Ka Hsaw Wa
Ka Hsaw Wa (born 1970) 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 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."[1] 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
Ka Hsaw Wa grew up in
Ka Hsaw Wa, Katie Redford and EarthRights launched a federal
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 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)."[5]
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."[1]
Awards and recognition
- Goldman Environmental Prize (1999)[6]
- Reebok Human Rights Award (1999)[7]
- Whitley Award Winner (Human Rights & the Environment), sponsored by Sting and Trudie Styler (2004)[8]
- Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership (2009)[9]
References
- ^ "Ka Hsaw Wa | EarthRights International". Earthrights.org. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
- ^ "Local Activism". The Connection by NPR. Archived from the original on 2006-10-01. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Unocal Settles Rights Suit in Myanmar". The New York Times. 2004-12-14.
- ^ "Ka Hsaw Wa | Speak Truth to Power". www.speaktruthtopowerinschool.com. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- ^ "Total Denial (2006) - IMDb". Uk.imdb.com. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
- ^ Goldman Environmental Prize. "Ka Hsaw Wa". Goldman Prize. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
- ^ "Awardee". October 18, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-10-18.
- ^ "The Whitley Fund for Nature". Whitley-award.org. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
- ^ "2009 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee - KA HSAW WA". Rmaf.org.ph. 2009-08-31. Retrieved 2012-01-28.