By Kantarawaddy Times
An organisation in Karenni State tasked with giving money to people who walked off their jobs to oppose last year’s coup has admitted that it can only provide very little because it has not received enough donations.
An official from Job For Kayah (JFK) said they gave some funds to people who joined Burma’s Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in August, and also provided food, medicine and school supplies to internally displaced persons camps.
The war has displaced 200,000 of the 300,000 inhabitants of Karenni State and funds for the CDMers, as they locally called, have drastically decreased as more people became homeless.
One education worker said that funds have not been distributed evenly. For example, he has received support twice, but others have never received any support.
“For us, our first concern was our safety because the Burma Army (BA) wanted to arrest us (for joining the CDM). When we fled to western Demawso Township, we felt safe, but the problem is that we have to worry about food.”
CDMers are wary of looking for a new job because they risk arrest. The regime has already imprisoned many people who joined the movement, which was formed by health workers shortly after the coup.
A CDMer who was employed under the former government’s forestry department told Kantarawaddy Times that they were expecting more than financial support from the National Unity Government and the Karenni State Consultative Council, but didn’t explain what he wanted.
“Some students have returned to classes under the government while staff have returned to their offices. We feel sad for all the youth who’re still fighting in the jungle against the Burma Army.”
According to JFK, some 6,000 civil servants joined the protest movement.
