An interview with Khu Hte Bu, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration of the National Unity Government (NUG)
January 4, 2023
Khu Hte Bu, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration for the National Unity Government (NUG), said the parallel government in 2023 will continue to expand administrative work and public service activities in cooperation with the public.
In in 2022, he said, it would be able to organize the administrative system, which was in a state of disarray along with the territorial governance. The NUG Deputy Minister gave interviews to learn more about the situation described above.
Q: What has the NUG achieved in 2022?
A: I can only tell you as much as I remember. There were many activities in the different sectors, such as foreign policy, home affairs, justice and administration. And many things were achieved in the defense sector as well. I’d like to focus on my own sector. The most important thing is that when we started this revolution, we were young and inexperienced in the first year. We combined our forces from all sides and started this revolution. When we formed this government, we had many difficulties. How shall I say? We also had financial difficulties. It was as if we had started something from scratch. We did it with the support of the people in all aspects. Since we depended on the public’s support, the people also had to struggle. So we have a lot of difficulties. But I’d like to say that with unity, we were able to achieve a lot. In the area of internal affairs, for example, we managed to build a public administration with the support of the people. We have succeeded in this, especially in the regions of Sagaing and Magway.
We’re working to gradually expand public administration. At present, the entire government is striving for international recognition. As you may have seen in the news, there is progress in many ways. Our government has become quite well known internationally. It has started to get more recognition. Many other supports have also had a great impact on the public. Later, in order to achieve international recognition, we have made more efforts to strive for territorial dominance. At the same time, we have tried to establish an administrative mechanism. This is one of the most important achievements. We also take care of health care for the IDPs who are tortured or killed. In education, we’re making sure that children are kept out of school as long as possible. We also support the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) who protect our people. We support the people so that they don’t go hungry. Simply put, we support them in cooperation with the public. People support us in different ways, either individually, from Myanmar people living abroad, or in groups. I consider that a success.
Q: How much territorial domination have you achieved in Karenni State?
A: In Karenni State, the military council can now exercise its administration only in urban areas. They no longer have control in most rural areas. The regime now only has control over its military bases in the towns and villages in the surrounding areas. Apart from that, we can say that the administration is run by the people themselves. They can now only operate in urban areas like Loikaw. Their administrative structure includes only seven townships. Loikaw is the state capital and the state parliament is located there. Demoso and Hpruso are chaotic and no one lives there anymore. They only have control over Shadaw area. And there are a few other areas like Hpasawng and Bawlakhe that are under their control. And then there is Mese. Other areas that are far away from these areas are no longer under their control. I can say that. That’s it.
Q: What about the administrative mechanism and the current territorial dominance?
A: Regarding the administration especially in our Karenni State, there are local armed organizations that have been in resistance for many years. So they have been working with the people for a long time and have been implementing this type of administration for a long time. We’ll extend our administrative mechanism to the township level as soon as we have gained enough territorial control and it’s safe to set it up. In Sagaing and Magway Regions, this type of administration has been in place for a long time. In some districts, we have even established district-level administration.
Q: In terms of resistance activities, can you name the difference between 2022 and 2021?
A: 2021 was the beginning of the revolution, so we had much more to fight. But we’re determined to succeed after the struggle. We know that success will come from working with the public. We make it happen with what we have. To put it bluntly, before this defense ministry was established, the revolution was started with Tumee rifles and other improvised rifles. We’re making progress step by step. Before we can establish the administrative apparatus of the NUG, people themselves are cooperating in the public administration to avoid a chaotic situation. Later, with the support of the NUG, they have now organized themselves well.
Q: How are you currently working with the Karenni State Consultative Council?
A: The main thing is that we aren’t only working with KSCC. We represent different ethnic groups in states and regions, such as Kachin in Kachin State, Chin in Chin State, Mon in Mon State, and Karen in Karen State. For example, we have the KSCC in Karenni State. The goal is cooperation between each state/region and the NUG in education, health, humanitarian aid, and technology. There is cooperation in educational activities. There is also military cooperation because the KNDF is an armed force representing Karenni State. But there are also the PDF forces, which are under the defense ministry of the NUG. So there are a lot of joint activities.
Q: To what extent are you currently working with KSCC?
A: In terms of administration, the NUG doesn’t intervene in the ethnic areas. But we provide support in the areas of health, education and CDM. The NUG supports teachers who have joined CDM in building schools, teaching materials, and medical care. For example, when the nursing school was opened in Karenni State, NUG contributed as much as possible, such as the necessary teaching subjects and human resources.
Q: Does the NUG support Karenni State directly or is it provided through KSCC?
A: It was done through other connections when KSCC wasn’t much organized in the beginning. There were CDM groups and other committees already established among the people. There were committees for health, education, etc., and we just need to contact them. Before KSCC was established, there were these committees in the respective areas. So we had a connection with the NUG even then. Later, KSCC was established, which has its own committees for health, education, etc., and there is a kind of cooperation agreement between KSCC and NUG.
Q: How will the NUG continue to operate in 2023?
A: It’ll be guided by the goals we have set. Little by little, we’ll do as much as we can. Because our goal is to completely defeat and eliminate the military council. After that, a genuine people’s government will emerge. The future federal union will look like this. We’ll strive for more territorial dominance and then expand our administrative mechanism in cooperation with the people. We’ll have to expand other services to meet the needs of the people. That is the main thing. And then we need to make the voice of our people heard in the international community. For that, we have an international cooperation committee, and we have a foreign affairs ministry. We need to make our voice known to the world so that they understand our grievances and offer more humanitarian aid.
Q: Now that you have a goal in mind, can you say how far you have reached that goal?
A: As I said before, we’re aiming to overthrow the military council. And then we’re aiming for a people’s government, which is still a long way off. To achieve that, we have to make changes step by step. Because we can’t say exactly how far we have come, but I think we’re moving forward.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.
