Senior General Than Shwe,Are you Ready?
That
day in Naypyidaw I was somewhere not that far from the army barracks
there. Only thing I know was I was in some part known as Upper Office of
the War Office in Naypyidaw. I didn’t know which part exactly though.
At
far distance the grey peaks and troughs of Pago-Yoma ranges were
clearly visible. There were bamboo bushes and Ingyin grooves all over
the deep forest where I was. And the War Office’s buildings and staff
barracks were scattered around in small groups. Between the buildings
were only electricity and communication poles and the connecting cables.
Where do you Live SG?
Well
known as the great-army-chief (tat-choke-kyi) our Senior General is
still working and the building where his office is known as the
building-one (ah-saung-tit). But the non-descript building I was in now
could not possibly be that building one.
All
the office buildings inside the War Office are neatly-built grand
buildings allocated for various army departments and the respective
generals who are the directors of the departments.
Than Shwe |
SG
Than Shwe’s house was supposed to be well away from his office as his
house was at the upstream end of Yezin Dam roughly at the north-eastern
part of this massive War Office compound.
Neatly
and systematically positioned in the whole War Office are the guard
stations for perimeter security and internal security, the specialized
office buildings for departmental head brigadier generals, departmental
director major generals, and BSO (Bureau of Special Operations) chief
lieutenant generals, the estate of grand houses for the generals, the
living quarters and barracks for office-staff soldiers, the buildings
for special security, telecommunications, and transportation
departments.
Without
really meaning it right now I was deep in the vast War Office. And I
knew here could be neither the SG’s office nor his house. The building
did not appear to be an important one. It was more or less an ordinary
army barracks but the building was strangely quiet. Here could be the
place where the SG took a rest away from the offices for peace and
quiet, I wondered as I was wandering nervously around the strange place.
Inside War Office
War Office Complex at Naypyidaw. |
Actually
I was in the War Office to accompany a visiting army officer who was
also a close friend and unexpectedly he had brought me along here. At
the main gate the army guards searched and interrogated us thoroughly.
After that everything was smooth and easy once we were inside.
Every
visitor to the War Office has to register as a visitor and go through
tight security procedure. The male civilian visitors are to change into a
standard Myanmar male dress of tight-pone (the Myanmar traditional
jacket) and sarong if they are wearing anything else.
I
had been to the War Office once or twice before for official business.
But this time was not a business visit. I was just accompanying my
friend for no serious reason at all. I didn’t have a camera with me and
so I couldn’t take any photos as my record of this visit. But I had a
very strong desire to take photos of the inside of this mysterious War
Office.
Normally
the only civilian outsiders who could come in here were the
construction workers from the ongoing projects inside the compound,
various merchants and traders, relatives of the generals, and the
well-connected businessmen. For someone like me who didn’t really have a
valid reason it was extremely dangerous to be here in this warlike
compound.
So
far I was lucky as there were not many soldiers and officers here in
this building. But the building next door had too many of them as I
could clearly see them really busy working. They wouldn’t even take
notice of me.
Or
they just wouldn’t notice of a stranger once he or she is inside the
compound after being thoroughly checked at the main gate. I was just
watching and studying anyone coming into my sight as if my life depended
on it.
I
then thought it would be nice since I was already inside the War Office
if they let me see the SG Than Shwe and speak to him. Then I thought I
could be in shit if he asked me who I was and what business I was here
for. I wouldn’t know what to say back to him as I didn’t have a reason
at all.
I
could also be in shit if I replied to him that I just felt like talking
to him. Not just me but my friend the army officer who brought me along
with good faith could also be in serious shit too. Maybe I shouldn’t
meet the SG or even see him accidentally. And I prayed quietly to Lord
Buddha that I didn’t accidentally run into any other well-known generals
here.
And
my bloody officer friend had suddenly disappeared leaving me alone in
the building. After sitting there for a while I felt stressed out and
bore. So I looked outside and the surroundings seemed peaceful and okay
to go out for a stretch.
In war-dance |
I
immediately thought this place could be a nice and quiet place to live
if all the soldiers and officers were not here for the War Office. I
didn’t stay there long and came back to the building I just left. There
behind the building I found a small building which appeared to be a very
special abode. I was curious and so I went closer to scrutinize.
Once nearly there I immediately realized I was in serious shit.
Accidentally Meeting the Old Soldier
Standing
guard at the door was an army colonel. Few other army officers were
there too. They appeared to be acting really nervous and seriously alert
as if a very important VIP was inside the building. I had to turn
around and go away from this place, I warned myself. But it was too
late.
The
guard Colonel had seen me and he called out and asked me to approach. I
had no choice but to go there and once I was there he checked me out
thoroughly and then asked me why I was there. So I told him the truth
for why I was there.
The
army Colonel didn’t say much after that. Then he surprised me by asking
me if I wanted to meet the Senior General who was resting inside. It
was unbelievable that I just couldn’t answer back immediately. Then I
told him I hadn’t a valid reason to see the SG.
He
just told me to go inside. Maybe he thought I was someone important
enough for his SG. So I didn’t say a word and just went inside cool and
calm. And there in the room was the Senior General himself standing near
an easy chair. He was talking to the officers when I interrupted him.
He was the real Senior General. Not a double I checked him out thoroughly.
In war-dance |
He
wasn’t in his usual army uniform. He wore a short sleeve cotton shirt
and large-chequered cotton lon-gyi (sarong). He didn’t look like the
most powerful dictator of Myanmar at all but just an ordinary local elder.
His stare at me wasn’t that strong at all. They made me at ease though.
He
looked at me and then sat down into the easy chair nearby. I just stood
there unable to say or do anything. He then asked me softly what I did
for a living. I vaguely answered that I worked for a company.
Min Aung Hlaing, Shwe Mann and Senior General |
It
shook me to the bone while thinking about the possible danger I was
facing here. But I managed to keep my cool as whatever I did wouldn’t
matter anymore from that point. As the SG I wasn’t anyone interesting
enough for him and what he had to do was just give a nod to one of his
officers and I would disappear out of his sight probably forever.
Only
after a while of awkward silence a colonel standing near him sort of
waved me out and I just slowly backed out from there. I didn’t dare turn
my back on him. I was worrying the rest of the day of what would happen
to me later. But nothing really happened except an officer from the War
Office drove me back all the way to nearby Pyinmanar town that evening.
Benefits of Meeting the Old Soldier
From
that accidental encounter I was given a permission to visit the War
Office regularly every month. But not just anytime anywhere I wanted.
Only when I had a valid reason to visit the War Office and sometimes
just to see the SG himself.
How
and why I did get into such a difficult and dangerous situation I
couldn’t even figure it out. I didn’t tell anyone about my precarious
situation also as I didn’t dare telling anyone. What I figured out was
if I told anyone and if that person believed me then I could be in
danger. But if he or she didn’t believe me then I would be a laughing
stock. So I just kept my mouth shut.
After
that I’d been inside the War Office regularly once or twice every
month. My trips were neither clandestine nor openly. Was it good or bad
for me I didn’t really know? Maybe it was the Senior General’s cunning
plan to use me when or if he needed me for their advantage, I didn’t
really know? It wasn’t really a direct contact with the SG or mine
wasn’t even an important job. They were just letting me easily enter and
exit the very important War Office.
I
didn’t really know what were their benefits in giving me a direct
access to the SG from their point of view. But from my side I was so
pleased that I could get some interesting news and information direct
from the War Office by having an easy access.
I
was even thinking that one day I would have a chance to interview SG
Than Shwe if I was given an opportunity. Then I could be able to ask him
whatever I would want to know from him, I dreamed.
At
that time I was working as a journalist for our journal’s branch office
at Naypyidaw. Even though I could not write down as the current news
whatever I knew on the pages of the journal due to the difficult
political situations back then I still was finding out a lot about that
period, about Naypyidaw, about the government and the military in
general and especially about some senior army officers and the secretive
War Office in particular.
I’d
learned to relate well with the army officers without fearing them like
before. Only one important thing during that period was that I had to
control myself not to tell others what I did know. As a natural born
journalist I am quite curious and always trying to ask people what I
want to know. And I would like to tell others what I knew too. During my
War Office period I had to control myself really hard to suppress that
inherent character of mine.
(Direct translation of Aung Shin’s article from his Blog “A Journalist from Myanmar”.)
(Direct translation of Aung Shin’s article from his Blog “A Journalist from Myanmar”.)
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