INSPIRING STANDPOINTS BY MAHN MAHN
October 2025
Civic Sparks
WHO ARE YOU MAHN MAHN?
Nationality: Burmese
Organisation: Border Health Development Foundation
Role: Founder and director
Territory of intervention: Myanmar
WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND STORY AS A KAREN?
My father was a member of the Karen Resistance Army, he died when I was 8. When my father joined the KRA my whole family was arrested and beaten, I was 6 at the time 1 . I was put in prison for a year.
At 19, I joined the Karen National Union (KNU). I was entirely devoted to paying tribute to my family by engaging in the army and fighting against the ones who humiliated my people.
In 1988, I started working in the jungle front line hospital. In 1996, I created a small clinic in Papun township located in a Karen state.
Then I travelled to Maé Sot to Docteur Cynthia’s clinic in order to receive medical equipment.
In 1998, we founded the “Backpack Health Worker Team“.
In 2012, I entered the KNU elections and got elected as KNU Joint Secretary.
WERE YOU POLITICALLY INVOLVED BEFORE THE COUP?
Before the coup2, I was clearly involved in politics and really worried about the situation of the country, I tried fighting against the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signed in 20153. At that time, the KNU was divided around the question of the signed ceasefire.
HOW DID THIS INVOLVEMENT CHANGE AFTER THIS?
After the coup, the National Unity Government (NUG) and People Defense Force (PDF) were created. I was strongly agreed with PDF’s vision but I was not satisfied with NUG’s strategy because they were not well informed about ethnic political perspectives.
On the other hand, the ethnic resistance groups also didn’t fully trust NUG. I decided not to directly engage in KNU or NUG or PDF. I believe that by engaging indirectly in this conflict by founding BHF I could help my people in an optimal way.
WHO DO YOU FIGHT FOR?
In the beginning I was fighting for my Karen people, then in 2020, I started to fight for all ethnicies in Myanmar, since 2024, I have been fighting for vulnerable people.
WHAT IS FOR YOU THE KEY OF DEVELOPMENT FOR KAREN REGIONS?
The Karen leaders need to learn to walk with the Burmese leaders, they are only worried about Karen’s oppression by Burmese people. On the other hand, most of Burmese consider the Karens as an inferior race.
The Karen leaders must also be trusted by the young generation for the Karen regions to develop in an optimal way, because the youth are staying away from all these racist considerations.
WHO DO YOU SEE AS THE DEMOCRATIC ACTIVIST OF TOMORROW?
As far as I’m concerned, Generation Z especially Burmese youth are the future of resistance, it was before Karen people that were fighting for liberty now it’s every ethnicity.
Notes
- Karen is an ethnic group, mostly Christian, located in South-East Myanmar.
- A military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021 ousted the elected National League for Democracy government, with a military junta seizing power.
- As part of a divide-and-rule strategy, the junta had struck a ceasefire with some ethnic groups in exchange of turning a blind eye to their illegal activities, it did not establish genuine peace, it was more of a facade.
