--KNU Brig. General Sarky's letter to Burma’s Chinese
   
   
   Hello Burma’s Chinese:
   

   Ni Hao!
   
   
   
   Time and tide wait for no man!
   
   Since the UNPO Conference in the Hague, I have not met you for 1-2 years, though I occationally met Sai Wansai,secretary of the Shan Democratic Union.
   
   In spite of the Gentleman´s Agreement of Cease-Fire, the SPDC troops stepped up their military campaigns, ignoring all restraints in operations as forseen by our verbally negotiated agreement .
   
   Their aim is to set pressure on our northern districts now : depopulate the area, take full military control and burmanize these traditional ethnic Karen areas.
   
   
   They are targeting Karen civilians, especially in our 3 most northern districts : Nyauglebin ( Kler Lwee Htoo ) , Taungoo ( Taw Ooo ) and Papun ( Mutraw ), displacing more than 18,000 civilians-- most of them become IDP´s in addition to the existing 300,000 IDPs deep inside our districts, already 2,000 have managed to flee to the Thai border .
   
   Over last year only in these 3 northern districts there occured 533 clashes between our armed forces and the SPDC troops resulting in over 170 enemy soldiers killed , 532 enemy wounded and another 11 captured, whilst only 21 of our own soldiers were killed or wounded, 4 surrendered or captured by the enemy.
   
   The Burmese army have killed,burned and plundered the non-burman ethnic people, and used rape as a Weapon of War since more than half a century.
   Even though our military losses at a ratio of 1 : 33 , are low compared to the enemy, our civilian population paid a heavy toll as the enemy torched and razed many villages in these districts destroying crops and killing or seizing cattle leaving the escaping villagers without any crops or livestock.
   
   Although the enemy has conducted minor operations in our central and southern 4 Districts under limited time and size, we are still antecipating that the enemy is planning its major offensives against our 7 Bde. - Pa-An District ,6 Bde.- Kawkereik ( Dooplaya ) District and our most southern 4 Bde - Mergui Tavoy District.
   
   But I think that they will concentrate on 7 and 6 Brigde areas mostly trying to cut off our North - South communication lines and destroy our income & trade intensively dependent areas .
   
   We are anticipating these moves and are militarily as well as politically preparing for these operations which will cost the enemy a lot of casualities in an already low morale army which has little will to fight , especially if things get tough .
   
   Even with our obvious limitations we have prepared some new tactics and simple new devices which will be able to inflict massive casualties as they have never experienced before.
   
   In war it is important to be one step ahead , it works only once but it is up to us to find solution after solution over and again to defeat the enemy which is superior in numbers and in firepower .
   
   We have not yet used our latest weapon in the above mentionned districts and kept them for 4, 6 and for some units in 7th brigade . .
   
   Time will tell us how effective they will be in combination with our existing tactics .We expect a casualty ratio of around 1 : 40 or even 1 : 50 in our confrontatrion with the invading Burmese troops ( including KIA , WIA and POW ).
   
   Our leadership and our forces on the ground are preparing for the most extreme situations .
   
   It is always good to know that within our limited capabilities we do have some surprises in store if the enemy starts major operations by next dry season in our 4 , 6 and 7 Bbde.( Mergui -Tavoy , Dooplaya and Pa - An Districts .
   
   Special small scale units trained in unconventional warfare and new tactics are ready to add punch to our local troops in order to inflict substantial casualties to the enemy , whether they will use the slower IB`s ( Ka - Ma - Ya ) or the more mobile and faster LIB`s ( Ka - La - Ya ) or combined units in its offensives .
   
   I do not want to disclose too much details as new tactical concepts and new weapons are only effective as long as the enemy has not found a way to counter them and that , especially in the Burma Army takes a while as it reacts rather slow to adapt .
   
   Let us wait for the the expected offensives and later I wiil be alble to tell you more. this time I cannot disclose more than this. I beleive we will have ample opportunity to discuss this specific matter further as it will hit the headlines,I beleive .
   
   Dear Burma's Chinese,
   
   We will not attack unless we are attacked; but If we are attacked, we will certainly counterattack!
   
   My friend ! It is late and time to sleep . There is a saying in our army: the people who know to sleep know how to work well.
   
   Best Regards,
   
   Brig,.Gen . Saw Hsar GHay a.k.a Saw Sarky
   
   
   ======
   
   Note by Burma's Chinese:
   
   Brig. General Saw Sarky is a member of the KNU Central Committee, as well as a member of KNU Foreign Affairs Committee and plenipotentiary representative for Europe & and East Timor - He represents the KNU anywhere in the world whenever necessary .