Episode #56: Gratitude and Growth
Our recent run of longform interviews has tried to realistically portray the terror and suffering that so many Burmese people have been facing during this four-month long siege, since the military initiated their coup on February 1. As critical as it is to tell these stories, we feel it is important that this platform not reflect a one-dimensional view, just airing stories of pain and carnage. There is so much more about Myanmar to share. So, this current series of “Love Letters to Myanmar” is meant to remind us of just how much the Golden Land has offered those who were fortunate enough to have visited or lived there, and to help us remember the country during its better days, to appreciate and celebrate Burmese culture and community.
Today’s first guest is Johanna, a young German college student who went to Myanmar as part of her college internship, and so fell in love with the country that she ended up going back, staying on during the pandemic and even after the coup, while virtually attending university back in Germany. She describes the joy she learned from Burmese friends to be found in the simple act of giving, and describes how this quality of generosity was displayed consistently during the protests. For example, at one point she was running from police with her friends, and a stranger, an older woman, let them hide in their home. Far from fearing her own safety, she went about asking the group if they were hungry and what food she could offer them.
Next up is Sue, who arrived in Myanmar in 2008 in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, and decided to stay on to support the country’s nascent democratic reforms. It was a real love affair: she arrived on a six-month contract, living out of a single bag in a hotel, but when her time was up she wasn’t ready to return home. As she comments, “Everything just felt like it suited my personality, from the food to the climate to the people to the colors. So I always and still continue to feel that it is my second home after the United States.” She compares the current struggle in Myanmar to Trump’s assault on democracy in her own country, and is saddened that the geopolitical situation in that region prohibits other countries from easily engaging.
And finally, we check in with Keshav Mohta, an Indian currently living in Peru who traveled to Myanmar in 2010, and speaks fondly of the strong sense of spirituality he felt while interacting with different communities there. He describes one powerful experience he had meeting a Muslim man he felt was almost like a Sufi saint, and was especially enthralled to interact with a Buddhist culture he considered to be quite ancient. Keshav has also donated a couple of his musical tracks in playing the veena, an Indian instrument similar to the sitar, which are included in this and other episode.
In addition to the guests, there are other special features of this episode. First are the musical interludes. You’ll hear samples from the protest anthem “Doh Ayay,” which means “Our Cause,” and was produced by Litt Ent.
Another added feature is a poetry reading by a volunteer, which appears on this as well as other episodes. On today’s show she reads a poem by Khet Thi. This Monywa-based poet was arrested last month, and then tortured to death in prison. Knowing the power that poetry offers in its creative expression of resistance and freedom, the military has been ruthless in murdering some of the greatest poets in the country.
We have also included a couple of tracks produced by the team at Mahar Insights, who created the Operation Hannoi Hannah project. They describe their work as follows: “Inspired by the Hanoi Hannah of Vietnam War, we recorded and engineered several audio files and combined them to make a track that we hope will be useful in our psychological warfare against terrorists dogs that mercilessly kill the civilians of Myanmar. We hope that this will convince at least some of the soldiers to participate in CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement) and join with the Myanmar citizens' fight for the cause. The uprising shall succeed.”
These audio files are freely available to download on their website, and Burmese protesters have done just that: after downloading the tracks of defection messages, they then hide speakers around outside to broadcast them in areas where soldiers are known to live and patrol. By encouraging the military not to kill, their work is at the forefront of the fragile nonviolent movement. While the tracks on this episode are all in Burmese, our team is currently collaborating with them to produce English versions, so that our listeners can also understand their meaning. We hope to include more of these tracks in episodes to come.
And finally, scattered throughout this current episode, as well as on many other shows since the coup, you may notice ambient sounds from Myanmar. These were courageously recorded at ground level during the protests by Thar Nge, who took his microphone with him to capture how the streets and people actually sound. Mike Bink did an excellent job in so creatively weaving the tracks throughout these episodes.
In this episode, we try to create a listening experience that goes beyond just a singular interview with an individual guest, however interesting and rich it may be on its own. We hope that it helps you gain a deeper feeling as to what is now happening in Myanmar, even as we listen to these other, non-protest stories. And if you are moved by the stories you hear today, please consider making a donation that can go to the communities being most impacted by the tragic events transpiring in the Golden Land.