Burma

I first came to Burma in 1992 as a freelance reporter seeking my war story. I sure found it. My first week in the war zone I ran into a gauntlet of fire and steel, my first baptism of fire.

In my very short stay at Manerplaw, the Karen GHQ, I learned a lot about these gentle people. The Karen are one of Burma's largest minority groups with 9 million people. Oppressed for centuries by the more powerful Burmese, they finally had the means to fight back when the British armed them in W.W.II to fight on the side of the allies.

Their goal: Establish a Karen homeland called Kawthoolie.

For a few short years after the W.W.II it seemed there might be a chance for Burma to live in peace. But it was not to be. The civil war began in 1949 when the ruling junta made it clear there would be no respect for the minority groups. The war continues to this day. The longest running insurgency of the 20th century and now into the 21st.

My Story

A Yankee in the jungle.

1992

Getting bombed in Manerplaw

My first week at Manerplaw found me stuck in a bomb shelter thanking my lucky stars to be alive. This photo was taken moments after being strafed by a Burmese Mig 21. Little did I know but at the time I had been hit - a sliver of shrapnel was stuck deep in my leg. The adrenaline rush had nulled the pain. But a few minutes after the strike I did feel it - a searing pain like a red hot poker burning into my leg.

Ouch!

Don Dickinson, ex-Thai and Canadian army guy and Soldier of Fortune reporter, does some emergency field surgery extracting the shrapnel. A close shave!

Mig 21's have a Gatling type canon, 6 barrels rotating at high speed firing 23mm exploding rounds at 3,000 rounds per minute. The sound a 23mm canon makes as it's bearing down on you is unforgettable - like a de-mufflered chain saw at full blast. It sounded like a thousand dry tree limbs snapping at once as the canon rounds ripped into the jungle. I was right in the cross hairs of that hotshot Mig jockey. I ran like Carl Lewis - zigging to my right at the exact moment canon rounds stitched the ground just to my left just ten feet away. I ran, leapt, slipped, skidded and then dove into a bomb shelter to wait out the strike.

1995

The Fall of Manerplaw

Back for more punishment. With an unknown well equipped Karen soldier - a rare sight in the Karen army. Sporting a fairly new M-16 and spiffy new uniform.

After a 3 day march from Manerplaw we reached Bothra village, abandoned, a ghost town in the jungle. With only the buzzing of insects and the chatter from short-wave radio transmissions to greet us. Villagers had fled the oncoming SLORC forces. The heat was on as SLORC had thrown 20,000 troops at Manerplaw. I and the brother team of Don and David Dickinson, had accompanied soldiers sent to shore up defenses as SLORC attacks threatened the southern approaches to Manerplaw. It was futile as Manerplaw fell just days after this photo was taken. Manerplaw to this day is still in enemy hands.

1999

Wallakey Camp. New GHQ

Interview with General Bo Mya for Japanese TV. Martyr's Day Ceremony. After the fall of Manerplaw Wallakey GHQ was established.

2000

Wallakey Camp

With Nerdah Mya, son of Bo Mya.

Heavily defended, the SPDC has not been able to dislodge the Karen from this new stronghold. One week after this photo was taken the SPDC launched a major attack but it soon fizzled when casualties mounted.

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