An interview with Roslyn John, Chairperson of the Karenni Civil Servants CDM Committee, regarding the formation of the committee and the holding of the Civil Servants CDM Conference after more than three years of revolution.
The participants of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Karenni (Kayah) State led a Karenni Civil Servant CDM Conference on 9 November. Currently, CDM members continue to participate across various sectors, with data showing that 5,607 civil servants have joined the movement.
The conference was organized with the aim of maintaining the CDM’s role, addressing the basic needs of CDM members as much as possible, coordinating with various departmental organizations, and establishing CDM policies to ensure their collective representation and leadership in both political and social spheres.
During the conference, they restructured the CDM committee based on the principles of transparency, equality, independence, and impartiality. They also elected a representative by vote to represent the CDM population.
Currently, the number of CDM staff serving in legislative, administrative, and judicial departments in Karenni State remains significantly lower than the total number of civil servants who have joined the movement.
To learn more about this, Kantarawaddy Times interviewed Roslyn John, Chairperson of the Karenni Civil Servants CDM Committee, about the Karenni Civil Servants CDM Conference and the formation of the committee, which brought together CDM members after more than three years of revolution.
Q: Please introduce your role in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
A: My name is Rose Lin John. I previously served for 20 years at the District Court in Kayah State High Court. I joined CDM 11 days after the military coup and have continued until now. Currently, I serve as Director at the State High Court in the judicial branch of Karenni State.
Q: What sectors are represented by CDM members in Karenni State? Which sectors have the highest participation?
A: In our state, we have nearly 5,600 civil servants who have joined CDM, according to our data. Among those who have returned to serve in various departments in Karenni State, education and healthcare sectors have the highest numbers. Other departments have very few. While some are serving in their original departments, many are helping in different departments than their original positions. For example, someone from the courts might be working in another department.
Among those who have returned to governmental departments after joining CDM, very few leadership positions were filled after discussions. Then, at the director level, some have returned to service. In terms of percentages, it’s still a low number.
Q: We don’t see many CDM members returning to their departments. So, where are CDM staff from various departments currently serving during this interim period?
A: From what we know, education and healthcare sectors are the strongest, followed by general administration. Other departments have fewer numbers. Some departments that didn’t have many staff to begin with now have about 30% participation rate. In our judicial departments, we don’t even have 25% participation – it’s very low. In terms of numbers, only about 4-5 people per department are participating.
As for other departments, we don’t have exact data as we couldn’t contact everyone during data collection. We’re only now getting this organized. After 3-4 years, many CDM leaders have tried hard before us, but due to circumstances and the situation in the state, people became scattered. The burden of being displaced by conflict has been severe. Some couldn’t endure it and returned to their positions. Many also became non-CDM due to pressures.
Q: You mentioned some returned to the military council due to pressures. What kind of pressures caused this?
A: For some, basic survival needs were the main factor. The civil service life wasn’t sustainable on salary alone. Some lived in staff housing because they had no homes of their own. When they joined CDM and left, some who had families still living in staff housing had to prioritize their families’ needs. Even though they disliked the military dictatorship, they had to consider their families first, so some of our friends became non-CDM.
Q: What opportunities should the interim government of Karenni State provide to prevent such pressures on those who have joined CDM?
A: When a civil servant returns to work in any department, they should receive a reasonable salary. However, if a civil servant lacks dedication to their work like before, is disrespectful, or unwilling to work, making various excuses – this creates significant challenges for us as a current government or interim administration and our departments. Although financial support is the primary concern, we are already providing appropriate salaries even during these extremely difficult times.
Whether in the judiciary or other departments, we’re providing suitable salaries to make sure basic livelihood needs are met. We’re also providing accommodation since everyone is displaced by conflict – this extends to junior staff levels. We understand what our ground-level staff need. But, we’re still working on fulfilling these needs. Everyone is facing and overcoming these circumstances together. As someone carrying this heavy responsibility now, there’s still much needed. In this incomplete situation, we’re like painting on an empty field of canvas – one person draws the hand, another the head, another the brain – we’re still in a position where we need to work together to complete the whole picture.
Q: You mentioned there are over 5,600 CDM members. Which departments have seen the highest return rates? And why are some still unable to serve?
A: Speaking personally, some prioritize their family matters. Because of the conflict situation, there’s constant fear – fear of airstrikes, fear of drones. Some have to struggle for their own livelihood needs, while some women have to consider their children. If we return to duty now, we’ll have to sacrifice everything. We need a lot of support to be able to contribute to the state in some way. This is not the time to go to work and enjoy ourselves like before. We have to try very hard; it’s difficult. We have many things to consider about returning to civil service life.
Some say they don’t want to return to civil service after voluntarily joining CDM. In civil service terms, some are disillusioned with civil service life. We try to contact civil servants as much as we can. We call them and make connections. We managed to organize a large conference for CDM leaders despite security concerns. We communicate from wherever is convenient with our available resources. But, there are still many we’ve lost contact with. Forming a CDM committee was very difficult, and the journey ahead will be rough.
Q: Why did you form this committee to unite CDM members only after more than three years of revolution?
A: The CDM force was already there soon after the 2021 coup. Though our state is small, the CDM force was large, including people from all levels. As for why we lost contact after all civil servants from administrative to ground levels revolted simultaneously – should we say it’s because of communications or personal security? We’re civilians facing the impacts of war. People scattered everywhere, some fleeing to distant places.
We realized that in Karenni State, the CDM was at risk of disappearing. When those with strong determination connected with each other, although it seemed late, we reconnected after Operation 1111. The current group reconnected only after late 2024. We saw that the CDM force in our state was fading and disappearing. With questions about where everyone had gone, including the leaders, [we decided to unite].
Although our numbers aren’t very large, we decided to organize as a unified CDM force in Karenni State. We met with CDM groups in the area and held meetings. We acknowledged that while the CDM force had diminished and dispersed for various reasons, we would reorganize. Even with small numbers, we aimed to form a CDM committee. We’ve now achieved this through voting, setting standards, and ensuring that CDM issues would be represented by CDM members themselves.
Q: How important is it to utilize human resources within your state? How can we gather the scattered CDM members, and how crucial is it to gather them?
A: Currently, CDM groups have Facebook pages. This helps us connect with and support CDM members who can access Facebook. For those who desperately need help, we need to figure out how to assist them. The first priority is maintaining morale, which is crucial. Next is the financial situation – we’re all empty-handed now. As citizens, our ability to endure is diminishing.
The importance of our strength lies in the fact that the CDM population was already established when we began resisting the military dictatorship. Their role is so historically significant it hardly needs explaining. In terms of human resources, it’s quite clear. Those with civil service experience already understand the rules and regulations on average. When someone becomes a civil servant, they have rights according to civil service laws. They already have authority and benefits. All CDM participants are already familiar with these things.
So in our state, during this interim period, when we say we can’t find human resources, we are we going with those who already exist? If we establish a department, the staff won’t need much training, except when they’re working in a different department than before. For example, if someone returns to their original department – be it General Administration, Courts, Law Office, Education, Health, or any other sector – they already have the operational expertise for that entire department. They’re already incredibly capable. If we put someone who was CDM but from a different department, that would be misplaced, and if they do enter, their unfamiliarity with the work would be the first challenge we’d face.
Q: Now that a CDM committee has been formed, what are the next steps in the process?
A: We have already laid out many plans for future actions. In our state’s situation, we’ve secured a place in the Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC). Our CDM group is already included in the CDM section. It means the CDM population has gained representation in the state’s framework. We will draft our own state’s future. We’re very proud that our representative can participate in developing CDM policies together with the state’s experts. As for future plans, we have them, on how CDM members will support each other, help each other, and search for job opportunities. These are all part of the plan.
We won’t go alone – we’ll move forward with collective strength and make decisions together. There are responsibilities to fulfill. Since we’re just starting as a committee, we’ll work to do our best going forward. There are very few people who can connect on the ground. What some people do is just criticize, condemn, and denounce, but when it comes to leading on the ground, they back away. We face this reality on the ground. That’s why the committee members are mentally active. Besides serving in our capable roles, we’re boldly working to ensure the CDM bloc’s role doesn’t fade or diminish. For everyone’s sake, we must be able to take criticism while also being able to work – these are the objectives we aim to achieve through our collective effort.
Q: Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: We need to unite. Whether it is through consultation, in person or on the ground, coming together on the ground would be ideal. But, in the current situation, our ability to organize is still very weak. We’ve established a Facebook page for the Karenni State CDM Committee. Through this, we’ll invite discussions, share information, and exchange messages. To help CDM members stay united, whether online or on the ground, we need to consider what we can do – there are CDM families who are in severe hardship.
Some CDM members are also depressed, swallowing their suffering silently. Our struggling CDM must succeed – it’s already in history. One day, after the revolution is over, we can hold our heads high with pride, without any conditions attached. This isn’t about giving something to get something in return – the CDM members’ freedom came without anyone’s persuasion. We still need to provide lots of encouragement to help people continue on the path they freely chose. We’ll try to make this happen. At minimum, even if we can’t provide financial support, we’ll help find job opportunities.
We aim to help those who contact us find opportunities in nearby areas. There is already a large CDM population in Karenni State. There’s no need to be discouraged or afraid. We still need to take steps to move forward with our heads held high. We can’t reach our destination without preparation, of course. We believe we can fulfill our responsibilities well in state affairs if we accept that we have these duties. I want to encourage those who are feeling discouraged – since we’ve chosen our own path, the most important thing is maintaining mental strength to continue moving forward in the best way possible.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.
