Cyclone Nargis victims in the Irrawaddy Delta, and in 2010 to the Cyclone Giri victims in Arakan State. Our support was not limited to a region. When local residents informed us about their need for help, we would reach them.
Q: Were there any other co-founders?
A: Yes, I am one of four founders of the Foundation. Actually, the four of us, we are all women who share the same commitment—two Karen ladies, another Kachin lady and I started it with US$20,000 in funding. We supported the development of agriculture, health care, education and hygiene development. Now the Foundation has expanded through multi-ethnic collaboration, with ethnic Mon and Shan representatives. My current successor is a Shan man, Dr. Sai Sam Kham. He took the leadership role in September 2011.
Q: Do you have any plans for how you’ll use your cash prize?
A:  In keeping with my commitment to work for sustainable peace and a development process that spreads evenly across the country, I pledge to use the prize money for projects that will protect and preserve the Myitsone area in northern Myanmar and that will provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for communities there. We provided agricultural and breeding support as well as forestry preservation assistance before the residents were relocated to new villages. Today the area is under threat from a dam project [currently postponed], which poses grave dangers to its delicate ecosystem, its cultural and religious heritage sites and its communities, displaced and deprived of land and livelihood.
Q: What was the driving force behind your decision to get involved in social development?
A: I was a stay-at-home mom in Myitkyina [the state capital of Kachin State] before getting involved in the field. Many people impressed me—those who were dedicated to our country and weren’t taking advantage of it for their own sakes. I was working with them, including ethnic leaders, and they inspired me. My first role model was the late Maran Brang Seng, who was chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). He encouraged me to become involved in work to improve the situation of destitute Kachin communities along the borderlands of northern Myanmar. Today, I thank him and the KIO leadership for directing me on this path. I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to the government of Myanmar, for opening the door for me to openly and freely initiate programs that would assist conflict-affected communities after the 1994 ceasefire agreements. The active young people in the communities are also a force that keeps me working in the field.
Q: There are many young philanthropists in Burma. What advice would you give to those who are working with civil society groups?
A: I want to encourage other women as well as the youth to try hard on their tasks, whether they perform philanthropic work individually or with a group. The power of civil society groups is significant in moving toward change in our country. The recognition of the RMAF [the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation]to a Myanmar citizen shows that civil society groups in Burma are capable of change. This is an honor for all of us.
By  Irrawaddy