I follow him. Upon stepping
outside the airport, he is mobbed, adorned with flowers, kissed on the cheek,
the non-stop flash photography possibly garnering the attention of some distant
alien astronomer.
Traffic to and from the
airport is halted as he and another 45 year old man stand on tables, addressing
the crowd of followers and well-wishers.
My taxi driver tells me that they were the leaders of the student
protest movement in 1988, and after repeated incarcerations and beatings at the
hands of the military junta, had vacated Burma (now Myanmar,) living in exile
in Thailand while the repressive regime continued to maintain a stranglehold on
human rights to stay in power.
I suppose that chance
seating me on their plane was the diametrical opposite of boarding the aircraft
with the 9/11 terrorists.
Check out a quick video of the student leaders addressing their supporters
Speaking out against the
military junta normally lead to your fair share of troubles- prison or death.
Thousands upon thousands of protesters were killed, while the generals
appropriated and sold the country's natural resources, garnering tremendous wealth.
Due to the brutality of the
regime, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Myanmar; economic development halted- and infrastructure is largely crumbling or non-existent, and
while the country remains tremendously poor, democracy movement leader Aung San Suu
Kyi has repeatedly credited sanctions for putting pressure on the ruling
military regime, which recently began the process of transitioning to
democracy. (the military still retains most of the power though. That will likely diminish as
the years go by)
My theory on why the regime changed
course? The stick-- the recent fates of various Middle East dictators, coupled with sanctions that made
business difficult; the carrot- they keep their vast, ill-gotten wealth. Simply
put, they were smart enough to see the writing on the wall.
freedom for Burma! |
Regardless, today was a
great day for the people of Myanmar, a shining moment in their history. A day
where the darkness of repression was finally pierced by the innate right and
light of human freedom, which I believe burns eternally in the heart of human
being.
I realize the world has a
long ways to go, as we burn the old constructs of might makes right, scarcity,
and ego, but as light shines in more places in the world, with increasing
intensity, the darkness recedes at an increasing pace. I was only glad to be there to witness it
in motion, and feel long suppressed courage and joy rise up in the hearts
of the people around me.
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