Journalism and Fighting for Indigenous Rights in Myanmar

Scott Johnson is an Australian lawyer, journalist, and human rights advocate with more than 25 years experience, focusing on indigenous groups and geopolitical issues in Southeast Asia. He also runs Tribal Action Group and its popular YouTube channel.His work began in the 1990s with human rights campaigns and lobbying on behalf of the Montagnard Foundation, representing the interests of the indigenous Montagnard hill tribe groups of Vietnam in the corridors of power around the world.In recent years that focus has shifted to Myanmar where Johnson has conducted some 30 excursions, including more than 70 jungle border crossings, to report on the various resistance forces – the Karen, Kachin, Chin, and Rakhine – opposing military dictatorship.Despite recent territorial gains by the military and a far from united opposition made up of about 20 ethnic armed organizations, Johnson says the civil war remains unwinnable for the junta.Johnson spoke to The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt about his recent trip into Karen State where he met with the Kawthoolei Army and its leader Gen. Nerdah Bo Mya who has declared an independent Republic of Kawthoolei.Opinions about the declaration and Nerdah himself are mixed but Johnson says Nerdah is adamant about independence and is prepared to take the fight to the military, where other militias appear content to sit back and focus on controlling their own territories.“In all my conversations with him, he’s reiterating the fact that he's gonna stick with the people and they're gonna demand independence, freedom, and are not giving up,” he said.Johnson has also written for The Washington Times, The Epoch Times, Soldier of Fortune, Asia Times and the West Australian. He has worked on documentaries about Vietnam, Myanmar, and the long running civil war in Aceh, which ended in 2005.