Friends of Burma, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization.

My name is Saw Peacefully Thomas, I am a Karen pastor from Thai Myanmar border. I am the president of one of Migrant Learning Center in Thailand, hosting more than a thousand students from the Internal Displaced People from Myanmar. I entitle with the role of Kawthoolie Karen Baptist Church’s general secretary. I would like to tell you a short story of my life and I hope that it will be representing Karen and ethnics groups of people in Myanmar. I was born in Karen state, Pi Ta Ka village in 1977 during the time when Burmese military government raised the “four cut four operation,” as characteristics of ethnic cleansing. In the course of this intervention, my family had to fled and moved to Thai Myanmar border. Since I know that I am human being, I have to run for life, move on place to place. My village was burned down. I live, sleep and eat together with wars. Death and arbitrary arrest, brutal violence is hot news and story that I hear for my whole life. When I was 12, in 1989, the

We are monitoring updates on Burma (Myanmar), and people demonstrating against the military take-over of the country. We are in contact with our mission colleagues. The Christian leaders in Burma are doing their best as they always did during the previous successive military regimes. History is repeating itself for those of us who lived through 1988. The language and tone of the current State Administration Council sounds like the generals back in the 80s, ready to repress any dissenting voices.  The only difference then and now is this generation is equipped with mobile phones with Internet access, and has been exposed to relative freedom in the last decade since the country opened its doors after 2010. They know that their generation didn't have to pay exorbitant fees to buy a mobile phone number unlike those in the 80s and 90s, when people paid Kyats 2,500,000 (US$ 2,000) for a SIM card. Their demonstration techniques are more sophisticated with humor and witty messages to let t