Advocating from Abroad
Delphine Schrank's book, "The Rebel of Rangoon," spotlights Nway, a pivotal figure in Myanmar's pro-democracy movement, and she spoke extensively about this during a recent podcast interview. Through Nway's narrative, the book unravels the untold story of sacrifice, resilience, and commitment in the face of oppressive military rule. Nway's personal journey, marked by forsaking a comfortable life for activism, reflects the profound courage and dedication characterizing Myanmar's grassroots resistance. As a central protagonist, Nway symbolizes the untiring spirit of those challenging the junta. Schrank's narrative aims to illuminate the extraordinary sacrifices and unwavering resolve of individuals like Nway, contributing a vital perspective to the broader understanding of Myanmar's ongoing struggle for freedom.
“It was devastating for [Nway], after all this time, all his sacrifice, it was just impossible for him to live anymore in the country. And so, he’s working for the dissident movement from outside.”
Nway held on. He had always kept it in the kind of underground, but the minute the coup happened, he was a little bit outside. He had been offered the chance by members of the NLD to become a legislator, like a lot of the other young people were mentioned in the book, they did become legislative. He chose not to. He kept alive an underground network.
So, the minute the coup happened, he resurrected all this underground, clandestine, keeping yourself small. I stayed in touch with him as best I could. He was arrested at one point, but he had a fake name, and he managed to be released on national TV!
And then he was the last of a network of 50 people who finally fled the country. And this is a kid, he's not a kid anymore, who had stayed put through everything, and I asked him, ‘How did you get out to a border area?’ He wouldn't say where and he's now working for the National Unity Government helping, the last I spoke to him. He is helping get salaries to, he says, to deserting soldiers from the Burmese military. So, he's keeping at it quietly. The way he got out is because he was friends with everyone. He's been very good at cultivating ties all over; he always understood the need to have alliances with the ethnic group. He had friends with members of the KNU and I think they helped them get through. They took him in a car, and he got through eventually.
Yeah, it was devastating for him too, after all this time, all their sacrifice, it was just impossible for him to live anymore in the country. And so, he's working for the dissident movement from outside.