Читать книгу Burma and the Karens - Dr. San C. Po C.B.E. - Страница 7

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"We are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of the upper and lower teeth. To act against one another, then, is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be vexed and to turn away." --Antoninus

Among the educated class, and in the towns, Burmo-Karen co-operation is possible and usual, and often with most pleasing results if the leaders of the two communities are keen and tactful. No doubt education, more frequent contact, and similarity of aims and objectives have created a better mutual understanding, and the Great War has also served the purpose of drawing the two races closer together as comrades in arms. The needs of serious efforts in combating a common foe and fighting for their King-Emperor has taught them the rudiments of patriotism. Loyal Burmese gentlemen co-operated with Government, and the innate loyalty of the Karens, which had been lying dormant for so many years, came to life again. Although there existed so many sore spots not yet healed owing to unfulfilled promises or to neglect, unintentional or otherwise, by Government, and to disdain and the oft-expressed opinion of the Burmese that the Karens are only a "negligible quantity," yet when the need arose, the response to the call of the King and Empire was marvellous. Some of the best Karen schools were depleted of eligible young men who lost no time in enlisting.

The Burmese opinion that Karens are only a "negligible quantity" was heard, to quote only one instance, a few years ago at a meeting of the Y.M.B.A., at Bassein, when one of their most prominent speakers, in the course of his speech, said: "We need fear nothing from the Karens, for, as far as I can see, they are only a nation of nurses and ayahmas (infant-nurses)." Though puerile, expressions of this sort irritate, but happily they are not so common now. Instead, one often hears to-day remarks from Burmese gentlemen to the effect that the Karens are making great strides in education, and are showing the spirit of unity which Burmans ought to copy. While these expressions of opinion, naturally, give pleasure, the Karens themselves do not forget their own weaknesses and short-comings. An intimate and highly esteemed Burmese friend of the writer, who is invariably candid and outspoken, once said, "I like the Karens. I like their simply straight-forwardness, but }. The Burmese phrase is very expressive but difficult to translate into English. The idea conveyed is that the Karens are not sufficiently wideawake, they are slow to grasp a hint, an opportunity or a situation. The observation is perfectly correct, and has been frequently repeated by the writer in his speeches to Karen audiences.

It is not at all strange that a Karen is for from the time he could understand he was taught by his parents to speak the plain unvarnished truth, without "beating about the bush," and at school his character is being trained on the same lines. Therefore, when a Karen tries to be and deviates from the truth, as sometimes happens, he makes a poor job of it. As the American slang has it, he is not "slick at it." On the other hand, Burmese mothers teach their children how to be polite, how to (to smooth over things) in their speech and action, often regardless of the truth. The Burmese have a saying "" (without a few falsehoods speech is never smooth), and a good many live up to this old saying. A nation is judged by the characteristics and behaviour of the populace, and the writer, in commenting upon Burmese manners and characteristics, refers to the habits and distinguishing traits of the populace. Until recent years the trustees or guardians of Karen schools would not allow the pupils to play football or compete in any sport with outsiders. The inter-racial feeling was bitter, and with just cause. Recently, however, the school authorities have given full permission for the boys to enter into competition with outside teams in various sports. The inter-racial tension in the past was created by frequent unpleasant incidents, of which the following is an example. Some years ago, during the visit of the Lieutenant-Governor, among the attractions arranged for the entertainment of His Honour was a football match between two teams representing the Burmans and the Karens. As is usual in a match of this nature, a large crowd attended, and racial feeling ran high. In spite of every precaution taken by the organisers, aided by a large force of the police, and notwithstanding the presence of many high officials, including the Chief of the Province, the game ended in a free-fight, in which the spectators took no small part. To the shouts of "Kill the Red Shirts!" "Kill the Red Shirts!" the red-jerseyed Karen players had to fight their way out of the ground and to make a tactical retreat in order to avoid a more serious fracas. Such incidents are less frequent nowadays, as the result of better education and cleaner public opinion, and, principally, of the higher status of the Karens in the estimation of the Burmese public and other races generally.

SIR REGINALD CRADDOCK and SIR HARCOURT BUTLER

A very harry sign of the times is the fact that the Burmese youth, and young people of other races, have sought and are seeking admission into Karen schools. Parents knowing the good moral atmosphere generally prevailing in Karen Christian schools have been led to send their sons and daughters to them. And in the Karens the deeply-rooted prejudice and strong aversion which has existed against admitting children of other races into their schools is gradually and slowly passing away. The writer considers this the greatest advancement towards Burmo-Karen co-operation, and it may in time bring about the welding of the two important races of the Province into one in national aim.

But co-operation is impossible when there exists a form of oppression which has created much ill-feeling. To cite an example, the pastors and elders of a Karen village once came down to Bassein and reported a matter relating to their Township Officer who, it seems, had gone to their village on a Sunday while a prayer-meeting was in progress and ordered the villagers to come out and help carry his luggage to a dak bungalow. The pastor and elders were in a dilemma, for if ever a nation has a high regard for a religious service it is the Karen Christians. To be called away from prayers, especially when threatened by a Government official, the threats not unmingled with abuses, was indeed an awkward situation. However, the situation was partially eased by one or two elders and the village headman carrying the luggage to the desired place while the meeting was continued. The Township Officer, not satisfied with the autocratic part he had played, must needs go further by taking down the names of some of the villagers and submitting them for prosecution on charges of his own invention. The villagers claimed that the Township Officer never gave any intimation of his coming to the village, that he only decided upon stopping there on his way back from another village when he heard the singing of hymns and knew that the Karens were at church. There is a rule or understanding in village administration which distinctly states that under no circumstances should villagers be interfered with in their religious services and that, wherever possible, Government officials should make use of those who are not so engaged. The Township Officer might have been considerate enough to have landed just as conveniently at a Burmese village close by, especially when the Karens had always shown him due respect in his previous visits to the village and had given him every help and attention required. In fact, on a previous occasion he had expressed himself as being very pleased with them.

At any rate, the matter was brought to the attention of the Deputy Commissioner, who was a man of tact and sympathy, always responsive, and one who would often go out of his way to settle a disagreement between two parties. In this case, however, he was in a measure influenced by the fact that the Township Officer was his righthand man in these troublous times during the Great War. This subordinate official was a man of great resource, and his explanation and reports on matters within his jurisdiction had always been most convincing and satisfactory. He was, in addition, one of the most loyal of British Burmese subjects. The Deputy Commissioner made private and personal inquiries, and kept the case pending, apparently in order to find some means of settling the matter between the parties concerned, while the Karens with their elders and legal aid drew up a very formidable case against the officer. Fortunately, at that time there was a Burmese official of high standing upon whose help the Deputy Commissioner always relied in important matters and who also had great influence with the Karens by his intimate knowledge of them and his kindly and sympathetic dealing with them. To this man the Deputy Commissioner confided the matter, and after some round-table talks and a series of "give-and-take" proposals, the two parties came to an understanding, and the matter was settled, not to complete mutual satisfaction, perhaps, but to the great relief of all concerned.

Here was an opportunity when the Deputy Commissioner, as a Christian, might have used his influence and position to prevent further mischief and friction of a similar nature by speaking out straight, the course Government officials should follow, as it had always been followed heretofore; on the contrary, what he actually said was that he himself had to work as hard on the Sabbath as on any other day, and, therefore he meant to infer that Christians, as well as non-Christians, should have no objection to working on a Sunday. In the words of Kipling's British Soldier:

"Ship me somewhere East of Suez Where the best is like the worst, And there ain't no ten commandments, ..."

but even in the East of the Suez there are Christians and people of other persuasions as well, who live the Christian life and closely follow their religious teachings. It is this religious faith which has made Great Britain what she has been and what she is to-day.

It is a matter of regret that in the East the native Christians in the majority of instances, instead of receiving encouragement and help from a certain class of their Christian rulers, are made the object of ridicule and derision. Fortunately there are still those who, in spite of the great temptations and circumstances, "combine with the highest ability and training the beautiful characteristics of an inward Christian life," and through them the Christian atmosphere still prevails in the general administration of the country.

Major Enriquez, a much-travelled and keen observer, in his book A Burmese Wonderland remarked, "The Karens have been the missionaries' one great success in Burma. Indeed, if they have two faults, they are too much Christianity and too little humour." Surely no nation or race of people can have "too much Christianity!" It is too little Christianity that has made sad pages in the history of nations.

As for the apparent lack of humour of the Karens, the raison d' être is to be found in the following extract from Mr. Donald Smeaton's Loyal Karens of Burma. "The oppression of ages had made the Karen reticent, and very suspicious up to the point where he yields his confidence. If he thinks he can trust you he passes at once from the extreme of suspicion to excessive confidence, and yields himself unconditionally. He knows no half measure in this. . . . Among his clansmen and with his chieftain he is frank and cheerful. With strangers he is timid, suspicious and retiring; when he descended from the hills to the plains, he, to use his own words, 'lived between the legs of other men.' One of their teachings is 'If anyone asks you if you have seen his buffalo, don't inquire the shape of his horns, just say that you haven't seen it, for that ends the matter at once! This reticence often makes the Karen appear stupid, awkward and obstinate, which he really is not. He will take refuge in 'I don't know' and a blank stare simply to avoid further questioning. . . . A Karen will rather conceal what he knows, frequently to his own hurt." Major Enriquez is an Englishman and a big "Army Head" (literal Karen translation of a military officer), and therefore it was only to be expected that he would not get any humour out of the Karens. Apart from the fact that it takes a long time to get really acquainted with a Karen, Major Enriquez does not understand their language, and an average Karen cannot crack a joke in Burmese.

GROUP OF KAREN SOLDIER

The difficulty experienced by the Karens in having to speak Burmese in public and in courts of law is a national grievance which they would like to see rectified. Very few Karens can make themselves "at home" with the Burmese language. It is easier for an educated Karen to express himself in English than in Burmese, although he comes in daily contact with Burmans and is obliged to speak their language. This is one of the principal reasons why Karen schools are to-day clamouring for the privilege of having their language made a compulsory subject in place of Burmese, as they have to make a mental translation of the English into Karen and then into Burmese whenever they are required to translate English into Burmese. Very recently, however, the sanction of Local Government was obtained for the Karen Language to be a compulsory language up to the High School Final in Karen schools.

There is no doubt that by tact, education and untiring propaganda the two races will gradually get into the real spirit of mutual confidence and co-operation but it will be a slow process. The suggestion contained in a subsequent chapter, however, if considered practicable and therefore acceptable, will achieve that mutual confidence and respect so much desired within a decade.

By their usually honest and straightforward dealing and simple ways the Karens have gained the confidence and respect of foreigners like the Chinese, Indians and Europeans, and this confidence, shown by the other races, is promoting in the Burmese some respect and a better feeling towards the Karens.