The Exile Who Will Not Be Going Home

8/6/2019 The Exile Who Will Not Be Going Home

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The Exile Who Will Not Be Going Home

By Saneitha Nagani

Whenever I think about political exile it brings to my mind what Edward Said wrote about

exile:

Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable

rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home;

its essential sadness can never be surmounted.

I became an exile not because of circumstances but because of my conscience. When I made that

decision it was not made lightly. I have lived and worked more than half of my life in Burma. I have

my roots there but I have made a decision that until and unless the military regime in whatever

shape, form or colour exists I will never set foot in the land of my birth.

Pablo Picasso painted Guernica as mural for the Spanish Pavilion in Paris. In January 1937 the

government of Spain commissioned him to a mural for the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris World Fair,

due to open in July. At first Picasso intended to meet the commission with a representation of the

freedom of art, using a studio scene with painter and model. But when the news of the bombing of

the holy Basque town of Guernica reached him, he changed his mind. The town was totally

destroyed in just three and half hours by Falangist forces, Spanish, Italian and German troops, under

German command. The town was of no military importance; the destruction was an act of pure

terrorism. But it rapidly acquired political significance as reports of the atrocity appeared in the

world press. Guernica was transformed by those reports into a symbol of modern total warfare.

After the Fair, Guernica toured Europe and Northern America to raise consciousness about the

threat of fascism. From the beginning of World War II until 1981, Guernica was housed in its

temporary home at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, though it has made frequent tripsabroad to such places as Munich, Cologne, Stockholm and even Sao Palo in Brazil. The one place it

did not go was Spain. Although Picasso intended the mural Guernica for the Spanish people he did

not allow it to travel to Spain until the country enjoys public liberties and democratic institutions.

Guernica: Testimony of War

I am no where near that famous or important as Picassos painting Guernica. But like Picasso, my act

of becoming a political exile when the military government took over power in 18 September 1988

killings thousands of unarmed civilians is as strong a political conviction as and as much a symbolic of

a protest against the military government and its atrocities. As Picasso had refuse Guernica to return

to Spanish while the dictator Franco was still alive I would not allow myself to set foot on Burmas

soil as long as a slight hint of military dictatorship exists.


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I am sure that many people would take up the Burmese Presidents offer and go back home.

Particularly those who became exiles not because of their political conviction but rather because

of the circumstances they were in which favoured them to take the plunge and become a resident of

a democratic country. The opportunity was taken good for them to let it pass. Even before the

invitation was made there were people who unashamed have been approaching the Burmese

embassy officials, secretly or in public, to obtain visas to visit Burma. Among them, some even wentas far to the point of changing their stories of how they come to be living in Australia when they

were asked by the people in the community. If there were such a thing as crime and punishment for

those who deserted in the military, shouldnt there be a method by which we in a democratic

movement fighting for democracy have a similar right to punish those who desert their conscience?

Lets say, if we were to do a bit of soul searching on whether we should go back and help rebuild

our country in any small way it might be, will be able to bring our country to its rightful place in the

community of nations as it rightfully deserve. Or are we being duped by the military regime that

since nothing was left for them to steal that we ended up cleaning up their mess? The other

important question that we should be asking ourselves is who were the ones that wrecked our

country in the first place and will it be right and proper for us to let them walk away scot-free? As athrowback, I also have to reflect on what I have achieved, even remotely maybe, when I have

worked for the best part of my productive life? Nothing! Am I going to let them waste the rest of my

life by going back? Not a chance! As John Locke said, as a justification for the English revolution of

1688, that by breaking his duty to the subject the sovereign could forfeit his right of obedience I

need not have to obey the military government.

I am like a child, giving away by his biological parents, only to be adopted; what reasons do I have to

go back to them. For whatever reasons and whatever their circumstances were, giving me away has

to be regarded as they did not want me in the first place. As for my adoptive parents, what can I say?

Even in a situation when live cattle from here were sent to be slaughtered overseas, they do have

rights to be treated humanely. Do we need to say more about our rights? Like Edward Said havesaid, It is an unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place; between the self and

its true home; its essential sadness can never be surmounted, but after the way I was received by

my adopted country, I will never turn my back to her, no matter what. This is my country and this

will be my home.

The successes and triumphs of my adopted country are mine too. I have learnt to love the game of

cricket- not just as a game but as a way of life where the players need to have unique characters to

for them to be regarded as good cricketers. Not bowling a ball in a proper way is frowned upon and

not behaving in an appropriate manner on and off the game can land them into big trouble. Even

though it is just a game, it is more than just winning and losing. The fairness and honesty of the

players that is required signifies the game itself as a gentlemans game. I am no longer confusedwho the we are when my children said, We won! Who else would not be proud to be a fellow

country man such a person as Alan Gilchrist? He walked even before the umpire had given him out

because he knew that it would not be right if he stayed on while he was being bowled LBW (leg-

before-wicket) by his opponent. Who else would not be pleased to share the glory with Cadel Evans

when he wins the Tour de France? After all, trying year after year, coming agonisingly close only to

lose out and be contended with the second many times simply because of he wanted to show the

world that such a sport can be fought and won without the use of performance enhancing drugs.


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Deep in my heart, I am still a Burmese (mind you, I am not a Bama by any means) how can I be

otherwise? Born and bred by my parents of Burmese heritage I am still a Burmese. According to

Abhidhamma though, whether you consider yourself a Burmese or any other citizen or nationality

of a different kind, it is just a concept a conventional truth taken as though they were concrete

realities. One has to think though, does it matter whether I live here in exile or go back to Burma at

the mercy of the government? Yes it does. Mangala Sutta said dwelling in a good locality and havingdone good in the past; to establish oneself in the right course this is a supreme blessing. ( Patirupa-

desa-vaso-ca pubbe ca kata-punnata atta-samma panidhi-ca etam mangalam uttaman.) If I can lead

a clean life and live a wholesome life here even though it may be in the state of exile, does it matter

that I have to live my life not necessarily in Burma? I guess not. I am a man living happily in exile.

The invitation sounds good but let alone an exile like me, I am a small potato compared to the party

that won the general elections in 1990, what guarantee do any one of us have that the government

will not change their mind if we were to go back? If a political party, such as the National League for

Democracy (NLD) that not only won the countrys general elections in a landslide but also the results

were recognised by the United Nations, can be cheated of its right to form a government, who am I

to expect that I would be treated fair and just ?Zilch! After they took power in September 1988 theymade a promise that, (if I were to quote directly from the cable they sent to the missions all

overseas) We are Tatmadawmen. Our organisation which is made up largely of Tatmadawmen, is

absolutely loyal to the nation. We wish you to be fully convinced that we would not in any way and

under any circumstances abrogate the oath of loyalty which has been sworn towards the nation and

the people. A marriage vow, until death do us part might have more credibility than this.

The NLD was cheated not just once but twice; the military government told them that the elections

(even though a separate legislation for the elections was decreed) was not to be elected to the

Parliament but rather elected to the Constitutional Assembly to draft the Constitution. Then without

a single fibre of shame in your body the people who won their respective constituency were not in

the majority of your Constitutional Assembly to draft the Constitution. How are we to trust whateveryou said without a single shred of evidence that you will honour the promises that you made?

Thank you for your invitation Mr President, but I have become an exile not because I was afraid of

being punished for what I have done. You might call it a crime but it was within my basic rights to

decide whom I render my services to. I swore my allegiance to the state and the people and not the

Government that lacks legitimacy. You neither have the consent of the people nor the legitimacy

that will bestow your government the authority to govern us. To me you and the military

government which you have your roots in the first place are like a condom in the San Oo Aungs

joke of 8 March 2008. In that joke he mentioned that, Burmese Tatmadaw has announced that its

new national symbol is the Condom, because it accurately reflects the government stance. A

condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch ofpricks and gives us a sense of security while were actually being screwed! I have been screwed

before by U Ne Win Socialist Government and I do not want to be screwed again so, heres my

R.S.V.P. END

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The Exile Who Will Not Be Going Home