Kuki Students Democratic Front

Kuki Students Democratic Front (KSDF) came into existence on 12 December 1993. The organisation was formed at Moreh, in Manipur state of India by dedicated Kuki Students. These students had fled Burma in 1988, following the students uprising against the dictatorial rule of the Military junta.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

From time immemorial different ethnic nations have inhabited present-day Burma. Imaginary lines, based on geographical landmarks, such as rivers and mountain gorges, demarcated their territories. The ethnic peoples did not belong to any particular nation-state, but there was mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity. The Kukis are one among many of those nations.

The Kukis are a freedom loving people. Opposition to the British colonialists, which began in 1700s, culminated in a long drawn-out struggle known as the “Kuki rising, 1917-1919” (Oriental and India Office Collections). The event affected the entire Kuki nation of present-day Burma and India. Due to their superior arms, the British were able to arrest 24 (twenty-four) of the main Kuki chiefs and leaders. One group of leaders were imprisoned at Taung-gyi Jail, the others at Sadiya Jail in Assam and Cellular Jail on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The British Raj thus deprived Kuki of their sovereignty.

The eastern Kuki chiefs who were arrested and imprisoned in Taung-gyi Jail in Burma are listed below:

A reflection on the Kukis is reproduced below from an excerpt from Maj. C. Higgin’s letter dated 13 March 1918 (The letter was sent to Mr. Webster, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Assam):

I do not think the Kuki was less known than other tribes. Personally I have had more to do with them and have toured among them for often than among other tribes. But I must admit that I was entirely wrong in my estimate of the degree to which the Kukis could be expected to combine. They have never done so before and in that lay their weakness. That is the reason that the Lushai and the Northern Chin, to my mind far inferior to the Kuki, man for man, were able to worst the Kukis and drive them north. My only excuse for this miscalculation is that it was entirely shared by all the Kuki interpreters, who might have been expected to know their own people better than I could be expected to do.

During World War II, Japan offered help to other Asian nations to drive out their European masters. Resuming their struggle for independence, Kukis joined Gen. Aung San, who was organizing the Burmese Revolutionary Party to drive out the British with the help of the Japanese.

When the British Government offered independence separately to the hill and valley areas, the Kuki leaders signed an agreement stating: “We do not want to live under the rule of Britain. We will have independence together with the Burmese.” This was the extent to which the Kukis demonstrated loyalty to Burma and rendered invaluable services. However, when Burma gained independence, Kukis were neglected outright and all their contributions forgotten.

The state of affairs worsened for Kuki when in 1962 Newin used the army in a coup-de-tat and brought the whole of Burma under his dictatorship. Furthermore, in the KHADAWMI operation of 1967, more than 20,000 Kukis were driven out of their land, causing great hardship and misery. Among those who were left behind, a divide and rule policy was adopted to weaken Kuki. After another coup-de-tat in 1988 by the military council, the hardship of the Kukis multiplied. Later, with intent of Burmanization the Government followed a policy to populate the land of Kukis with Burmese ethnic people. This threatened to wipe out Kuki identity and their Christian religion.

OUR BELIEF

For all the above-mentioned reasons, as a nation we Kuki people feel denied the dignity and honour of being born as human beings. We do not see any ray of hope for our future as we are compelled to live under a dictatorship, which constantly terrorises. We believe that only when a democratic Government is established in Burma that the rights of minority ethnic groups will be safeguarded. We strongly believe that dictatorship has to be completely done away with and replaced with democracy in order to ensure that the basic human rights of every person is valued and respected.

OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aims and objectives of Kuki Students Democratic Front are stated as follows:
• To make the Government recognize our rights over our ancestral land. In this regard we should be granted self-determination to preserve our identity and culture, and to freely practice our religion.
• For peaceful advancement and progress in the field of education and socio-economic development.
• To end military rule by supporting the democratic movements.
• To establish a federal union in Burma as desired by all constituent nations, so that the rights of these various nations are ensured, cherished and protected.
• To allow the peaceful return of Khadawmi victims who were driven out from their land in 1967 by Newin Government.

GROUND WORK FOR RELEASING OUR AIMS AND OBJECTS

The success of the present revolution would benefit the general mass. For its success, the co-operation of the people is essential. To win the co-operation of the people, the Kuki Students Democratic Front proposes to undertake the following tasks:

1. Educate the people about democracy.

2. Enlighten the people about the repressive features of dictatorship.

3. Bring about mutual respect and understanding between revolutionary parties.

4. Facilitating and engaging the participation of the people in the revolution.

5. Promotion of the tenets of democracy within the organization so that the people can take us a role model.

COMRADES-IN-ARMS

If it is not a hindrance to the revolution and to our national aspirations, the KSDF may join forces with the following:

1. Those who oppose dictatorship, because it is the greatest enemy.

2. Those who are concerned with democracy and human rights issues.

3. Those who follow both violent and non-violent paths in trying to restore democracy in Burma.

HOW TO MAKE OUR STAND

The KSDF supports the non-violent resistance movement of the National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi against the Military junta. In spreading about democracy and their political activities, the KSDF will be joining hands with the people to condemn and oppose the rule of the present dictatorship.