The author intend to make it clear how the Karens, as a minority race have occuppied their present situation in Burma.
They were originally the inhabitants in Upper Burma, but driven away by the Shans from there to Lower Burma, and then secured a sure meaning of living through the cultivation of rice-fields on and around the Irrawaddy Delta.
They are the so-called Plain Karens, and besides them, a small numder of the Hill Karens live in the vicinity of Karenni States in eastern Burma. There are some differences both physical and philological.
As the Burmese who are the majority race, are suppressing the Karens and intend to put them back to the mountain district again, troubles are yet ceaseless between them. These troubles are not about territory, which, are rather disputed between the Hindoos and the Burmese or the Karens, but are mainly owing to their feelings.
During Burma was under the occupation of the Japanese Army, most of the Karens co-operated with Great Britain, and the autonomous rights after the war was promised for them. But after the war, the promise of Burma's independence from Great Britain ceased to exist as a matter of course. So the Karens who did not desire to be put under the rule of the Burmese, raised a domestic revolt in 1948, and following up their victory, dashed toward Rangoon and were about to occupy it. At the same time, the Communists in Burma rised in revolt, and the Burmese government of Socialists Party appeared to fall at any moment. But, then, Great Britain gave the support of arms to the governmental army, the Karens failed in the revolt, and nowadays they are pressed to the eastern mountain district.
Now the governmental authority has the intention of Permitting them to establish a self-governing nation in the eastern mountain district, but the Karens whose stronghold of living is on the Irrawaddy Delta, will not be satisfied with it. So there still remains a number of difficulties, to solve the problems between them.
