Each year, the Karen Community Church of Greater Seattle hosts “Run for Hope for Burma”, a fundraising race to raise money for humanitarian aid in South Eastern Asian country Burma, which is currently known as Myanmar. 

This year, the 5K race was held at Chambers Creek Regional Park in Pierce County on Saturday, May 25. Although it was cold and windy, the racers weren’t deterred as they empathized with refugees and internally displaced people who’ve faced worse conditions while in civil war, as a lot of the racers were previously refugees themselves. 

In first place, Shoya Kanai finished at an impressive 27 minutes. Following him in second and third place in the men’s category is Poe Thout Kya and Heh Nay Moo, with Mee Ju, Nway Nway, and Yuki in the women’s category.

“Run for Hope for Burma”, previously known as “Run for Relief for Burma” started in 2003 by Laurie Dawson, a humanitarian volunteer from a family of missionaries, and is sponsored by Chapel Hill Church of Gig Harbor. The race was created to symbolize how the ethnic people of Burma have had to run from political violence for years. 

During the elections in 2020, democratic de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi received the vast majority of support from voters. However, the State Admission Council claimed voter fraud and arrested Suu Kyi for falsely accused crimes. Unfortunately, Suu Kyi is familiar with being arrested as she had been previously detained in 1989 and was released in 2010 after she formed the National League for Democracy Opposition party, receiving a Nobel Peace Prize during her arrest. 

This sparked the coup staged by military general Min Aung Hlaing, and caused the National Unity Government, who aims to “foster greater unity among ethnic groups, create an agenda for a post-junta Myanmar, and cultivate support from foreign governments” to form the People’s Defense Force, declaring war against the military junta, as mentioned by the Council on Foreign Relations. 

In response, the military dictatorship has caused the ethnic groups in Burma to suffer “Airstrikes, shelling and arson have been used to destroy civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, healthcare facilities and places of worship,” as stated in a joint statement by the High Representative on the behalf of multiple countries condemning the military junta, and marking three years since the coup in 2021 which extinguished efforts to become a democracy. 

More than ever now, the people of Burma need our help. The “Run for Hope for Burma” 2024 race has raised close to 5,000 US dollars to help fund humanitarian and aid organizations: Earth Mission Asia, the Free Burma Rangers, and the Karen Refugee Committee. These organizations focus on educating youth, protecting ethnic groups, providing aid and needs for refugees and more.

“Being educated is important because it opens up your mind and allows you to think for yourself. You will have access to more resources than most,” Eh Dah, a member of the Karen Community Community Church explains. “Many people in Burma who can’t access higher education may face challenges with bettering their lives. Those who are educated can get better paying jobs. They are also taken more seriously. Those who are less educated can be exploited and might not have the tools to stand up for themselves even if they know it is wrong.”

We are incredibly fortunate as Americans to have access to education and having our basic needs met. The citizens, villagers, and IDPs of Burma struggle day to day to even survive. If you’d like, you can take a look into the current war in the documentary Free Burma Rangers: A Family Brings Hope to the Front Lines, a film led by Laurie Dawson’s family members, David and Karen Eubank.