“Saffron in My Heart”

“Saffron in My Heart”

                                                                                                            Date. 24/09/2009.

In remembrance to the 2nd anniversary of saffron revolution day on September 26. 

I gave my great respect to those who gave up their lives in struggling for justice and peace to be better condition to the nation and its religion, and the heroic monks working for people interest with affirmative spirit.

2007 September people uprising led by Buddhist monks, also known as Saffron Revolution, was one of historical events of historic records under the whim of brutal military government rule in Burma. Because of Buddhist monks’ kind heart and deep patience, the event was shrouded in great sympathetic and spread quickly throughout the country and it emerged as a nationwide popular uprising in getting regional and international community watch.

Buddhist monks’ gracious spirit to be achieving equality and justice vigorously reflected to people around the country as well as regional and international community. The movement made regional and international community weak up and it gave the gracious Light to the world. Saffron revolution movement spread fast within and outside the country.

It was very proud because of peaceful movement without violence, patience with kind heart, systematically arrangement and ‘multi-color movement with nation sprit. There’s a thing which is hidden in peoples’ heart that is what everyone from Burma wants to liberate from military rule as soon as possible. Buddhist monks, therefore, pictured September uprising (or) Saffron Revolution towards the new goal of Democracy desperately willing by Burmese people.

Development and changing people prosperity in a country is directly related to its government. Based on pros and corns “to be saying a government is good or bad”, it can be known by monitoring the country’s constitution and evolution of history. Generally, history means a period of past times of a country, and the past times of a nationality and a person. History cannot be destroyed. To become a developed nation and a nation of prosperity, peace and stability are some basic points of a country.

A country where the government gives no attention to people interest but keeps its power strong will face very bad impacts in the future. If the words claimed by Burmese military government are true, there will be no one to protest in the streets in Burma. But people from Burma revealed their feeling against military government expressing starving, poverty, unemployment and soaring prices.  

Because of extremely poverty in Burma, people in the country think of the key issues that create problems in the country, they found and are aware the root cause of problem is military rule and mismanagement of military juntas.

Well understanding and awareness stimulated people to join in September uprising led by Buddhist monks, their anger and grievance took away their feeling from fear and worry, it is sure that Saffron revolution will brilliantly be recorded as a distinguished historical event in future Burma.

During the revolution, I undertook a position as a disciplinary hearing of All Burma Monk Representative Committee – ABMRC. A day on September 26 in 2007 was a well-known day, I will never forget it. Remembering that day, my feeling becomes fresh again and I could cry “we will never forgive”.

People from Burma and outside the country shocked seeing military government’s brutally crackdown against peaceful demonstrators across the country. Internationally community expressed deeply shock watching Burmese military government’s cruelly actions against Buddhist monks and civilians in September 2007.  Military government’s violence and injustice stained a country which believes in Buddhism, its brutal action directly went into peoples’ heart tightly.

I want to express a Scene that happened in front of me on September 26 in 2007. It was a day what we named “Saffron Revolution Day” because military government started violence against protestors and Buddhist Monks shed their bloods for their belief and tolerance.

On that day early morning I traveled to Hlaing Township to meet friends working for democracy in Burma, from which I went to Shwedagoon Pagoda at 8am. At about 8:30, there’re soldiers and criminal thugs already gathered at the East-gate of the Shwedagoon pagoda, and the crowds of people poured nearby the area, and soldiers blocked people going onto the pagoda site.

It was unusual scene to me because I get the pagoda every early morning doing September demonstration days and had meeting with monk representatives, led by U Kaw Wida now living in the U.S.A. On that day I met U Hta Wara, a close friend of mine and the secretary of All Burma Mons Representative Committee (ABMRC), now living in India. We bought a newspaper issued by military government to know present situation of military regime. According to the newspaper, we were aware of the danger, but we had decided to go ahead without fear of any obstacles and risks.

At that time hundreds to thousands Buddhist monks and people were gathering at the prominent monasteries in Ba-Han Township. At about nearly 10 O’clock, the crowds of people including monks, nuns and students marched onto the Shwedagon Pagoda. Authorities permitted them half of their destination and stopped them from marching onto pagoda site.

At lunch time about 11am, a car carrying food arrived in the east-gate of the pagoda thanks to Actor Kyaw Thu and Zagana (Burmese Film) arrangement, and they offered foods and drinking water to monks and nuns, but soon after authorities disturbed the charity and not allowed them offering food to Buddhist monks and nuns, and then the car was run away from the gate.

Ten minutes later, two vehicles carrying soldiers led by police chief Brig-general Khin Yee arrived in the pagoda site, Khin Yee seemed to be afraid of something and a group accompanied him was Pagoda Trustee. Police chief talked with pagoda trustees, and then a trustee came near to the crowds of monks and asked the following words: “I am the chairman of pagoda trustee- I would like to ask that your gathering like this at the pagoda is not relevant with Buddha’s Rule, you’d better go back monasteries you all live”.

As soon as an old monk near to me replied in response to trustee’s words – “Well, you said Buddhist  monks have no rights to gather at the pagoda, what does it mean?, there’s no prohibition of monks’ gathering at the pagoda site in Buddhist Policy, are you ordering us to move back from the pagoda? You said our gathering at the pagoda is not relevant with Buddhist rule, so what about these guys next to you holding guns and wearing shoes on the square around the pagoda, is it relevant with Buddhist rule?”

At that time leaders from ABMRC were finding ways to escape from the Hold-up, and the other side U Hta Wara was giving a speech to the crowds. At that time police chief Khin Yee went near to U Hta Wara and he tried to grab micro-phone from U Thawara, here’s some conversations between U Thawara and Khin Yee;

Khin Yee: Give me your microphone.

U Hta Wara: No, I can’t give. Why?

KY: Why don’t you live at your monasteries, for what you all came here? All you’d better back to your residence, back all persons not concerned.

UT: That is our work; you don’t need to give order us.

KY: Please, Please, What do you want? For what purpose you’re demanding here, what exactly do you want?

UT: You’re the chief of police, you know very well what we want.

KY: Please tell me, I will do all my best.

U Hta Wara read the demands included in Buddhist Monks’ boycotting against Burmese military government:

1.      National reconciliation

2.      Falling the high-price down

3.      Triple-dialogue

4.      Immediate release Aung San Su Kyi and political prisoners.

KY: Don’t talk that, don’t talk that.

During the conversation, three trucks carrying soldiers full equipped with gun and rocket-launchers suddenly arrived in Pagoda Site. Immediately they got the truck off and deployed the area near to the crowds of monks and civilians. Monks asked soldiers not to wearing shoes at the pagoda, but they gave no attention it and pushed their way through the crowd. They started use of violence against peaceful demonstrators and spectators; we had decided not to step back, but to go ahead.

In that day we decided to put an idea into practice in response to Information minister Kyaw San’s clouts to the revolution; he said “monk participants in the demonstration are not Buddhist monks, they’re a complete sham”. We asked all monks to change wearing cloths as A Style (because the only genuine Buddhist monks know well how to wear it), all monks changed a new style of wearing cloths, and as soon as a number of shams came out from the crowd, they’re regime’s criminal thugs and do not know how to wear Buddhist monks’ wearing style. That happened in front of Police Chief Khin Yee, and he got angry much.

Military government started deploying soldiers and criminal thugs around the area and rounded the crowds of peaceful protestors. We all monks got ready and asked monks to exercise restraint in clashing with soldiers. Leaders from our side asked soldiers not to use of violence, not to block the roads and to open the roads.

At that time groups of soldiers and thugs led by Major-general Myint Swe and Hla Htay Oo got ready to crack down our side. I made alarm myself no to out of control because we had two ways, going to jail and going to grave-yard. Soon afterward a truck got in rush, and soldiers led by a captain rushed into our side and assaulted with iron-stick against the monks sitting and standing on the street. A number of monks were killed and critically injured in the crossfire as monks ran to escape from the riot. When the riot broke out I was shocked seeing soldiers’ brutal actions in killing and beating against Buddhist Monks, they treated us like animals.

There were seven monks in front of me lying down on the street; blood was pumping from their heads. Young monks tried to escape climbing the brick-walls, soldiers pulled them out and struck their heads with iron-tricks, about forty young monks were lying down on the street. Monks near to my side injured very critically and at least five monks I found dead, and many people joined with monks were seriously wounded and some were killed.

A crowd of monks led by U Gaw Thita and U Hta Wara escaped toward Sue Lay Pagoda and marched across the city. U Kaw Wida, president of ABMRC, also escaped from passing through Kandaw Gyi park, and then he led three trucks with full of monks come from Thar Kay Ta Township into Mingalar Market, and they proceeded marching other townships across the city.

A group including me stopped at Bahan Market and re-gathered all monks escaped from the riot at Shwedagon Pagoda. Military regime tried again using tear-bombs to disperse our group, smokes were covered in the area and we closed our face with clothes. Eight minutes later, I heard a loud noise, thunder crashed in the sky towards Shwedagon Pagoda site. It crashed about six times and it made everyone shocked. Soldiers and criminal thugs immediately run away from the crowd and we saw they get into the trucks and drive away.

News brutally killing against Buddhist Monks at the Shwedagon Pagoda spread quickly throughout the city and across the country. People came out the streets and burst into tears in hearing of killing and beating Buddhist Monks at the Pagoda. Students came over and joined with us to go ahead peaceful demonstration led by Buddhist Monks.  

“You all have done a great work, we’re proud of your works. You all are very dutiful, please let us join in your movement, and let us fight with you”. Students’ words made monks cry and I suddenly burst tears out. They boosted us new strength, we marched again heading towards NLD’s central office and the crowd consisted of about 3000 Buddhist Monks and about 5000 of students and civilians.

When we got near the NLD office, there were already crowded with Monks, people and journalists in front of NLD- Central office. A woman, who was one of foreign journalists taking news from NLD- office, was crying making a gesture of respect to Buddhist Monks, it was the first time I had seen a foreigner gave respect to monks. She understood that we have to give many lives in struggling for democracy in Burma, and she expressed feeling sorrow as her feeling was the same with Burmese people.

From which, we marched in procession to the area of San Chaung Township. Along the road hundreds to thousands soldiers and policemen watched the procession and blocked the roads and gave troubles to us by many ways. We were blocked at the Strand main road in Kyee Myin Tie Township, where soldiers crossed the crowds of monks and people, and we all got bad luck again. There was no way to exit, but Soldiers and Guns.

They announced with loud-speaker that “We give you all ten minutes to back and not to go ahead, otherwise we’re going to fire you, we were given order to do that”. We felt that was a Challenge to us and decided not to back and went ahead. They started shooting at the crowd and people cried desperately finding ways to exit, many females were out of control and fall down on the road. Soon afterward they allowed Buddhist monks to get out from killing-field. They ordered a couple of monks get out, but not permitted students and civilians get out, we humbly requested them to let student and civilians get out, but they roughly refused it and pointed us with guns. They arrested 50 monks and 300 students from the scene.

The day it was on September 26, many monks and people lost their lives and shed their bloods. People across the country engaged with great sorrow as well as the day made international community extremely shocked. Buddhist monks, students and civilians sacrificed their lives for the nation and people. The September demonstration revealed the Real Picture of Burmese military juntas, but our fight against the regime failed and lost a number of our friends as well as our religion, Buddhism, was extremely insulted by Burmese military regime. We, therefore, honored the day on September 26 “Saffron Revolution Day” as a historic event in Burma.

U Pyinnyar Disa (Phyar Pone)

In-charge of Disciplinary Hearing

All Burma Monk Representative Committee – ABMRC