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Conqueror of the king
Min Ko Naing- "Conqueror of the king"-was a popular student
leader during the 1988 popular uprising and was elected as the chairman
of the ABSFU by the majority of Burmese students. He was supported
not only by the students but also by the people of Burma during
the popular uprising, especially for his fiery speeches against
the then ruling party. After the bloody coup by the military, he
continued fighting for democracy and delivered further fiery speeches
against the military regime. The people of Burma continued supporting
him as well. The people of Burma were very confident of him and
paid their respects to Min Ko Naing as a new generation's student
leader. On the other hand, the military regime greatly feared its
people's strong support for him. Finally the military regime put
him in solitary confinement for 20 years. He was arrested by the
military regime in March 1989. However, only in 1992 was he sentenced
to 20 years imprisonment for his strong leadership of students and
the democracy movement.
After the military coup in September 1988, the generals thought
Min Ko Naing would flee to the border. But he took a different path.
He did not move an inch from his own land because he strongly believed
in his own people and a non-violent way to achieve democracy. When
the authorities realized that he would not go from the country and
that the students and the people were still supporting him, they
chose to send him to prison for a long time. At that time, there
were three main targets for the military regime-Daw aung San Suu
Kyi, U Win Tin (who wa sbelieved to be the mastermind for Daw aung
San Suu Kyi and the NLD), and Min Ko Naing, the favourite student
leader. Firstly, the military regime cracked down on U Win Tin and
Min Ko Naing. Both were arrested by the MIS without any substantial
charges. Although U Win Tin was given three years imprisonment,
Min Ko Naing was imprisoned for nearly two years without trial.
Later, U Win Tin's sentence was extended for another eleven years
and then another seven years, and Min Ko Naing was given 20 years
imprisonment. So far both have been in prison for nearly ten years.
Due to harassment in prison, Min Ko Naing's health is deteriorating.
As with other political prisoners, he has no right to read nay books
- even the state-run newspaper. In September 1998, there was a rumour
in Burma that Min Ko Naing had died in prison. "The rumor seemed
to be carried by the Burmese students because of his health, so
I think they spread the rumour to see the response from the military
regime," said Ye Teiza, a prominent student leader and former
political prisoner. He continued, "During the uprising, I was
close with him and admired him so much-especially for his honest
and brave work for democracy."
Another former student political prisoner said, "In a speech
to young students who were staging a hunger strike near Shwegonedaing
junction in the capital during the uprising, he said 'what I give
to you all is only my word that I have dedicated myself to our democracy
movement, and what I can give my own people is my truthful sacrifice
for them. What you will receive back from your brave movement is
poverty, starvation and even death but a good, new generation will
have weapons but we have only pens and pencils. However we have
bravery for our people, we dare to face reality, we love justice
and truth, and we are ready to pay the price. It is enough to win
over them, who rely only on weapons.'"
In an interview with a reporter, a former student political prisoner
said, "While we were in prison, what we talked about daily
was Min Ko Naing. Although we had the chance to talk with other
inmates, Min Ko Naing has no such chance because he has to live
alone in special solitary confinement. I still remember that some
warders who sympathized with us told us that while we were talking
with each other, Min Ko Naing had to talk with two lizards and some
ants in his cell. No warder has the right to go and talk with him.
Before I was released from prison at the end of 1996, we heard bad
news about him, that he was suffering from tuberculosis, and he
demanded the authorities that he wanted to talk with somebody because
it's been so long that he doesn't even know what talking means."
According to former student political prisoners, Min Ko Naing suffers
not only from tuberculosis but from hunger to talk to someone. He
has only 15 minutes each couple of weeks to talk with his family.
This is only an estimated 60 hours in his nearly ten years in prison
to talk with his family. As with others he has no right to study
or read any books. He has no right to do any exercise or to walk
outside his cell. How does he survive here?
His strong beliefs, true resolution and unswaying commitment help
him to survive in the military regime's notorious prison. According
to former political prisoner and sources, just before he was given
20 years imprisonment, the MIS offered that if he signed a letter
stating that he would not involve himself with politics and the
ABFSU, he would be released. But he refused and chose the long prison
term.
When Senior Gnereal Than Shwe took the chairmanship of the SLORC
(now the SPDC) in April 1992, the MIS again came to Min Ko Naing
and asked him whether he would sign. Again, he refused. Before the
golden anniversary of military day, on March 27, 1995, the MIS again
tried to persuade him, but as usual did not succeed. After the change
of name from the SLORC to the SPDC, the MIS tried another unsuccessful
effort to persuade him. Finally, the authorities sent him to another
prison (Sittwe), far from the capital, hoping his mind would change
because his family would be put to great trouble to travel form
Rangoon to Sittwe to see him. However, they didn't succeed and will
never succeed.
Yan Naing, a former political prisoner said, "While I was
in prison I noticed that most of the prisoners wanted to see and
meet with our leader. When a foreigner who sympathizes with our
movement arrives to visit Burma, who he or she really wants to see
and meet first is our lady Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-but most of them
are refused by the authorities. In the same way, when a new prisoner
arrives in Insein prison, he wants to see and meet our leader Nin
Ko Naing-but none of them ever succeed. And every criminal wants
to know where he is put. Howere, ereyone who tries to talk about
Nin Ko Naing is severly punished by the prison authorites."
A warder who declined to be named said, "When we knew that
Min Ko Naing was going to be sent to prison, all the warders and
their families were waiting near the main prison main gate to see
him. But the military high officers shouted at us to go back our
barracks. If we have a chance to go near his cell, we always try
to peer in at him. It is dangerous for us to do so because the MIs
directly watch and guard his cell. But we have a chance to pass
through his cell one day a week when the chief warden makes his
normal round-check. I think our chief warden is reluctant ot talk
with and ask him anything because of his brave words. I still remember
-one day we escorted the chief warden and we heard the chief warden
ask him 'What do you need, Min Ko Naing? Is everything ok?' Min
Ko Naing replied slowly 'You mean that if I need something you can
help me? Thank you very much. As chief warden you should know what
I need. I do know that you cannot help me because you have not the
right to do so. I understand you are a so-called chief prison warden,
so I don't want to tell you.' Our chief warden had no words to reply."
Another medic-warder said, "When he was put in the special
solitary confinement, he could not walk well. His legs were sore.
Although I wanted to ask him about it I dared not because there
were many MIS officers near me. I understood that he was tortured
by the MIS in the military interrogation center." In reality,
it is not only Min Ko Naing who is treated like a beast. There are
many student political prisoners who are treated life imprisonment
for their involvement in politics. Nearly 200 students 500 students
were sentenced to from seven to ten years imprisonment. Nearly 1000
students were awarded from three to seven years imprisonment for
their desire to establish their student unions.
These other student political prisoner, though, are allowed to
stay in-group cells and unofficially have the right to talk each
other. They can help and encourage each other when someone is sick
or feels something is wrong. Min Ko Naing is very different from
the others. Even the warders are not allowed to talk with him. After
the news about the deadly AIDS virus in prison appeared in public,
the people of Burma worried about Min Ko Naing, who has had to live
in prison alone for nearly ten years and suffers with the HIV virus,
and U Hla Than (an MP from the NLD) has already died from HIV in
prison.
On the surface the military regime still controls power but in
the generals' minds fear overwhelms them. Putting Min Ko Naing in
prison for a long time means the military regime has been morally
defeated by the "conqueror of the king." As the military
regime does not have the ablility to make a dialogue with Daw aung
San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace Laureate and a leader to the NLd that
won the 1990 election, it dares not face and release Min Ko Naing,
a famous Burmese student leader.
Min Ko Naing was nominated by a Norwegian friend of Burma for the
Student Peace Award for 1999. This is a new prize, which is to be
awarded for the first time in 1999. The prize will be awarded to
outstanding student activists around the world every two years.
Although Min Ko Naing did not win the Student Peace Prize for 1999,
the people of Burma believe that his time will come, and that his
strong resolution will be rewarded.
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