|
Meeting with U Win Tin
"You may call it a storm in a tea cup," said U Win Tin,
prominent journalist and political prisoner in Burma, "but
I will fight for democracy wherever I am put."
I was familiar with the name of "Win Tin" since before
the 1988 popular uprising because he was an elderly bachelor and
the editor of "Hanthawaddy" newspaper based in my home
town (Mandalay) that was banned by the BSPP in 1978. But I had never
seen him. During the 1988 uprising, I noticed that his involvement
in demonstrations was a favorite thing among students. Many students
went and saw him and got much advice from him even though I had
not had a chance to meet with him at that time.
After the 1988 military coup, I was glad to know that he was one
of the secretaries of the executive committee of the NLD and our
Lady (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi) had much respect for him. We students
also believed that he along with our Lady would solve the problem
of our country. We strongly believed in his great honesty and commitment
of democracy.
As far as we know, his role in the NLD was so important and influential
because of his bright ideas. We later learnt that this characteristic
made his life very difficult, because the military junta feared
his bright and excellent ideas and his dignity. Soon after that,
the military junta arrested him without any basis. What was most
sorrowful was the junta accused him of being a communist in order
for the international community to doubt his credentials.
I still remember what he said just before he was arrested. "The
junta want to say that once a communist, always a communist. If
so, surely once a military dictator always a military a military
dictator, also. Why should we believe those who held the coup in
Burma? What has Ne Win done to his own people after he staged the
coup in 1962."
"From 1960 to 1988, the BSPP did not allow anyone to study
anything about democracy or human rights. They could only study
socialism, although study of communism was unofficially allowed.
There are many books in Burma that are only about socialism and
communism, because the junta believed that it was unsafe to let
people read about other things. Now that don't let the people read
anything except their newspapers.
"I believe even many old communists may change their in Russia
and communist countries," he said.
Later we knew that his prediction was true. In 1991, while I was
in prison most communist countries including Russia changed many
things.
He also said that loving and earning for democracy is not communism.
He said, "I enjoy working as an editor because I love freedom
of expression and I can promote the youth to write what they think
in their minds. So, Ne Win banned my newspaper. But I wonder why
the junta wants to accuse me of communism."
When the military junta was convinced that the whole Burmese people
supported the NLD, they started cracking down on it. First, the
junta chose the mastermind of the NLD. Undoubtedly, U Win Tin was
the first target of the junta and he was arrested and sentenced
to three years imprisonment in 1989. His offence was said to be
encouraging a girl in the NLD youth wing to have an abortion. U
Win Tin knew nothing about what was said to have happened.
It was clear that the junta never wanted him to be released. When
his sentence was about to end, the junta extended it by another
11 years without any reasonable charges. He was accused of being
a communist, and the evidence was that in his home library there
were books about communism.
When I heard the news about his first trial, I thought I would
not ever have a chance to meet with him, because then we all believed
that he would be sentenced to more than three years.
when I was arrested in November 1990, I hoped that I could have
a chance to meet him in prison. Until 1995, I could not fulfill
my wish because we were put in separate prisons. I was very glad
to learn about his stand against the system. Even the prison authorities
feared his fiery words and his strong commitment to democracy.
One prison officer told us that although he had met with many political
prisoners, he admired U Win Tin most. He explained that U Win Tin
never accepted special privileges in prison. "He always demands
to us that the authorities must accept there are more than just
a few political prisoners. He says if we do not afford special privileges
to all political prisoners, he will never accept our offer."
The officer continued, "In 1989, there was a strike in prison
by the political prisoners against poun-san that U Win Tin led.
I still remember what he said to all the political prisoners in
ward-number one. U Win Tin said, 'We should not follow the prison
manual rules because we are not criminals. We all arrived here because
of our yearning for democracy. So we have to refuse to follow poun-san.'
When the prison authorities cracked down on the strike, U Win Tin
said, "I am responsible for the strike. You do not need to
take any action against others, just me. I will never care what
you do to me because I am a man who always stands with the truth."
A number of political prisoners were beaten and transferred to
other prisons. U Win Tin spoke up about this to the authorities.
"Stop beating my colleagues. There is no need to beat them,
because I am responsible. If you must beat someone, then you should
beat me."
The warders did not want to beat such a well-known figure. He told
them, "If you are reluctant to beat me, I will beat myself."
Saying this, he took hold of a baton and began hitting himself with
it. The warders reacted to this by grabbing him and placing him
in solitary confinement.
In March 1995, we heard the news about a hunger strike occurring
in the cells of the main prison. This was the prison, in which U
Win Tin had always been held, away from the majority of the political
prisoners, who were in the Special Prison nearby. Later we learned
the leader of strike was U Win Tin.
The strike occurred because another political prisoner in the same
cell as U Win Tin had been found with 300 kyats, which is a violation
of prison rules. He was placed in shackles by the authorities. U
Win Tin told the prison officers that the man had had the money
so that he could give it to his warder to supply him with medicine
for his fever. U Win Tin told the officers that if the prison had
provided proper medical care, the man would not have needed to have
the money, so it was really the fault of the prison.
U Win Tin consulted the other political prisoners who were in his
cell. He told them that in his opinion this was not fair or just.
He wanted to do something about it, and asked, "What do you
think we should do?" the political prisoners supported him
and suggested a hunger strike.
U Win Tin asked the officers to remove the shackles. When they
refused, he said, "If you do not agree with our request, we
will have to stage a strike. This will be at least a hunger strike.
This is not political action, but humanitarian action."
The strike took only two days until the prison authorities agreed
with the demands.
Although I wanted to meet him in prison, I did not succeed until
1995. In the middle of 1995, I was sent to the prison hospital for
my stomach ache and heart by two criminals at the out patient clinic,
I was sent into a room where the political prisoners were kept.
I could not look around carefully in the room for my bad pain and
I lay down on the floor. After closing my eyes, I had to try very
hard to take a breath. Although I knew that there were more than
two people around me, I could not open my eyes or say anything.
I knew someone tried to inject my arm but I could not move anything.
Meanwhile, I heard someone shouting "Hey! Stop it." Then,
I heard many arguments near me but I did not know exactly what was
happening.
I didn't know how many hours I was unconscious or asleep. When
I was conscious, I noticed that someone held my left hand and my
right arm was set up in a drip-set. Then, I heard someone who clutched
my hand ask softly whether I felt better or not. When I slowly opened
my eyes, I saw a man with spectacles and white hair. He stared down
at me and said, "Don't worry. Try to calm down."
After trying to speak for a while, I managed to reply to him, "Thank
you very much."
He asked me with a smile, "Do you know me?"
Only then I looked at him for a while and I replied in amazement
"Uncle U Win Tin!"
When I tried to sit, he softly told me not to do so and to take
it easy. I remember that my suffering seemed to suddenly disappear
and my strong desire was to talk with him. Although I wanted to
talk with all my energy, my physical situation did not allow me.
I asked him with great respect and gentleness, "Why have you
arrived here? What's wrong?"
He slowly replied, "No need to worry about me. Take care of
yourself and try to calm down. "After I knew that U Win Tin
was beside me, I felt much better than before and I seemed to forget
that I was hospitalized.
We wanted to talk, but we knew there was not much time, as the
prison authorities would separate us if they knew we were talking.
U Win Tin asked whether I was ready to listen to him or not. Then
he explained about his situation and how he arrived at the prison.
He said that he had had to argue with some criminals who tried to
inject me while I was unconscious. He also explained that the deadly
HIV virus was now spreading in prison because of needles and syringes.
Then he told me why he was hospitalized.
He had suffered a hernia before he was arrested and his suffering
got worse in prison. Although he complained to the prison authorities
about his suffering, they told him that he must submit a letter
to MIS before the to medical treatment as a weapon to make us give
up our beliefs. They seem to believe that we are involved in politics
for our own happiness and opportunity.
"When MIS receives a letter from a prisoner asking for medical
attention, they visit the prisoner and try to persuade the prisoner
to sign an agreement giving up political activity. In return, the
prisoner is promised good medical treatment and a possible early
release.
"They think prisons and interrogation centers can aid their
wicked wishes to oppress their own people. They never consider that
their prisons and interrogation centers could fail to make us keep
silent."
While he was explaining, the warned in charge of the prison hospital
arrived and warned me not to listen to his words. He also threatened
that if I continued to listen to U Win Tin I would be sent to my
cell without any medical treatment. After his warning U Win Tin
shouted at him, "You should say this to me, not tell him. He
is listening to me and only I am speaking. He is also a patient
at the moment. Why do you try to bully a weak man?"
The warden said, "I mean that you have the right to talk with
each other but you should not talk about politics. If the MIS knew
about it I would be in danger. Understand me please."
U Win Tin replied to him, "tell them that we arrived here
because of our involvement in politics. So we have nothing to talk
about but politics. If you dare not say this, send me there, right
now."
The warden seemed to be confused and went out without saying anything.
Then U Win Tin said to me that he thought the authorities would
send either he or I back soon. He also said, "The junta thought
I would submit a letter to them to allow me to get proper medical
treatment. When I didn't do so, they ordered the prison authorities
not to give me any medical treatment. Finally, I was unconscious
in my own cell because of my pain. When I gained consciousness I
was on a bed in Rangoon General Hospital and noticed the doctors
had already operated on my hernia."
A doctor explained to him that if he had arrived there 15 minutes
later he would have died. The doctor also asked him why he was sent
there so late.
U Win Tin said with deep feeling, "It will be so sad for them
that I am still alive. Although they tried to end my life death
does not seem to want me to visit him." He told me about his
experiences in Rangoon General Hospital. He stayed there for only
relate his experiences over two days.
"At first, the doctors and nurses didn't know who I was. After
they learned who I was, they took more than enough care of me. I
requested them that if any political prisoners and criminals arrive,
please take care of them and treat them as patients," he said.
"When the MIS found out that the hospital authorities and
many patients were trying to meet with me and provide medicine and
food for me, I was sent back to the prison hospital before my stitches
were removed," he continued. Then he showed me his stitches.
It was crystal clear that the junta dared not allow U Win Tin to
meet others. I asked him what he thought of his life in prison and
the future of Burma. He replied, "Some believe that prison
is not a political field. At the same time they should not forget
that under any dictator, prison is for those who love the truth.
Some prisoners adopt a strategy of doing anything to get out of
prison and back into the resistance. However, I believe that resolution
and commitment play important roles as well. In my resolution, when
I leave prison it will be walking, not crawling on my knees. It
is not just being stubborn, you know. It is my resolution."
Early the next morning, two warders shouted at me to sit in poun-san.
I was very surprised at their angry command and told them I was
too weak to sit. At that time U Win Tin interrupted our quarrel
and asked them, "Don't you know we are patients?"
One of them answered, "We don't mean you, just that guy."
U Win Tin angrily shouted at them, "We are the same. If I
am allowed, you must also allow him." then he told me to tell
the warders that would not follow their unfair command.
After the warders angrily went out, he advised me not to forget
that I was a patient and a political prisoner. A couple of hours
later some officers arrived and a warder read out the rules of the
prison hospital must sit in poun-san and clean the room.
As soon as we had finished listening to their rules, U Win Tin
replied calmly, "I will not sit in poun-san position and clean
our room because I arrived here to get medical treatment. You can
take any action you want."
Then he asked whether I would follow the prison rules. At that
moment a prison doctor arrived and said to U Win Tin, "If had
refused to approve to send you to Rangoon General Hospital you would
have died, you know. We have saved your life and this time you should
understand us."
U Win Tin replied with a smile, "The responsibility of a doctor
is to save his patients and make them happy, especially mentally.
Why do you want us to be disappointed? I would like to ask you prisoners,
send us to our cells right now. If you think that we are your patients,
please stop saying anything except about our medical treatment and
mental encouragement."
They seemed to be angry but they could not reply. Then one of them
ordered his warders to send me back my cell. Suddenly, U Win Tin
picked up his possessions and said to the authorities that if they
sent me back, he would also go back to his cell. He angrily said,
"You should change the name of this place from Insein prison
hospital to Insein butchery."
He looked at me and said, "Don't wait for them to send you
back. We'll go back ourselves, right now. Do you agree with me?
You have the right to choose what you wish."
That is what the most regarding his character. He never forces
anybody to follow his decisions. I also picked up my possessions
and replied to him that I was ready to go back to my cell.
Laughing loudly, he gestured with his arms and said, "We may
die here but our minds and resolutions will never die, right? History
will know and the new generation will keep our history and resolution."
He looked at the authorities and said slowly, "You can send
us to our cells right now."
Without waiting for them to enter the room, we went out to them.
Before we left each other he asked me to give his greetings and
respects to everybody. Finally, he said with a meaningful smile,
"Some may call it a storm in a tea cup, but we should not forget
that without having the courage to make a storm in a cup of tea
nobody would dare to make a storm anywhere."
Endnotes
Poun-san is sitting position used by the authorities for inspection
of prisoner, counting prison numbers, or for punishment. Prisoner
must sit cross-legged on the floor with his hands on his knees,
back straight and head bowed.
|
