PAPUN DISTRICT, Eastern Burma—I was excited about my first trip inside northern Karen State to the headquarters of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 5, the rebel base at the heart of one of the world’s longest running ethnic insurgencies.
On day one, my colleague and I arrived at the small Thai border town of Mae Sam Laep on the bank of the Salween River which demarcates much of the borderline between Burma and Thailand. Sitting at a small shop eating lunch, we could see Burmese government soldiers mulling around their base on the other side of the river.We took a longtail boat upstream. All along the Salween, the natural beauty of the jungle, its tropical fresh air and songbirds seemed to welcome us. Brought up at a refugee camp, it was many years since I had been able to take in the magnificence of my homeland—the towering mountains, the rocky riverbank, the teak trees and bamboo plants, and the swirling flow of the Salween. We waved to the villagers along the riverbanks, washing, scrubbing pots, fishing, swimming, tending to vegetable gardens.
March is dry season; it's very hot and many of the trees in Karen state are bare. But, as the sun went down, it became cool—then cold. As the sun set behind the mountains, I shot some video footage.
The Karen boat driver had advised us that we were to pass Thai checkpoints, Burmese army camps and a Karen refugee camp called Ei Htu Hta—housing about 4,500 refugees of war.
It took about two and half hours to reach the nearest KNLA base. We showed the soldiers our letter of permission from the Karen National Union (KNU) and then went ashore.
The following morning, a KNLA commander ordered one of his men to guide us to the Brigade 5 headquarters. We took another boat trip and reached a Karen village called Mae Nu Hta on the Burmese side of the Salween within four hours.
I thought we were at the HQ, but the guide pointed toward the huge mountains. We had a brief rest and then started climbing. With his wispy beard, the KNLA soldier just smiled at us. He could see the doubt in my eyes. “Don't worry,” he said. “We can sleep in a hut in the jungle if you get too tired.”
After one hour of walking, we stopped to catch our breath. My shirt was soaked through with sweat. It was getting dark, but we had to go on. The night sky was crystal clear and peppered with bright stars. We had to use our flashlights to keep going. At about 10 pm, we reached a hamlet where we slept.
We were trekking again the next morning by 7 am. Finally, we got to Dae Bu Noh where KNLA Brigade 5 is based.
I busied myself talking with villagers, students, teachers, medics, mothers, KNLA officers and soldiers.
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