Men in my memory!

[hag2@xxxxxxxxxxx]

While still in Burma in 1988, I once received a phone called from U Htwe
Myint (at that time he was an advisor of Daw Suu).  He had arranged a
meeting between Daw Suu and us on September 3rd, 1988.  U Htwe Myint and I
met each other in the 1970s while serving sentences in the notorious Insein
prison; he was serving a death sentence and I was serving a life sentence.
Luckily we were released in 1980 because of General Amnesty law. 

In preparation for this meeting, we packed all our items and marched to
Daw Suu's house on the Inya lakeside.  When I went into the house I saw a
man who was sitting on the staircase to the second floor.  He was wearing a
tan color Burmese Jacket (Taike Pum).  He greeted my group and me with
"Mingalaba".  I was very pleased that he wore Burmese clothes and spoke the
Burmese language, and greeted him back.  He was Michael Aris, a British
citizen who fell in love with Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi, a Burmese woman.  They
had married.  I respect him because even though he is a British citizen, he
liked Burmese dress and respected Burmese culture. I like him because he
married a Burmese woman with love and respects her rights.  He is better
than those powerful Burmese who abuse 
Burmese women and force them to flee Burma.  Many of these very young
Burmese women have to become prostitutes in other countries to support
themselves or force to do this way of life, because of the abuse they
suffer at the hands of powerful native Burmese men.  Daw Suu has been
criticized for her choice in marrying an Englishman.  But I praise her.  A
foreigner who married a Burmese woman with love and treats her well is far
better than a Burmese man who tortures his wife and marries many other
women, or than a powerful Burmese man who creates conditions that force
many women into desperate circumstances. 

While we were arranging the equipment for the interview, Daw Suu told me
that she wanted U Win Tin to interview her.  I agreed and we started the
interview with our video cameras rented from a helpful supporter. U Thaw
Ka, a poet and a writer was on the side of the room watching Daw Suu and U
Win Tin's conversations and nodding his head with satisfaction.   The
interview was the first video interview of Daw Suu in 1988, after her
return to Burma to care for her ailing mother.  I put a title in the video

explaining that it was produced by Ba Ka Tha's (All Burma Student
Federation Union) information committee. After the interview, I realized
that she was incredible person and a capable leader.  It was a good piece.
When we left Michael bid farewell to us at the front door with the word
"Kye Zuu Tin Ba dae" (Thank you). 

Later U Htwe Myint joined the Democracy Party and led together with U Thu
Wai, the chairman of the party.  Former Prime Minister U Nu once announced
that those two are the promising young leaders for future Burma.  Now they
are in their 60s. Both men have been fighting against the military ruler
since it took over power in 1962 and were detained several times before in
1988 uprising.  At the present time, both have been incarcerated in prison
for more than 5 years.  

U Thaw Ka and U Win Tin also were imprisoned because of their journalistic
activities.  Both became CEC members of the NLD party.  Later U Thaw Ka was
arrested and died in prison.  U Win Tin became a respected journalist and
once an editor of famous newspaper Hanthawaddy.  He became an close aid of
Daw Suu and was elected as CEC member.  He is 
currently imprisoned.  My six master videotapes were smuggled out to
Thailand and kept by a trusted friend.  But he loaned it to a Burmese from
Germany and never returned them to  me. All were stolen.

These are my memories of all those well-known suffering heroes of Burma.
One died in prison without proper treatment for his sickness.  One died
separated from his beloved wife.  Three are still in the prison without
meeting their wives and children for years.  How long they have to suffer
in the future?  Is it a crime to believe in democracy?   No!  Should these
people be punished thus?  No!  Many unknown heroes shed their blood on our
Burmese soil, millions of people are still suffering.  Still, thousands of
unknown activists are in the prisons throughout Burma.