An interview with a female member of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF)
March 15th, 2022
Ma War War Aung, 23, who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). She worked as a staff at the Kayah State Agriculture Office. Now she is performing her duties at the Battalion under the KNDF and a frontline battle.
The Kantarawaddy Times (KT) interviewed Ma War War Aung who has chosen the armed struggle as a woman.
Q: May I know your ambition to choose armed struggle?
A: Since before the military coup, I worked at the Kayah State Agriculture Office for more than two years. I joined the CDM and then the armed revolution.
Q: How long did it take you to make the decision to join the armed revolutionary group?
A: I had to take much time to join the armed group. It is easy for me to participate in the protests with chants. Decision to join the armed struggle is not as easy as expected. In practice, it is even harder. The purpose of my decision is I don’t like the military dictatorship at all. I want to revolutionize every dictatorship and live independently. All our youths want to achieve our ambition and goal. I arrived here by giving up all my ambition. Another ambition is that I want to drive out all dictatorships in order that our Karenni State becomes an independent state equipped with a federal and democracy system. I arrived here to drive out the new dictatorship in addition to the current dictatorship.
Q: How long have you been here?
A: After the completion of the training course, I arrived at the current battalion of the KNDF. Here I am serving as a frontline soldier and a frontline logistics soldier. Although it is not a heavy duty, I have to help our troops. I have been here for nine months. I get a lot of frontline experience as our battalion is always on the frontline ground. There is frequent fighting here. All comrades are always on standby as we don’t know when fighting will erupt.
Q: May I know your family’s response to your decision to join the armed group?
A: I faced a lot of opposition from my family. No parents will easily allow their children to make revolution by sacrificing their lives. My family shows opposition to it as even the family of a man opposes it. No parents will urge their children to choose this path. Our comrades came here without any permission from their parents. They came here by leaving their homes and families. We all had to make difficult decisions.
Q: How do you undergo training?
A: Firstly, I arrived on the training field. On the first day of training, I was very tired and difficult. Because I stayed at my home freely. I had to learn different training methods. I had to learn difficult training methods. I had never done running at home when I got up in the morning. I was really tired. I was tired twice. It was very difficult. The rest time is just the meal time and the sleeping time. Sometimes I had to undergo training even after getting up at night. I was really tired. I have no words to express it. I had to undergo a lot of mental and physical training. Now I can overcome anything easily. This may be the result of training.
Q: How difficult is your training? Have you ever skipped your training? Do you feel depressed as you cannot do it?
A: I never think I would stop although I feel tired and depressed. I want to return to my home when I am very tired. I want a stress-free life, by living together with my parents. Except for this situation, all females here face it. All people here are facing such a difficult life. Our efforts aim to end the military dictatorship in our country. I don’t feel depressed as I do the thing I think is right. With this big ambition, I came here as I decided to make a revolution in opposition to my family.
Q: What is your difficult part?
A: The most difficult time is the mission period. I am very tired. I have to put my clothes and other materials in the bag and spend two or three nights in the forests. Water and dried noodles run out. We have to share food with others. We have to eat leaves and banana tree stems in the forests due to a shortage of food. Some people will not believe what I said. It was really difficult. However, the experience from the training course is very useful in the frontline. It is practical.
Q: Did you face a shortage of food and water in the frontline? How many times did you face it?
A: We received food packages sent by donors when there was fighting. I have never experienced a shortage of food due to the fighting. However, the number of donors has declined. I think it is due to transportation difficulties and a lack of access to the internet. We have to be frugal although there is no shortage of rations. I really thank those who make donations within one year of the coup. I want them to continue to make donations. It is found that the donations have declined to a certain degree. It can be said that there is no freedom as before.
Q: As a female member of the armed organization, what is your major challenge?
A: Some people will think that the females would get priority and privilege in the frontline. All are the same here. We have to stay here with the comradeship and a brother and sister spirit. As a female, I don’t get more rights and food. I have to eat two meals a day like other comrades. We are friendly. At the beginning, I felt shy. Later, we all are like brothers and sisters. They are just like a second family. I feel very warm. I will remember them after the revolution. I will really thank them.
Q: Do you think that you can keep abreast of the men? To what extent, do you take pride in going to the frontline together with the men?
A: I thought I could do nothing at home. However, I can work a little bit. I cannot keep abreast of the men. Sometimes I myself take pride as I can do the work no less than a man. I don’t think I can do such difficult work. I really take pride in it. I always respect my friends who help me like the real brothers and sisters at this battalion.
Q: May I know your feelings and experiences about the frontline? How do you make preparations before you go to the frontline?
A: My first frontline experience was terrible. It is very exciting and terrible. It is just like the movie. It is very difficult. Some people will not believe it if I recount it. As a woman, I had to experience such a terrible situation. Thanks to God, I can survive till now.
Q: Did you got any injury in the fighting?
A: The frontline situation is very difficult. It is very tired. Sometimes I have to transport the necessary things to the battle field as I have to stay in danger zone. So far, I have got minor injuries.
Q: What would your life be if the military did not stage a coup?
A: If the military did not stage a coup, I would support my parent. Like other people, I would have achieved my goal. There are a lot of expectations. Our expectations have disappeared in the wake of the coup. Our future plans have disappeared. If the military did not stage a coup, I would be on the path my parent wants. I have never asked my parent about their ambition before. I am working on my path I wants. I have never turned my back on my parent.
Now I arrived at the place they dislike. I think I would fulfil the desires of my parent if the military did not stage a coup. As a matter of fact, this revolution faces a delay due to a lack of unity. We may go home and meet our families in a short period of time if we all participate in it unitedly. All regions and states don’t participate in the revolution when the revolution enters into over one year. Some states always make revolution. They get oppressed. Some people ask me when they return to their homes. I have to console them very often saying that we will return to our homes soon. They want to return to their homes. We all want to reunite with our families.
Q: Do you have anything to add?
A: I would like to thank donors at home and abroad and those who play an active role in revolution for over one year. I would like to call on the public to make contribution without discouragement and being coldblooded. I would like to urge the public again to participate in it. The revolution will not take a longer period. It faces a delay as there is no unity. We can root out the military dictatorship in a short period of time as we have a unity.
Now the major challenge is heavy weapon. Now we can use automatic guns instead of hand-made guns, thanks to the donors. However, the military is using many troops and jet fighters in Karenni State. The military plans are flying almost every night. The military always carries out the indiscriminate firing of heavy weapons to everywhere. The people have to sacrifice their lives and properties. The major need is heavy weapon. It is sure that we will win victory soon if we have heavy weapons. I would like to call on the public to bracing for it.
Sent by Maw Oo Myar (Kantarawaddy Times)
