Hasina: Through My Eyes

by Michelle Aung Thin

  Zaw Gyi too is dealt with by people’s justice. His truck is barred from the construction site as the tale of his misdeeds passes from man to woman to man.

  Lama and her family, including Cat Girl, stay in their tent, watching the unharvested rice go yellow and then drop, grain by grain, into the water. When the rains come again, three months on, Lama’s family come to stay in the old vegetable garden at Third Mile Street, surrounded by green shoots. But that too is only temporary. They will move on, searching for a place to call their own.

  As for the household at Third Mile, life is hard, but there is rice, oil and salt in the cupboards. And they have each other. Hasina loves sitting with Dadi Asmah, Ghadiya, Araf and now Ishin, sharing a meal. She loves having Isak close by to talk over things. She doesn’t feel so lonely anymore, now that he is here. If only Baba and Mama, Aunt Rukiah and Uncle Rashid were here too.

  And then, one day, the hand phone rings. Ghadiya answers, as usual. Her face bursts into a huge smile. ‘Hasina! It is for you.’

  Hasina takes the phone.

  ‘Hello?’ calls a familiar voice at the other end.

  And then alongside that voice, another. ‘Hasina? My dear, clever girl.’

  Hasina’s heart swells. Here are the voices she knows and loves. Here are the voices she has been dreaming of. She can barely speak. What words are there?

  But as her hands shake, Hasina feels something else. She feels as if the Hasina who has had to defend her family at such great cost has been rejoined by Hasina, the girl who loves soccer and geometry and a boy with a crinkly smile. And her heart, bent and broken, is a little closer to whole again.

  She takes a deep breath.

  ‘Hello, Baba? Mama? Is it you?’

  Author’s note

  I saw Rakhine State for the first time from the air. It was 2014 and I was flying from Thandwe in the south to Sittwe, where this story has its climax. The Bay of Bengal was all manner of blue, the rivers running from the mountains were like silver threads and the land itself, almost empty of roads, was a deep, extravagant green. It was beautiful.

  I was on a tour of exploration then. Myanmar had only been open to the world for a few years. Hillary Clinton, the American secretary of state, visited in 2011. Barak Obama, the American president, visited in 2012. Those who had left the country, like me, were finally returning.

  I was born in Rangoon eight months after the 1962 military coup that led to fifty years of military rule. Although I left with my parents as a tiny baby, I have always felt a strong connection to the land of my birth. Especially as my grandparents and great-grandmother remained in Burma until I was in my late teens. The opening up of Myanmar was of great significance to me. On the one hand, I was excited to see this forbidden country; on the other, I was frightened by what I might find, or by what might happen to me while I was there.

  My fear was based on the experience of my parents and grandparents. My mother fell pregnant with me when she was a masters student and tutor at Rangoon University. On 7 July 1962, she had terrible morning sickness and so stayed home. She missed the massacre of students at the hand of army troops on 7 and 8 July. My parents could hear the gunfire from their house.

  As a child growing up in Canada, I learned to look forward to the blue aerogrammes from my grandparents, written on my grandmother’s old manual typewriter. The aerogramme paper was incredibly thin and light and called onionskin. Postage was by weight and every ounce counted. I remember my mother sending back parcels of things my grandparents could not get: bras, golf balls, socks, toffee and medicines. They badly wanted light bulbs, but my mother knew these wouldn’t survive the trip. We never visited Burma ourselves, as my parents had hoped we would. We weren’t allowed visas to return.

  My grandmother left Burma after my grandfather died, settling ultimately with my uncle in Seattle, USA. When my grandmother finally came to Canada – and I got to meet her for the first time – she brought few possessions and was in need of supplies. I remember we took her to a shopping mall so she could buy makeup. I was about Hasina’s age then. All of a sudden my grandmother stopped dead in the mall, her face pale. ‘I’ve forgotten my ID card,’ she told my mother in a panicked voice. ‘Don’t worry, Mum,’ my own mother reassured her, ‘we don’t have those here.’

  I saw the consequences of Myanmar’s sad history. Once a kingdom ruled by the Konbaung dynasty, ‘Burma’ was colonised in 1886 by the British, who promptly exiled the royal family and ruled the country as a province of India. During the colonial period, all non-British in Burma were treated as second-class citizens. Burma was granted independence after the Second World War. The new country was immediately plunged into civil war. By the early 1960s, the military decided to step in to keep control.

  Military rule was a disaster for the ordinary people of Myanmar. It was the reason my parents chose to leave. The country changed. What was once prosperous became poor. The government, in fear of further student protests, dismantled the education system. Books, art, the news and movies were all heavily censored. Parents stopped their children from reading books, because they were frightened reading about new ideas would get their children into trouble. Phones and especially mobile phones were priced so high that ordinary people could not afford them. Owning a mobile phone was equivalent to owning a luxury car. Over those fifty years, Myanmar became what is known as a pariah state – an outcast cut off from the rest of the world.

  Fifty years is a long time to be afraid. Which is why it was so exciting for me to visit Myanmar in the early part of this decade – things looked like they were changing. It seemed for the better.

  Sadly, while some people in the country have enjoyed greater freedoms, others have not. Their experience of political change has been one of violence and terror and loss. The Rohingya have been victims of this violence in Myanmar. There are others including the Chin and the Kachin.

  Flying across the state, it is easy to see one of the reasons why things are so tough in Rakhine. It is a poverty-stricken state. While the green swathes directly beneath my flight path were incredibly beautiful, they also showed that there were hardly any factories or businesses and with no roads, it would be hard to get crops and fish to market. There is no economic buffer, no safety net. I’d like to say things are changing, but as I write this, there are reports of Arakan Army activity in the state. It would seem the people of Rakhine will have to wait for peace.

  Timeline

  1429 The Kingdom of Mrauk-U, the historical kingdom of Arakan, rules over what is now known as Rakhine State and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh.

  1785–1826 Burmese forces occupy the Arakanese kingdom. The Muslim community in Rakhine expands rapidly during this time. Arakan is ceded to the British after the first Anglo-Burmese War.

  1886 After three Anglo-Burmese wars, the predominantly Buddhist Burma becomes the Province of Burma of British India. Arakan is part of this province.

  1937 Britain separates Burma Province from British India, making it a crown colony.

  Dr Ba Maw is the first prime minister of Burma until U Saw takes over in 1940.

  1942 Japan invades and occupies Burma.

  1945 Britain liberates Burma with the help of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League led by Aung San.

  1947 Aung San and six members of his interim government are assassinated. Local mujaheddin in Arakan unite against the government, seeking annexation with Pakistan.

  1948 Burma becomes an independent republic with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first president and U Nu as prime minister. Rakhine is part of the independent state of Burma.

  1950s Muslim leaders and students in North Arakan use the term ‘Rohingya’ for the region’s minority Muslim community.

  1960 U Nu’s party wins elections, declaring Buddhism the state religion.

  1962 A military coup ousts U Nu, establishing a single-party socialist government under General Ne Win. Rohingya rights are further eroded.

  1964 Foreigners are expelled from Bur
ma and independent newspapers banned.

  1973 Arakan becomes a state of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, designated as the homeland of the Rakhine people.

  1978–91 Government campaigns against the Rohingya push more than 200 000 Muslims into Bangladesh.

  1982 The Burmese government’s new citizenship law identifies 135 national ethnic groups, excluding the Rohingya, rendering them stateless.

  1988 Thousands of Buddhists and Muslims are killed in anti-government riots. The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) is formed.

  Aung San Suu Kyi co-founds and leads the National League for Democracy (NLD).

  General Saw Maung seizes power in a military coup. SLORC declares martial law. Burma is renamed Myanmar with Yangon as the new capital. North Arakan is officially known as Rakhine State.

  1989 Aung San Suu Kyi is put under house arrest.

  1990 The NLD wins the general elections but SLORC refuses to hand over power.

  1991 Aung San Suu Kyi is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

  1992 General Than Shwe is now head of state.

  1995 Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest.

  2000 Aung San Suu Kyi is again placed under house arrest.

  2007 Monks lead almost 100 000 Buddhists in anti-government demonstrations.

  2008 Cyclone Nargis strikes. 138 000 people are killed and almost one million are left homeless.

  2009 The Arakan Army (AA) is formed to safeguard the Arakanese.

  2010 Aung San Suu Kyi is released. The first elections in 20 years are held. The Union Solidarity and Development Party claims victory.

  2011 The first parliament in decades is convened in the capital Naypyidaw. Prime Minister Thein Sein is elected president.

  2012 Aung San Suu Kyi wins a seat in parliament in Myanmar’s first multi-party elections since 1990.

  Unrest breaks out in western Rakhine following the alleged rape and murder of a Rakhine Buddhist woman by three Muslims. Escalating communal violence leaves more than 200 dead and close to 150 000 homeless, predominantly Rohingya Muslims.

  2013 March Aung San Suu Kyi wins re-election as leader of the NLD.

  Deadly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists result in almost 100 000 people being internally displaced, the majority fleeing to Bangladesh by boat.

  2014 April The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Myanmar urges action against possible ‘crimes against humanity’.

  2015 The NLD party wins a historic majority. Aung San Suu Kyi becomes state counsellor and Htin Kyaw, president.

  Approximately 21 000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh. 8000 Rohingya are stranded at sea.

  2016 About 125 000 people, mainly Rohingya, have been displaced since 2012.

  A border post attack in Rakhine State believed to be by Muslim insurgents kills nine police officers. The Myanmar military forcibly removes thousands of villagers from their homes. The situation in Rakhine reaches its lowest point.

  The UN and foreign media are blocked from entering northern Rakhine.

  2017 February A UN report alleges Myanmar’s security forces are waging a brutal campaign of murder, rape and torture in Rakhine State.

  August Myanmar’s state media reports the killing of 12 security officers in Rakhine State. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) claims responsibility.

  September The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, describes the Myanmar military operation as an example of ethnic cleansing.

  Aung San Suu Kyi doesn’t denounce the alleged atrocities against the Rohingya community.

  October According to the International Organization for Migration, 607 000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, 140 000 Rohingya are internally displaced and 200 villages left abandoned.

  December Médecins Sans Frontières releases a report detailing the death of about 6700 Rohingya due to the violence in Rakhine State in August and September of 2017.

  2018 Aung San Suu Kyi has several international awards and accolades revoked.

  Amnesty International reports ARSA allegedly massacred dozens of men, women and children in Hindu villages in Rakhine State during August 2017.

  Violence between AA and security forces escalates in Rakhine State. AA continues to fight for greater independence for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Intercommunal violence mounts in northern Shan, Kachin and other conflict-affected areas in Myanmar.

  The UN Security Council envoy visits Myanmar urging a proper investigation into alleged atrocities against the Rohingya in Rakhine State.

  Glossary

  Bengali

  Daamini lightning

  Burmese

  boothi vegetable like zucchini

  chaung small stream

  chinlone woven rattan ball

  htamein wraparound skirt for females

  jaggery palm sugar in blocks, eaten after meals or as a sweet

  kalama insult used against Indian women meaning ‘foreigner’

  kyat Myanmar currency

  longyi long wraparound skirt worn by men and women

  mingalar bar Myanmar greeting

  nagar dragon; mythical creature in Myanmar fairytales

  Pathein region of Myanmar and type of rice

  saya respectful term for teacher

  sein pan golden mohur tree with bright orange flowers

  shi-kho polite greeting

  stupa place of meditation

  taing-yin-thar ‘native’ of Burma prior to colonisation – a contested term

  thakin sir

  thanaka sweet-smelling powder used as sunscreen; tree bark used in traditional makeup

  Mro language

  hom, tui paddy field

  Mro-cha person of the Mro ethnic group

  Rohingya

  aasso-lamu alaikum has Allah kept you well?

  Asr afternoon prayer

  azan call to prayer

  baba father, daddy

  babi sister-in-law

  bazu cotton top

  bismillah karo hamam rahin in the name of Allah, gracious and merciful

  dadi grandmother

  deshi cooking pot

  Dhurh general term for prayer; also the term used for second prayers of the day just before lunch

  dut condensed milk

  Eid al-Adha festival of the sacrifice

  Fagr first morning prayer

  hodu hak fried calabash; a long gourd

  hori hak pumpkin leaf with garlic

  ken ah so? how are you?

  madrassa schoolroom

  Maghirb dusk prayer

  maja-fu father’s sister

  mama mother

  massor salon fish curry

  mohzeem one who calls to prayer

  numal veil (headscarf) that Muslim women wear in public

  shamish spoon

  suri knife

  tufih cap

  wa alaikum aasso-lam yes, Allah has kept me well

  Shan language

  lawl ait special bag known locally as a ‘Shan bag’

  Urdu

  kameez Indian top

  tiffin lunch

  Find out more about …

  Myanmar

  https://www.britannica.com/place/Myanmar

  https://www.youtube.com

  Search for ‘Geography Now! MYANMAR’

  The Rohingya

  https://www.news.com.au

  Search for ‘Who are the Rohingya and what is happening in Myanmar?’

  https://www.abc.net.au/news

  Search for ‘Stateless Rohingya pushed from Myanmar, but unwanted by Bangladesh’

  https://www.aljazeera.com

  Search for ‘Who are the Rohingya?’

  The Rohingya crisis

  https://www.bbc.com

  Search for: ‘Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis’

  https://www.youtube.com

  Search for ‘The Rohingya crisis in 90 seconds’

  The following clip contains images that some viewers may
find distressing:

  https://www.youtube.com

  Search for ‘Rohingya crisis: the world’s fastest growing humanitarian crisis – BBC News’

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my parents, Pam and Jim, for their personal insights into the country that was Burma and is now Myanmar. Their stories made me a writer. To Warren and Julian, who raised pertinent questions throughout the writing process. To Peter and Nancy, who provided a conducive space for rewrites. To Sierra, who lent me her cat, Winston, and allowed me to transplant him from icy Quebec to tropical Rakhine and rename him (now her) Daamini. Thanks also to my early reader, Mattie.

  Writing a book about dramatic and sensitive events requires solid research. I have tried to make this story as accurate as possible. I am indebted to Dr Anthony Ware for sharing his research and recommend his book Myanmar’s ‘Rohingya’ Conflict, co-authored by Costas Laoutides, published by Hurst in 2018.

  I would also like to thank the members of Melbourne’s Rohingya community who helped with cultural and linguistic details. In particular, Tara Begum, who graciously opened her home to me, fed me dosa and introduced me to her family. Thanks also to Shakilah Ibrahim who read the book and offered feedback on cultural details. Tara Begum and Shakilah Ibrahim translated most of the Rohingya words in the text and offered phonetic spellings. I am also grateful to Nurankis Ibrahim who did such a great job posing for the cover. Wajidah patiently answered my many questions and showed me her call-to-prayer clock, which was the inspiration for Ibrahim’s gift to Nurzamal. Habib Ibrahim introduced me to his community in a Springvale restaurant that sells Rohingya foods including Nurzamal’s favourite spice blend.

  The character of the Sittwe lawyer is loosely based on the 2018 winner of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, Kyaw Hla Aung.

  May Kyel Winn translated the Burmese words in this text and helped me with details of Myanmar culture and politics. The Australia Myanmar Institute runs events that give up-to-the minute insights into contemporary Myanmar. It was at one lecture that I realised the book needed to open with the helicopters and at another when I understood the significance of smartphones and social media to Myanmar politics.