Hi Dear Friends,
I've been noticing that people in Hive are more interested in the subject of the guerrilla in Burma than in what is happening now worldwide with all the crazy things that every country facing for the last 2 years. So here is another post about Burma but I will also continue to post about the world situation and the global corruption pact that is going on in the western world. So, let's go back to Burma...
So Back to Myanmar (real name is Burma) but the military junta changes things like they change their underwear, one day it is Burma and the next day it is Myanmar, one day the flag is red blue, and white with the rice design that was said to represent the people and next day it turns to three rows yellow green red and a big white star in the middle or even worst one day the money "the Kyat" has numeric banknotes of 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and next day they announce that the old money has been canceled during the night and a new money is now made with new design and new numeric on the note and it became banknote of 19, 49, 99, 501, 999 and for all the people with a good connexion in the government it was impossible to exchange their money. The government (military junta) told the people that it was to stop the fake money but what to expect in a country where all decisions are made by the Generalissimo who is at the head of the state and most of these decisions are in fact based on what the fortune teller from the Generalissimo said. It was also the case when the fortune teller tell the Generalissimo to move the capital city of Yangoon because the USA will come and invade it, resulting in the new capital city of Naypyidaw where only the top militaries and politicians live in luxurious houses with gigantic parliament and ten lines street and giant statues of the ancient Kings to tell you how much paranoia is going on there is when you take the bus to go somewhere and you have to cross Naypyidaw city they ask you to close the dark curtains in the bus for no one to look outside and if you are a foreigner during the stop at Naypyidaw bus station you are not allowed to get down from the bus for eating like other passenger but the bus people will bring you your food inside the bus. My first trip to the beautiful country of Burma was in 1992 at that time you can get only a 2-week visa with a tour and a government agent every evening he was collecting our passport and gives us back in the morning he told us that it was to register us at the police station, after 9 PM we cannot step out of the hotel until next morning, during the days he was taking care at where we were pointing our cameras and stop us if the site was forbidden to be pictured and if he was sure that you take a shot at something you must not he took the film out of the camera. But even with these strange rules, Burma was magical.
Now let's get back to where I stopped in my last post. The night before we had a diner and played guitar and singing, during that evening I met with who can be called a mercenary who came from another country far from Asia and he was there to train commandos and urban guerrilla. I am always surprised in Asia about the profile of certain people I have met and this guy when he told me about his past service I know that he has made history already with a team of people like him in another country. The next day early morning I took my coffee and breakfast at the mass and the mercenary take me for a tour of the area. First, we stop at a big barrack where he was happy to show me these new handguns they just received from China. Then he show me that this base was on the way to being rebuilt has Burmese destroyed it in the past. He shows me the trenches all around and he bring me to a wooden area where was another army from a different state that was here for his training.
As we walk I came across a strange piece of wood and ask him about it and he told me that it was a handmade mine. It was made of a square piece of wood of about 17 cm x 8 cm x 3 cm there was a cut on the top part and two holes on the side the bottom one for the battery and the top one for a charge of explosive C4. He told me that these hand made mines are way better than the one that the Burmese army is using because there is a lot of people in the region that get killed or handicapped with the mines that this type is usually only working for two weeks after they come and take it back to change the battery and change the location depending on the danger. Not far was an old sign of the KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army) that was broken and put against a tree. After it was time for him to get the soldiers to train, so I ask him if I can stay and take a few pictures and he accepted.
When we get back to the other training field there was the general surrounded by young soldiers, he was lifting some weight he is really close to his soldier whatever they are young recruits or experimented soldiers he always takes the time for them and that is why they all love him. I get close to him and told him that I was with the mercenary touring the base so he told me to wait for him as he want to join us. After maybe 5 or 10 minutes of lifting his weight, we start to walk all three to the mass. Once there we sat at the table and start to talk about the NGO that asked me if I get them in touch with the authorities of Kaw Thoo Lei as they want to help some schools and children and maybe open a new school. The general was really happy about it and give me the green light to get some representative here as it was a place that they were rebuilding and the school need to be extended as students coming from all the villages around in the mountains cannot all study as the place in the classroom was missing and also teachers.
To Be Continued...
What a brave you re, you are in a dangerous place. There are some young men in the training. Do they recruit the young men or it s just coincidence?
In fact, they recruit young soldiers, and because it is the longest secret war in the world today (1949-2021) and the Burmese are doing a real genocide on them. The Karens have a special law for recruits, each family has to give one child for the army man or woman above 16 years old but there is also some joining as they think it is the right thing to do. They are today about 18 000 freedom fighters Karen and more than 10 000 young Burmese that have recently joined to fight the coup against the young democracy done by the Myanmar army.
what an interesting topic. I feel for the people of Burma. Even though I don't really trust any government of the world, what's going on there seems to be far worse than most. If these are anti-government forces, aren't they a bit concerned about their images being online?
I do feel a lot for them they are my friends for a long time and also for the entire population of Burma and every ethnicity that lives and tries to survive in Burma. The General is a public person and the soldiers I just show what is possible to show the rest if I need to put the picture will have a smiley on what I can't show. Thank you for your interest on the subject.
Keep posting dude!
That is quite an adventure, and since this is in the past, I guess you didn't have any trouble with the authorities returning from an area like this. Were these guys pro-government militia or ant-government forces?
At all times, these areas are close to visitors especially a foreigner like me there are plenty of checkpoints by the Burmese army. But because everything is about spying, they must know I am not a threat to them. I am just a good friend of the Karen General and he always makes the necessary for my trip from the border town of Myawaddy up or down to their territories to be safe. Once I have a Burmese officer taking me in his car to pass all the checkpoints at every check he was going out of the car and took a bottle of Thai whisky and give it to the officer at the check, sure they look at me from far but never came to me and ask me anything even sometimes salute me with a smile. Even I know the road has been made for me it still makes me uneasy. But nowadays it is not possible to get there whatever your connections are.
⋆ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ
⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
⋆ ᴅᴇʟᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟɪɴᴋs 25 ʜᴘ⇾50 ʜᴘ⇾100 ʜᴘ⇾500 ʜᴘ⇾1,000 ʜᴘ
I once read in an article that the movie Rambo that was shoot in Burma has inspired the opponents of Military junta. I'm not sure whether it is true or not
No, the movie Rambo was shot in Thailand and one part near my home I also have a friend play in it as they catch snakes at the beginning, but it is true that it was inspired by the people you see in my post. It is impossible to film in Burma especially on a subject against the government.