Key points
- 01 Mahn Mahn founded the Border Health Development Foundation to deliver healthcare indirectly to conflict-affected communities in Myanmar after the 2021 coup.
- 02 His journey began as a Karen resistance fighter and evolved into a broader mission covering all ethnicities and then all vulnerable people across Myanmar.
- 03 He believes Karen and Burmese leaders must overcome mutual distrust, and that young people hold the key to genuine regional development.
My father was a member of the Karen Resistance Army, he died when I was 8. When my father joined the KRA my whole family was arrested and beaten, I was 6 at the time. I was put in prison for a year. At 19, I joined the Karen National Union (KNU). I was entirely devoted to paying tribute to my family by engaging in the army and fighting against the ones who humiliated my people. In 1988, I started working in the jungle front line hospital. In 1996, I created a small clinic in Papun township located in a Karen state. Then I travelled to Maé Sot to Docteur Cynthia's clinic in order to receive medical equipment. In 1998, we founded the "Backpack Health Worker Team". In 2012, I entered the KNU elections and got elected as KNU Joint Secretary.
Before the coup, I was clearly involved in politics and really worried about the situation of the country, I tried fighting against the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signed in 2015. At that time, the KNU was divided around the question of the signed ceasefire.
After the coup, the National Unity Government (NUG) and People Defense Force (PDF) were created. I was strongly agreed with PDF's vision but I was not satisfied with NUG's strategy because they were not well informed about ethnic political perspectives. On the other hand, the ethnic resistance groups also didn't fully trust NUG. I decided not to directly engage in KNU or NUG or PDF. I believe that by engaging indirectly in this conflict by founding BHF I could help my people in an optimal way.
« Generation Z especially Burmese youth are the future of resistance, it was before Karen people that were fighting for liberty now it's every ethnicity. »
In the beginning I was fighting for my Karen people, then in 2020, I started to fight for all ethnicies in Myanmar, since 2024, I have been fighting for vulnerable people.
The Karen leaders need to learn to walk with the Burmese leaders, they are only worried about Karen's oppression by Burmese people. On the other hand, most of Burmese consider the Karens as an inferior race. The Karen leaders must also be trusted by the young generation for the Karen regions to develop in an optimal way, because the youth are staying away from all these racist considerations.
As far as I'm concerned, Generation Z especially Burmese youth are the future of resistance, it was before Karen people that were fighting for liberty now it's every ethnicity.
Inspiring standpoints by Mahn Mahn / Interviewed by Fondemos.
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