A new year full of new hopes

(Editor’s note: This is a speech given by Mona Han, a Burmese immigrant and member of the Kent-based Coalition for Refugees from Burma. Han, who is part Karen – a specific tribe of Burma – made this presentation at a Burmese new year’s celebration Jan. 1 at Kent Covenant Church. The Burmese have persevered through war and deprivation to come here, and their wishes for a bright new year seemed a wonderful way to start 2011.)

Today, the Karen people celebrate their 2750th New Year day, which is also the Karen National Day. In Karen History, the years are counted from the day when the first Karen tribe migrated from Mongolia, and settled in the Kawthoolei State of Eastern Burma, 2750 years ago!

The first official Karen New Year celebration began 72 years ago, in 1939, when British colonial administration that ruled Burma, recognized the first Karen New Year day, and declared it an official holiday.

Since then, Karen people around the world celebrate this special day with joy and happiness. Here, in the land far away from Kawthoolei, we are delighted to join hands to share our culture with our new neighbors and friends. I am deeply honored to join you in celebrating this auspicious day.

The Karen people, similar to other ethnic groups from Burma, have sacrificed so much – their lands taken away, their villages burned to the ground, their families tortured and killed, they are not allowed to celebrate their culture and traditions — every aspect of their freedom and basic human rights were taken away. But they are resilient people!

They are true survivors, whose deep faith and eternal optimism for a new life have carried them to pick up the pieces and start afresh, often in strange lands. Here we are, in Washington state, gathered together, sharing our blessings with each other. It IS a good day!

As someone from Burma, who is also part Karen, I can’t express how happy I am to look out to all your beautiful faces — Karen, Chin, Karenni, Burman, Kachin – united as free people, joined by our friends, celebrating this special day in a free land. This is our vision of what Burma should look like, and we hope, would be, one day in the near future — united, working hand-in-hand to bring freedom, democracy, and basic human rights, for all the people of Burma. In this New Year, it is necessary for all of us to be working in unity, for peace, prosperity, and better lives for our future generations.

Personally, I have the privilege to work closely with you, not only as a team member of the “Coalition for Refugees from Burma,” but as a member of your community.

I witnessed how you embrace the hard challenges of resettling in a far away land, learning to understand and master a new language, adapting to a new way of life, working hard to take care of your families, and still manage to keep your faith and optimism, despite insurmountable challenges. Please continue to work hard, as things do get better, and you will certainly see the fruits of your labor. Every human being has the right to live in freedom and self-determination. Though you are now living on the other side of the world, from your native land, it is important to uphold the Karen people’s tradition, language and cultural heritage, and hand them down to future generations.

It is a beautiful culture to cherish, and share with the rest of the world!

My dear brothers, sisters, family, and friends, may the New Year bring health, happiness, prosperity, and well being to you and your loved ones. May God Bless You! Thank you, and happy New Year!

Mona Han is a member of the locally organized Coalition for Refugees of Burma. You can learn more about this organization, and its efforts to assist Burmese refugees, by going to www.allburmarefugees.org, or on Facebook at BurmaRefugees.