Releated article to UDP -Irrawaddy_True Story of the Man behind the Peace Initiatives in Myanmar

http://democracyforburma.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/releated-article-to-udp-irrawaddy_true-story-of-the-man-behind-the-peace-initiatives-in-myanmar/

February 25, 2009 · No Comments
Mostly audience knows and sees only performers and dancers on the stage, but they don’t know a man who is behind the scene (curtain). But the man behind the scene is the one who feel, create, instruct and direct the whole story for all the performers to have a wonderful interesting show with no flawless move in the audience’s (public) eyes.

Now time comes and need to tell the true story of the man who is behind the ceased-fire initiatives in Myanmar history. Who are the architectures of peacemakers to reach ceased fired agreements between Myanmar military government and so many ethnic armed groups mostly based China-Burma border areas. From the government side, many people know and gave the full credits to late-sacked Prime Minister Gen. Khin Nyunt, but who is the main and key players in the ethnic groups most of them just broke away from the Communist Party of Burma-CPB. There are so many stories and rumors; and some people also wanted to pretend or get credits like a peace initiators. Before talking details about how the ethnic armed splinter groups reached the ceased fire agreements with the military government after they revolted against central control power of the CPB militarily and politically.

The Kyu Hkok-Panghsai battle was very severe fighting between the military government and the CPB army. It took almost a year long fierce fighting and losing so many lives from sides as well as innocent civilians and local villagers. The fighting started on Oct-Nov-1987 and ended in June 1988. In that fierce and deadly fighting, U Kyaw Myint was one of the commanders of CPB and who led and command his CPB battalion in the Mong Koe region in northern Shan State in Myanmar.


U Kyaw Myint involved in the freedom movement in 1968 as a teenager to fight and to protect freedom, peace and equality for ethnic minorities in Myanmar from the socialist dictator regime who ruled the country with a iron fist since in 1962 after Gen. Ne Win brutally staged a military coup and crackdown the democratic government. Later U Kyaw Myint joined the Communist Party of Burma-CPB and worked in information and public relation department to organize the local people to fight for their own freedom and their own rights. As a local young talent party organizer with so many language skills, U Kyaw Myint got the attention from his superiors for his loyalty, energy, working hard and leadership skills these are beginning days of U Kyaw Myint’s long walk to the current leadership status which he got and reached not because of luck or chance, it is result and outcome of his commitment, devoted and hardworking. U Kyaw Myint is deserved his leader position as he worked and earned to get this level. In these days, there are only a few leaders in Myanmar like U Kyaw Myint who has diverse experiences from politic to military to economic knowledge’s and skills. U Kyaw Myint is not idealistic and dreamer, he is very practical and real person who showed and had a solid result on his life. No matter how it hard or bad, at the end, U Kyaw Myint overcome the hardship and won and controlled the situations. He had so many time life threatening situations, but he did not scare or being afraid, rather than face the challenge face to face. This is real man who mostly stayed quiet and silent and less talking in public.

Commander U Kyaw Myint saw so many people died and lost their lives including their properties and assets, but did not see any result for many years fighting and started thinking to find out another way what can be done to avoid catastrophes. Same time he had sentiments and distrust on the leadership of CPB with not realistic and practical approach to solved the Myanmar’s civil war which is started since independent is granted in 1948.

U Kyaw Myint had disagreement with his superiors from of the BCP political wing and started regrouping his troops in the region. The problem between U Kyaw Myint and the CPB Central spouted in May 1988. The CPB issued death sentence to U Kyaw Myint for his coup and openly disobey the central command of the CPB, but in September 1988, U Kyaw Myint successfully gained and controlled the Mong Koe region as an independent militia group. The CPB’s total control on Mong Koe region was ended after the central committee member and the representative of the CPB PoliBureau, U Ba Than, from CPB’s northern command was arrested and forced to leave from the area. Era of CPB’s military power started sun-set.

As a newly established military group, some many challenges and difficulties from all sides came onto U Kyaw Myint’s head who was dealing and fighting with two front wars: one is CPB troops who want to catch him dead or alive and other was the government troops. Same time some junior commanders in his troops wanted to challenge his revolt when the troops had facing the shortage of supplies, foods, medicine and ammunitions. U Kyaw Myint considered to switch a very dangerous and uncertain move to solve the tremendous challenges facing his troops. He needed to find some temporary solutions to feed his troops and to control his troop properly. So he wanted to end the war with the government to hold hi breath and tried to find friends in enemy’s side. He made a bore move and decision to stop fighting with government and to get at least temporary ceased fire with the government. That is how the first ceased fire agreement was initiative and rooted in May 1989. After so many month negotiation and dialogue between U Kyaw Myint’s Mong Koe group and then intelligent chief, Gen. Khin Nyunt, the final settlement and peace agreement officially signed between two sides in September 1989.

This event was the first ceased fire agreement signed and reached between the military government and the broke-way groups from the CPB. U Kyaw Myint was the first commander of the CPB who opposed and revolted against the CPB. It will not be overstated if U Kyaw Myint was the person who initiated and triggered the bottom to collapse the CPB totally who can resist and fought militarily against the central government for many decades. The first peace door was opened and Gen. Khin Nyunt also found a common ground with U Kyaw Myint to get expand his peace missions among the ex-CBP army commanders who were friends and colleagues of U Kyaw Myint.

That time, no one dared to resist the CPB’s authority and power in the CPB even the ceased fire leaders knew if they failed what price they have to pay-life. U Kyaw Myint put his life in risk and started and changed with believe in himself and his commanders Burma’s revolutionary scene forever After reaching a ceased fire groups, U Kyaw Myint was approaching, persuading and encouraging his fellow commanders in the CPB to against the CPB and to stand for themselves and to fight and protect their own people under their leaderships. These missions are not easy and not smooth to getting in touch with other CPB commanders in different military division in eastern and northern Burma region where there is not transportation and communication system established. Meanwhile the CPB ordered their troop to arrest and kill him wherever they saw or found. Under the darkness of the situations, U Kyaw Myint can reach out and gained the trusts among his once colleagues of CPB army commanders.

After the Mong Koe group, the second group was Ko Kang brothers as U Kyaw Myint and Peng Jiafu, brother of Ko Kang leader Pheung Kya-Shin (Peng Jiasheng), secretly communicated and arranged to get the ceased fire agreement with the authorities. March 12, 1989, mutiny break out in Kokang area and Kokang mutineers capture the CPB’s Northern Bureau headquarters at Mong Koe in two days later. Then U Kyaw Myint was able to reach and get in touch with Chao Ngi Lai, a commander of CPB’s 2nd battalion in Wa region. Finally Wa groups also separated from the CPB and joined the ceased fire clubs as his pioneers. On April 17, 1989, Wa troops capture the CPB’s Panghsang headquarters, ending forty-one-year long Communist insurgency in Burma. In early of December 1989, Zahkung Ting Ying, commander of CPB’s 101 War Zone in Kachin State, followed the steps as his fellow CPB commanders. Now clear who started the end game of the BCP military power which even the government troops could not fight over many decades.

That was how the ceased fire agreements have been reached and so many people are involved behind the scene. U Kyaw Myint was one of the key players to make happened. U Kyaw Myint had great respect and admire among his colleagues- commander as they got the training together, live and sleep together, and fought together as military commanders of the CPB, but they were kids for the CPB Polibureau, especially in the party side.

Once they are just junior commanders of the CPB, but after breaking away from their mother party-CPB, all the military groups needed to restructure, reorganize and reformat their chain of command including the civilian administration in the areas they controlled. To be sustainable, they have to plan and manage the business and economic projects in their controlled areas even they received rations from the government.

U Kyaw Myint is one of the ceased fire groups’ leaders who regained support from Chinese government that stopped all supplies and supports to the newly broke way groups since they were no longer parts of the CPB. That is not true as most people thought that the ceased fire groups have a golden path to walk to shake hands with the military regime after they revolted against the CPB. From the scrap conditions to now the strongest and the united powerful ethnic political forces are not easy journeys the ceased fired leaders managed to escape from the worst situations to now better conditions. These groups never got any support from international communities morally or financially like other democratic forces in Thai-Burma borders.

In 1993, U Kyaw Myint moved to Yangon as a representative of the Alliance of ceased fire groups mostly from northern and eastern of Myanmar. He also established and managed a Myanmar Kyoen Yeom Co., Ltd company, which focused on mining, timer and border trade with China. U Kyaw Myint transformed very quickly from a life of CPB’s foot soldier to a powerful business tycoon in Myanmar under his leadership and business management. U Kyaw Myint joined the management team of the Prime Commercial Bank in Yangon to finance and invest the capital for the country’s business projects including construction and development project across the country.

As a representative of the ceased fire groups, U Kyaw Myint challenged and talked to directly Sr. Gen. Than Shwe to share power with opposition including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. That is the main reason U Kyaw Myint got trouble with the authorities, not because of business monopoly as the media stated. In 1997 the military government shut down all the business and companies under control and management of U Kyaw Myint and put him prison for over one year in solitary confinement, but the authorities kept him in the prison comfortably compared to other prisoners. The intelligent owned and appreciated U Kyaw Myint’s contribution in the peace process with ethnic groups. Even now Myanmar did not have full-scale peace and political settlement, because of U Kyaw Myint’s initiatives, gun-shots’ sound are silent and fighting are stopped in the ceased fired areas, and save hundred of thousand of people lives and at least many local people can stay and live in their own village as normal. Who can deny these facts and who can ignore this? But U Kyaw Myint invested and started this journey with his life and blood. Imagine, if he failed at the beginning, sorry there will not be ceased fire agreements as we have now. But nobody know the true.

U Kyaw Myint was able to manage to escape from the Mandalay prison, especially when taking medical treatment from the prison hospital and landed in Thai-Burma border by disguising as a monk even he is devoted Christian. Again U Kyaw Myint did not get warm welcome from the opposition even the NCGUB invited to come and talked in Oslo, Norway under arrangement between Norwegian government and NCGUB. U Kyaw Myint had been attacked by outside media including the Irrawaddy Magazine based in Thailand by accusing as a controversial businessman linking with the drug trafficking.

The Irrawaddy Magazine repeatedly wrote and printed false information about U Kyaw Myint even without solid proof or evidences. These are some sample appeared again and again on the Irrawaddy magazine as follow about U Kyaw Myint; “Myanmar Kyone Yeom was accused of acting as a “money-washing machine” for the UWSA. “Michael Hu Hwa (a.k.a. Colonel Kyaw Myint), who claimed to be a deputy minister of finance for the UWSA, openly and brazenly flouted Burmese business laws and regulations.” But U Kyaw Myint is not a Wa ethnic and wasn’t colonel in the UWSA. His position was General position the UWSA.

U Kyaw Myint is a Kachin (Lachyik tribe) born in Phi Maw in Eastern Kachin State, border with China in 1951 but his mother is a Burmese-Chinese. His Kachin name is Zahkung Zung Sau. He joined the CPB when he was 17 year old as a foot solider in 1968 and promoted up to second-in command of 101 War Zone in Northern Division of the CPB army under Zahkung Ting Ying who become later a leader of the New Democratic Army-Kachin, one of the ceased fire group in Myanmar. He married with N’hkum Nang Bawk. Her father is N’hkum Zau Mai, who is late chief of staff of CPB army. Only a few people know about two powerful CPB Chief of staffs- Lahtaw Naw Seng (CPB first chief of staff and N’hkum Zau Mai who served the second and last CPB Chief of Staff until he joined United Wa State Party as one of core leaders, but most of Burmese oppositions or students are grown up with leftist lecturer and CPB. They knew more about Burman who are mostly powerful and in-charge of the party line, but the military wing are totally depended the local ethnic troops and totally controlled of two popular Kachin commanders with both top solider of CPB army, U Kyaw Myint worked and served very closely.

After short meeting with exiled Burmese group, U Kyaw Myint had a bad impression and decided to stay away from the politics and emphasized on the business and family matters. U Kyaw Myint and family moved to United States and lived there for a few years. U Kyaw Myint also took the MBA program in Singapore but stopped the studying after one year. His formal education and practical business management skills opened new opportunities after moving to Canada from United Stats. U Kyaw Myint get some loan from his business friends and deposited the money into firming and agriculture business in Manitoba, Canada. After working a few years, his farming business expanded not just growing potato and wheat, but also opening eco-tourism from Asian countries to his firm to get Canadian firming life style experiences.

Form the firming community in Alberta, his name is recognized and known his financial management and marketing ability. Then U Kyaw Myint moved to Vancouver and started his own aprivate company called NAH Development Group company mostly investing different sectors in North America’s financial market. U Kyaw Myint walked through as a foot soldier of the CPB’s army to successful businessman and well experiences investors in the North America’s global out-reach financial market.

Everybody knows how it was difficult and big challenges settling in third world countries as an immigrant. Forget about to own and run the millions-dollar business company, in the reality, it was very hard to own and run a family-own coffee shop and restaurant in West. U Kyaw Myint stands on his own-feet and run and managed his own company, but never forget his native-land. Here U Kyaw Myint’s words and believe should be quoted as sample. U Kyaw Myint believes, if people want to do or get in politics, they need to know how to make money and earn the money for their own family survival. If people want to do politic with other people’s donation and grants, these kinds of politicians will be upper-class baggers, but they cannot be a good leader of the country. If people don’t know or have business management skills, how these people can manage and run the country properly and successfully. Now U Kyaw Myint prepared to come back and lead the Myanmar politic as an experience politician, influential leaders in ceased fire groups, successful businessman to make Myanmar country back to normal. U Kyaw Myint has military experiences- more than 27 year fighting in the jungle, and political and negotiation skills with business management experiences. He already showed who he was and he can grow in anywhere he live. But he did not have any ambition to become a leader of the country, but he wanted to be strong and solid supporter for new generations who are the future leaders of the country in Myanmar. That is only reason he founded the United Democratic Party of Myanmar-UDP with other colleagues.

People want to damage his reputation and to ruin his personal and political characters, so they labeled and accused him as some one who are rich and successful because of drug trafficking. Now the history need to be corrected and things needed to be straight, otherwise rumors and accusation become true and the true will be sinking in deep behind the scene. Now this is right time to tell the true story of the man who behind the peace initiatives and ceased fire agreements in Myanmar.

Mostly Burmese or foreign media never met or interviewed with U Kyaw Myint even though they wrote and talked about him. But Now I will start tell his story chapter by chapter. http://www.kachinpost.com/article.html#Tru