Burma Soldier, A Call for Democracy from a Silent Country

by Jessica Mosby
–USA–

In today’s technologically connected world, there are few places completely absent from the 24 hours a day 7 days a week international news cycle. One of those places is Burma, now known as Myanmar. For more than 47 years the Southeast Asian nation has been isolated from the rest of the world with few foreigners or journalists reporting from the ground. The brutal military dictatorship has ruled with an iron fist, fighting a bloody civil war against the country’s ethnic minorities. Aside from singular and infrequent news reports the world receives little information about the innumerable human rights atrocities committed by Burma’s military dictatorship.

The new documentary film Burma Soldier is a must see for everyone committed to international human rights issues. The documentary approaches the complicated political history of Burma through the story of one man – former Burmese soldier Myo Myint Cho – who, after living on both sides of the civil war, has devoted his life to ending the decades of violence and oppression.

Filmmakers Nic Dunlop, Annie Sundberg, and Ricki Stern make the story of millions of Burmese personal by centering the narrative on Myint’s experiences as a soldier, political prisoner, and refugee. His story represents an entire country’s plight for democracy and freedom.

Viewers not familiar with Burma will be well informed by the end of the film, asking what they can do to end the human rights abuses of the Burmese government. For me, the film was a very emotional viewing experience as I was simultaneously overwhelmed by sadness as Myint described his experiences and infuriated by the atrocities on screen. Narrated by actor Colin Farrell, the 70-minute film, premieres on HBO2 on Wednesday, May 18.

The filmmakers weave interviews with Myint with archival footage and current still photography to document Burma’s modern history. When the documentary begins, Myint is living in a refugee camp on the Burma-Thailand border after fearing that he will once again be sent to prison for his political activism if he returns to Burma. Myint is living on the border not only between two countries but between his past and his future.

Myint had joined the Burmese Army when he was 17, which is not young by Burmese standards – the government widely employs child soldiers as young as 11 years old. Like many young men, Myint said he joined in part for financial reasons as there are few jobs available in Burma’s closed economy. Burma’s military and government elite lead lives of opulence while the rest of the country’s 56 million residents struggle for survival.

While in the military, Myint fought against Burma’s ethnic minorities. During onscreen interviews conducted in his home at the refugee camp on the Burma-Thailand border, Myint describes endless acts of brutality and violence used by the military to crush the insurgency. His tenure in the military ended after he lost a leg, an arm, and several fingers in a land mine explosion. This near death experience eventually transformed Myint into a pro-democracy and pro-peace advocate working alongside National League for Democracy party leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In 1988, Myint was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his participation in political protests.

From the refugee camp, Myint is able to make contact with his sister and brother for the first time in 20 years. Like over one million Burmese, Myint’s siblings have immigrated to other countries. After obtaining refugee status, Myint makes the difficult decision to leave the camp and move to Fort Wayne, Indiana. The scenes of his final hours in the camp amongst his friends are truly heartbreaking, as Myint is overcome with emotion at the realization that he is leaving his homeland forever. But Myint knows a better life with his siblings awaits him. The unfortunate truth is that there is no future for Myint if he remains in Burma.

Burma Soldier documents a story that is not unique to that Southeast Asian nation. All over the world, there are people like Myint, who have suffered under brutal dictators and been forced to flee their homeland for refugee camps or other democratic countries. Their stories are often buried as their voices are extinguished by oppression and violence.

Now living with his siblings and their families in Fort Wayne, Myint continues to fight for peace and democracy in Burma. As sad as it is that he had to leave his country to find safety and freedom, Myint is finally able to speak and learn without the fear of reprimand. While recuperating from the injuries he sustained in a land mine explosion, Myint began studying the history of Burma and political theory. Many of the books he read are banned by the military dictatorship and possessing them is a crime in Burma. But in Fort Wayne Myint frequents his local library, and experiences the kind of intellectual freedom and access to information he never thought possible. The scenes of Myint in the library beaming at the selection of books create a sense of hope as one man’s suffering and struggle has ended with a new life in a democratic country surrounded by his once lost family fighting together for peace in their homeland.

About the Author:
Jessica Mosby is a writer and critic living in Oakland, California. In the rare moments when she’s not traveling across the United States for work, Jessica enjoys listening to public radio, buying organic food at local farmers markets, trolling junk stores, and collecting owl-themed tchotchke.