Agron Dragaj photography

Burma's silent war

“ When I was a child my father used to tell me that the war is all what he remembered throughout his life, so as his father before. The same thing my son is hearing from me every day. I joined freedom fighters to fight that one day my son does not need to tell to his son same story I’ve heard from my father” - Senahu, KNLA rebel.

Conflict between Burmese authorities and the Karen National Union (KNU) military wing Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) has lasted over six decades and claimed lives of tens of thousands people. The KNLA are calling for an independent state. More than two million ethic Karen live in refugee camps scattered along the 1,200 mile Thai-Burma border mainly in "no-man's-land". In january 2009 the Karen struggle entered its 60th year since the fighting began making this the longest war for independence in the world.

KNLA soldier
   
  
Barefoot KNLA soldier.
     
  
   
  
     
  
Colonel Ner Dah Mya, commander of the 201 battalion of the KNLA army looks on while planning the partol route to reach the Neapeta village which was recently attacked by the Burmese forces.Colonel Ner Dah is one of the two sons of the legendary KNU leader Saw Bo Mya who died on 23 December 2006 of the heart attack.
   
KNLA rebel at their military outpost.
   
KNLA rebel with an RPG.
     
  
   
  
     
  
   
  
     
  
Karen refugees
   
A boy walks behind the KNLA rebel in village of Naepata, karen state, Burma.
   
Ethnic Karen girl stand amid almost empty village
     
  
   
  
     
  
   
  
     
  
   
  
     
  
   
  
     
  
   
Canadian NGO staff awaits KNLA soldiers to provide her an escort to distribute non food items to the IDPs who were displaced when Myanmar forces entered and torched the village.Often raids by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DBKA), Buddhist splinter group of KNU and the SPDC government forces occur in the villages of Karen state and the crops and food is taken away, often people are killed with pretext of being supporters of KNLA.
  
     
  
Colonel Ner Dah Mya, commander of the 201 bataglion of the KNLA army looks on while planning the partol route to reach the Neapeta village which was recently attacked by the Burmese forces.Colonel Ner Dah is one of the two sons of the legendary KNU leader Saw Bo Mya who died on 23 December 2006 of the heart attack.
   
Colonel Ner Dah Mya, commander of the 201 bataglion of the KNLA.Colonel Ner Dah is one of the two sons of the legendary KNU leader Saw Bo Mya who died on 23 December 2006 of the heart attack.