I was inquiring a close friend from within the Karen resistance movement on the postponement of the KNU Congress until next year and what he thought about the leadership. He came back to me with an answer full of frustration and disappointment, where he spelled them out clearly and precisely.

He wrote:

The current KNU leadership follows the line of appeasement, capitulation, peace and engagement in development. They bought vote and cheated at the previous KNU Congress. Please see the incisive and blunt comment below.

The KNU is doing all of this with their eyes wide open. I blame them and only them for where they are now and where they are headed. It is not that the Tatmadaw, international governments, INGOs, or the devil made them do it: they did it and or doing it themselves.

The international Karen community complains about it, but keeps the funding flowing. The KNU/KNLA hardliners complain, but don't offer an attractive competing vision or objectives, have an internal revolution, or form their own political and military organization. The KNU/KNLA foreign supporters/advisers like us complain, but keep supporting them with training and advice. No wonder nothing changes. Simple math: 8-3=5 and.............Talk-Action=0.

The KIO/KIA learned their lesson and changed leadership and strategy. The Northern Alliance - Burma, including the Wa, are the ones sticking their necks and lives out now for their principles and now have learn to "go to them to get them away from us". Even the Bengali are fighting back - soon ISIS and other Islamic fundamentalist will join them. All of them said, ENOUGH is ENOUGH!".

When is Enough Enough for the Karen? Maybe the Karen need to suffer more like a drunk who looses everything - wife, house, job and still drinks. Then maybe they then will rise up and say "ENOUGH is ENOUGH!!!" They shouldn't have to wait long for more suffering..they are on the Tatmadaw's list once they settle the North with their "Keep the South quiet while fighting in the North" Strategy. Same as the 1994 with their "Keep the North quiet while fighting in the South" Strategy.

They will be coming after the Karens sooner than later as they did the Kachins and most recently the Shan State Army-North. But with the continuous weaken military capabilities and lack of political will, the Karens will be easier pickings this time..when the Tatmadaw is ready. Sure no surrender, General Custer did not surrender and we see what happen to him and his soldiers. The military gains over the years by the KNLA/KNDO are being lost,explicitly and implicitly, by the KNU central and district leadership, and those KNLA/KNDO soldiers, who have been killed and maimed for these gains, are being dishonored.