Saw Ba U Gyi

"The Karen live in Burma, and they are the largest hill tribe group in Thailand. They make their home in the mountains alongside the Burma-Thailand border, as well as in the lowland delta area surrounding Yangon. The majority of Karen are Buddhist and Christian and Animist. The Karen have lived as farmers, primarily growing rice, chilies, and vegetables. They also hunt and fish for food, and raise livestock such as pigs, cows, and chickens. With the onset of Christianity over the past 150 years, the Karen have increased in literacy and education as well."

The problem for the Karen is the Burmese government. The Burmese soldiers are not good and they always bully people. They don't like our Karen people to speak our own language. If they see the Karen people teach their language, the soldiers kill them.

My hero is Saw Ba U Gyi and he helped his Karen Nation to get freedom from Burma. He built Karen National Union (K.N.U) community and worked to help the Nation. He had a good personality and a lot of goals to help the Nation.

Saw BA U Gyi was born in Bassin of Burma in 1905 to a wealthy land owning family. He completed a degree at Rangoon University of Burma in 1925 and he want to London and became a lawyer. In1937 he returned to Burma and joined the Government.

Saw Ba U Gyi asked the Burmese government to give the Karen state freedom but the Burmese said "The karenni, Mongpai Sub- State, Saleween District, Thaton, Taungoo and the Pyinmma hills tracts. You will fight to get your state free." So, SAW BA U GYI is the one of the first Kaw Thoo Lei (kaw Thoo Lei means Karen freedom) leaders who loved his country with all his heart. He wanted Karen people to have their homeland where Karen would be able to make their own future. He had already begun to petition for Karen independence.

Saw Ba U Gyi said "(1) For us to surrender is our of the question. (2) The recognition of Karen state must be complete. (3) We shall retain our arms. (4) We shall decide our own political destiny." He wanted the Karen people to live in their homeland. He accepted the post of Minister of Information from 1946 to February 1947 and then Minister of Transport before resigning in April 1947.

In January 1949 he led the Karen uprising in Insein. He was killed in an ambush on the 12th August 1950, near a small village 170 miles away from Moulmein. He had hardships and difficulties, and he gave his life for the Karen state.