Ka Hsaw Wa
Encyclopedia
Ka Hsaw Wa is a Burmese human rights
activist
. He is a member of the Karen
indigenous
group. Along with his wife, environmental and human rights attorney Katie Redford
, he is the Co-Founder and Co-Director http://www.earthrights.org/misc/ka_hsaw_wa_bio.html of EarthRights International(ERI), an organization that focuses on human rights in Burma and other areas "where protection of human rights
and the environment
is intrinsically connected." http://www.earthrights.org/misc/ka_hsaw_wa_bio.html Ka Hsaw Wa and Katie Redford have two young children.
as symbolizing righteousness and strength as well as a harbinger of great positive change.
Ka Hsaw Wa grew up in Burma as the son of a doctor and enjoyed relative economic privilege in his youth. However, when he entered college he soon became active in political causes, and quickly developed into a strong student leader. The Burmese government attacked the students brutally in 1988
, killing many. Ka Hsaw Wa was captured and torture
d. He then left Burma, but re-entered the country in order to participate in a lengthy photographic campaign documenting environmental and indigenous destruction, as well as severe human rights abuses, including starvation
, systematic rape, and the destruction of entire villages. Most of the problems he documented were connected to the construction and operation of a petroleum
pipeline
in the area of Yadana for the oil companies Unocal (U.S.-based) and Total S.A.
(based in France).
Ka Hsaw Wa, Katie Redford and EarthRights launched a federal lawsuit against Unocal, employing a unique legal strategy utilizing the U.S. Alien Tort Statute
of 1789, which says that "federal courts have jurisdiction for torts that occur in violation of the Law of Nations, [which] includes abuses of fundamental human rights [and] genocide",http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/09/20030930_b_main.asp in order to force the company to assume responsibility for human rights abuses caused by its actions. In the case Unocal eventually agreed to pay compensation to the 15 anonymous villagers who suffered forced labor, rape, and the effects of killings. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/business/14unocal.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=unocal+settles+burma&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Ka Hsaw Wa continues his front-line activism, and was featured in the 2006 film, Total Denial
. A description based on his role in the film is as follows:
Ka Hsaw Wa and EarthRights are also involved in the current struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma, wherein a number of protesters, including monks, have been killed, and hundreds of protesters arrested. They are working to bring an end to the current violence against the people. In response to the 2007 protests, Ka Hsaw Wa has said:
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
. He is a member of the Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
group. Along with his wife, environmental and human rights attorney Katie Redford
Katie Redford
Katharine Redford, Esq. is a human rights lawyer and activist who is credited with spearheading a movement to hold international companies accountable for overseas abuse in their home court jurisdictions in the Western world, and in doing so, opened up new possibilities in human rights law...
, he is the Co-Founder and Co-Director http://www.earthrights.org/misc/ka_hsaw_wa_bio.html of EarthRights International(ERI), an organization that focuses on human rights in Burma and other areas "where protection of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
is intrinsically connected." http://www.earthrights.org/misc/ka_hsaw_wa_bio.html Ka Hsaw Wa and Katie Redford have two young children.
Biography
Ka Hsaw Wa was born under a different name, which he keeps secret in order to protect his family in Burma. He has not seen his parents in over 15 years. He adopted the name "Ka Hsaw Wa", which means "the White Elephant", while in exile in the United States. White Elephants are traditionally thought of by the Karen peopleKaren people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
as symbolizing righteousness and strength as well as a harbinger of great positive change.
Ka Hsaw Wa grew up in Burma as the son of a doctor and enjoyed relative economic privilege in his youth. However, when he entered college he soon became active in political causes, and quickly developed into a strong student leader. The Burmese government attacked the students brutally in 1988
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
, killing many. Ka Hsaw Wa was captured and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d. He then left Burma, but re-entered the country in order to participate in a lengthy photographic campaign documenting environmental and indigenous destruction, as well as severe human rights abuses, including starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
, systematic rape, and the destruction of entire villages. Most of the problems he documented were connected to the construction and operation of a petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
in the area of Yadana for the oil companies Unocal (U.S.-based) and Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
(based in France).
Ka Hsaw Wa, Katie Redford and EarthRights launched a federal lawsuit against Unocal, employing a unique legal strategy utilizing the U.S. Alien Tort Statute
Alien Tort Statute
The Alien Tort Statute ) is a section of the United States Code that reads: "The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States." This statute is notable for allowing...
of 1789, which says that "federal courts have jurisdiction for torts that occur in violation of the Law of Nations, [which] includes abuses of fundamental human rights [and] genocide",http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/09/20030930_b_main.asp in order to force the company to assume responsibility for human rights abuses caused by its actions. In the case Unocal eventually agreed to pay compensation to the 15 anonymous villagers who suffered forced labor, rape, and the effects of killings. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/business/14unocal.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=unocal+settles+burma&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Ka Hsaw Wa continues his front-line activism, and was featured in the 2006 film, Total Denial
Total Denial
Total Denial is a 2006 documentary film about fifteen Burmese villagers going up against oil giants UNOCAL and TOTAL as they build the Yadana Pipeline.-Video:*, from Democracy Now! program, October 12, 2007...
. A description based on his role in the film is as follows:
"Ka Hsaw Wa dedicated his life to human rights activism, speaking fluent English and Burmese, dodging back and forth as he plays cat-and-mouse with the border guards, marrying another rights worker and even raising a family. All the while he is fighting to live and protect his homeland. At one point he describes how he was himself tortured. When he goes into difficult areas of the jungle, he takes a gun with a single bullet - to commit suicide if captured (to avoid torture)."http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0976178/
Ka Hsaw Wa and EarthRights are also involved in the current struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma, wherein a number of protesters, including monks, have been killed, and hundreds of protesters arrested. They are working to bring an end to the current violence against the people. In response to the 2007 protests, Ka Hsaw Wa has said:
"As someone who experienced this regime's brutality in 1988, I am glad that this time around, the world is watching. But that is not enough. The international community, including multinational corporations, must act now to prevent further bloodshed in Burma. The people have suffered profoundly for too long — they have already sacrificed so much, and they will not stop."http://watsonblogs.org/mak/
Awards and recognition
- Goldman Environmental PrizeGoldman Environmental PrizeThe Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world's six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The prize includes a no-strings-attached award of...
(1999) http://www.goldmanprize.org/node/172 - Reebok Human Rights AwardReebok Human Rights AwardThe Reebok Human Rights Award honours activists under the age of 30 who fight for human rights through non-violent means. Each year, the award is given to four or five individuals. Each receives a grant of US$50,000 that must be used to support their human rights work. The awards are underwritten...
(1999) http://www.reebok.com/Static/global/initiatives/rights/awards/recipients/wa.html - Whitley Award Winner (Human Rights & the Environment), sponsored by Sting and Trudie Styler (2004) http://www.whitley-award.org/display.php?id=37
- Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent LeadershipRamon Magsaysay AwardThe Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
(2009) http://rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationWaKah.htm
External links
- http://www.earthrights.org/home.html
- http://www.totaldenialfilm.com/
- http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/09/20030930_b_main.asp
- http://pbs.org/now/shows/345