KAREN NEW YEAR AN
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT HOLIDAY
“Every single Karen
people, especially new generation should know how to get Karen New Year Day by
the cooperation of other members of British Parliament within short period of
time.”
SAW MYAT THEIN, a Karen Buddhist MP
from Hanzada Constituency, Irrawaddy Division and he was the youngest one among
the Karen MPs who tried to achieve Karen New Year Day from the British
Government
According to Saw Aung Hla, a Karen historian,
Karen people originally migrated from the mountainous southern part of
China. The original place of Karen was
mentioned in Karen legends as the land of silver mountains (Ngwe Taung
Pyi). Karen people traveled through
Gobi desert in Mongolia and across the river of moving sand called Tee
Hser Mae Ywa in Karen language until they reached to Yunann province of
China. Karen settled in Yunnan Province
for many years and migrated into Burma using Irrawaddy, Tapain, Shwelee, and
Salween rivers. The first migration
started in B.C 1128 and arrived upper Burma in B.C 1125. The second batch of migration started in B.C
741 and arrived into Burma in B.C 739.
Karen people started agriculture and growing paddy as soon as they
arrived to Burma and it was very successful every year due to fertile soil and
hard work. Karens are so happy for
their successful farming and getting prosperous and started to celebrate every
time they pick new crops annually.
Later Karen elder to keep record every year they celebrate for new crop
picking season and it became first Karen Calendar Years. The first batch of Karen continued to move
to further south of Burma until they close to the sea. The second batch of Karen people resettled
in the area of a little further from the sea.
However, due to lack of communication and a long distance to travel
through jungle the calendar years between two groups of Karen migrants were not
the same. In 1937, the Karen calendar
year from Pegu was 2799 and 310 years older than Karen calendar year from Shwe
Kyin and Toungoo area.
Until 1938 January 1st, there was no official
holiday for Karen New Year in Union of Burma.
The Karen farmers from Pegu, Hanzada, and Taungoo area celebrate Karen
new year day on the 1st day of Thalay in Sgaw and Htai
Khok Po in Pwo Karen language, but it was neither very famous nor
disappear. Karen people in Papon area
celebrate Karen New Year on the 1st day of Htae Koo, a
month after Thalay.
Karen people of Ler Keh religion in Pa-an
celebrate Karen New Year on one of the Saturday in the Burmese month of Nayone The Karen from Done Yin area
celebrate on the first day of Saturday in the Burmese month of Tang Sound
Mone.
Karen farmers, men and women wished to celebrate
Karen New Year day as country wide official holiday and started talking each
other and requested their local Karen MPs to demand from the British
Government. Eventually, Karen MPs made
a promise of drafting a Karen New Year Bill and took responsibility to proceed within
the British political system.
Twelve Karen MPs met together at 253, Montgomery
St. in Rangoon, Saw Myat Thein’s resident for first meeting. MPs from different background suggested
differently. Some MPs said that we
already had Christmas day for Karen Christians and Thingyan,
Water
Festival for Karen Buddhists, besides
International New Year, so we do not need Karen New day. Some said that Karen New Year celebration is
out of date and did not show any interests. Some MPs suggested that Karen New
Year day, the 1st day of Thalay fall January 1st
1938 only, but it will fall around between December 25th Christmas
Day and January 1st International New Year Day, so that Karens would
be too tired and spent too much money to celebrate Karen New Year again. None of the decision was made during fist
meeting of Karen MPs.
Later they met again on 2nd meeting
and some MPs criticized on Saw Johnson D. Po Min as Karen God and Saw Myat
Thein, the youngest Karen MP as a backward.
Regardless of such criticism, a decision was made from the 2nd
Karen MPs meeting to proceed according to the wish of Saw Johnson D. Po Min and
Saw Myat Thein.
To proceed Karen New Bill, Saw Johnson and Saw
Myat Thein met U Ba Dunn (B.A, Bar At-Law), a layer of Mon ethnic background
and discussed with him. He was the most
skillful lawyer among the parliamentary.
The lawyer said, “It is not an easy task. There were only 12 Karen MPs out of 132 MPs in British
Parliament. It is certain your bill
will be lost If one of the other MPs objected.” Saw Myat Thein retold that it was quite discouraging thing he
heard from U Ba Dunn. However, Saw
Johnson did not give up, but asked the lawyer to find any possible way, and
helping to pass Karen New Year Bill using his wisdom. Eventually, U Ba Dunn said that he would try his best and asked
them to come back to see him next day.
Saw Johnson and Saw Myat Thein went home after receiving a promise from
the lawyer, U Ba Dunn. On the date of
meeting with U Ba Dunn, the lawyer explained two different possible ways.
1. Draft the bill and
present at the parliament
2. If majority of MPs
objected, the bill would be ceased
3. Can be discussed in
selection committee by the suggestion of one of the members of MP; however, it
would take about a year
4. Represent at the parliament
to discuss, but it lost the vote of majority, the bill will be ceased again.
5. One of the MPs can make
suggestion to ask from the people’s opinion, but it could take for two years
and represent at the parliament. If it
lost the vote of majority, the bill will be ceased again. If it won the votes
of majority, it would go to Upper House
6. After approval of Upper
House, the bill will reach to Governor General of British Government.
7. If the new Bill did not
effect British interests, the Governor General would sign and the bill would
became an Act.
1. Draft the bill and
present at the parliament
2. If majority of MPs
objected, the bill would be ceased
3. If nobody objected the
bill, it could pass the steps 3,4,5,6 and reached to Governor in Council and
The Governor General could sign the bill upon without any objection from the
Upper House to become an Act from the bill.
Karen MPs realized that if the short cut worked,
the Karen New Year Day became an official holiday in Union of Burma within
short period of time.
The Wisdom of Karen MPs
Karen MPs discussed quietly among themselves for
the strategy of getting the bill approved.
During those days, none of the MPs received salary from the British
Government, so everybody wanted salary.
However, none of the MPs was willing to submit the Salary Bill to the
government for fear of strong criticism.
All Karen MPs agreed that to submit Karen New Bill and to negotiate with
other Burmese MPs. If nobody objected
the Karen New Bill, Saw Johnson and Saw Myat Thein made a promise of to submit
Salary Bill for all MPs. Karen MPs knew
that only negotiating with other MPs within parliament could reach win-win
situation, and the Karen New Year Day would be achieved at the parliament. After two Karen MPs openly discussed about
submitting salary bill, those two became so popular among Burmese MPs and
offered with food and drinks, and quietly encourage submitting the salary bill
without any fear.
Later U Ba Dunn prepared a draft of Karen New
Year bill, originally asking two days of holiday. The news of to submit Salary Bill was spread out among Burmese
MPs. Two days later, U Ba Khine, Dee
Doke U Ba Cho, and Vavian came to see Saw Myat Thein. Saw Myat Thein and U Ba Khine were the closest associates among
the MPs. U Ba Khine invited Saw Myat
Thein to his resident in Rangoon. Saw
Myat Thein met Tha-khin Aung Sann and Tha-khin Hla Shwe in the house and had an
opportunity to discuss. Saw Myat Thein,
Thakhin Aung Sann and Thakhin Hla Shwe greeted each
other. The following is the short note
from original letter of Saw Myat Thein, one of the Karen MPs and a patron of
Karen New Year Celebration Committee Greater Rangoon (Maha Rangoon) and area.
|
ThaKhin Aung San: |
Are you sure that you are going to submit the Salary Bill for MPs? |
|
Thein: |
Yes, I decided to do so. |
|
San: |
Pease don’t do it. |
|
Thein: |
Why? |
|
San: |
Burmese Parliament will lose the face and
dignity |
|
Thein: |
No, it won’t. Every MP receives salary in every country. |
|
San: |
Let them get it, but we better not to take
salary for Burmese Parliament. |
|
Thein |
No, it is not good. Our
country will get hurt. |
|
Sann: |
How? |
|
Thein: |
British government has extra budgets. If we don’t use it, the government will bring Queen’s own Scottish mountain soldiers into Burma. Now we already have King’s own highlanders. |
|
San: |
Are you sure? |
|
Thein: |
Think about it. |
|
San: |
It is difficult situation (scratching his head
with fingers). We are between the
deep sea and the devil. |
|
Thein: |
No, we are between the deep sea and the devil
on one side, and the green field on the other. |
|
San: |
Oh. Come on!
Please don’t abuse your votes that Tha-Khin Ko Taw Maing tried to get
for you during political campaign. |
|
Thein: |
No, I’ll never do it. I promise. |
|
San: |
Ok. Go ahead, if you think it is good. |
On that day, Mahn Ba Khine offered some tea and
snacks to all the guests and departed after saying good-bye to each other. The Karen New Year bill was submitted by Saw
Johnson D. Po Min on August 23, 1937 and U Po Myin supported. Saw Myat Thein did a good lobby among the
MPs not to object the bill quietly. Mr.
Leach, the European leader complained that an amendment was found in the bill,
and said that it was against the procedure.
The Parliament Chairman asked him, “Are you objecting the bill or the
amendment?” The entire Parliament busted out laughing when Johnson said,
“You’re right”. Then Mr. Leach said,
“No, I am not objecting the bill.” When
the Parliament Chairman asked the question of any objection, all members of
parliament were quiet. It was the
victory of Karen New Year Day.
Later, Saw Pe Tha, the Minister of Finance took
a major role after passing long bureaucracy process of steps 3,4,5, and 6 by
submitting the bill to the meeting attended by all ministers, and Governor
General to sign on the bill. There was
no objection among the ministers of the cabinet and asked to sign to become an
act from a bill. The Governor General
signed it on the bill right away.
Finally, the Karen New Year bill became an Act within short period of
time.
One day in December 1937, the Ministry of
Interior announced that the 1st day of Thalay, Htai Khok Po would be
an official government holiday to close all offices, schools, factories, and
banks in entire country. Karen New Year
Day, which was almost disappearing, became a gazetted holiday for the whole
country. Entire Burmese people were so
happy for getting extra holiday in Burmese Calendar. Accordingly, the Salary Bill for the members of MP was submitted
by Saw Johnson D. Po Min on August 28, 1937.
None of the MPs objected the salary bill and it became an act. Karen MPs achieved win-win situation for
both Karen people as well as for the members of British Parliament.
Currently most of the Karen people live in the
area of Pegu and Eastern mountain range, Irrawaddy river basin, Sittang river
basin, Salween river basin, Thaungyin river basin and Tanessrim Division. Some Karen migrants were spread out to
Thailand and live Mae Hong Sorn Province, Mae Sariang, Tak Province,
Kanchanaburi and Chiang Rai Province.
There are also some Karen villages at least as far south as Hua Hin, and
probably even further south. However,
only Karen people in Burma are able to celebrate Karen New Year Day as an
official holiday.
Contributed by Mahn Kyaw Swe
Original Source: Karen Mirror Bulletin,
2743 Karen New Year Day published by Karen New Year Day Celebration Committee
(Greater Rangoon)
Author’s note: [Saw Myat Thein, the youngest Karen MP
passed a way in 1985 at his home in North Okkalapa Township, Rangoon
Division. He lived with his second wife
and contributed to Karen New Year Celebration Committee in Rangoon and Greater
area as a patron, an advisor, and a counselor until his last breath. I received his stories of New Year Bill
retold by himself and heard about the wisdom of old generation when I met him
personally in Rangoon. I salute to all
those Karen people who try to preserve, maintain the Karen cultural heritage,
languages and customs through difficult situation and hardship; to those who
come together for mass collection every year to get essential donation from
local Karen community; to those Karen Done troops who came from distance areas
such as from Karen State, and Irrawaddy Delta; and to those who come to
volunteer on Karen New Year Day without any absence for many years regularly
and faithfully by preparing this historical document. Long live with Karen New Year Celebration]
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