Kukis observe 35th anniversary of forced relocation

Htoo Sein

Mizzima News

19 November 2002

The Kuki Students Democratic Front (KSDF) and the Kuki Women Human Right Organization (KWHRO) jointly commemorated the 35th anniversary of their people's forced relocation at the hall of Burmese Community Resource Center (BCRC).

The function brought together more than 80 democracy activists, including ministers of the exiled government (NCGUB), students’ leaders and democracy activists based in Delhi.  In 1967, the revolutionary council led by General Ne Win evacuated and exiled more than 20,000 Kuki nationals from the territory owned by their forefathers.

One of the members of function's presidium, the President of the KSDF Mr. Letlam, said the region of Kabaw valleys really belongs to the Kukis. The Kukis living in the areas of the around the Indo-Burma border and those living in the Kabaw valleys are culturally and linguistically inseparable. As the Kukis in India shared the plight of the Kukis in Burma, with their generous help, even though without NGOs sponsorship, they had been able to hold a ceremony in the year 2000.

U Thein Phe, Arakan Democratic Party (DPA) said nobody could deny the fact that the military junta had tortured ethnic minorities for fourty years and was now also continuously persecuting them. 

He added " therefore, let’s all together fight this brutal regime with our efforts until we reach our goals. If we are not united in fighting against the regime, we will not success”.