Dr Khin Maung Nyunt
(Maha Saddhamma Jotikadhaja, Sithu)
”Memories recapture Our life again Bringing Pleasures as well as pains.”
News of the 1st holding of the Central Committee for the 72nd Anniversary of Martyrs’ Day 19 July 2019 in public media awakens the memories of the writer. He was the Director General of Fine and Performing Arts Dept. as well as that of the Historical Research Dept. under the Ministry of Culture with one pay, one phone and one old out-dated office car As D.G of car Fine and Performing Arts Dept. his duties were diverse. Apart from office duties, he had to carry out extramural duties such as State’s Tour Guide to accompany State Visitors to places of their Visits in Yangon and other places across the country. Their visits in Yangon included Shwedagon Pagoda and Martyrs’ Mausoleum. He received them and explained historical backgrounds. At Martyrs’ mausoleum he explained the bio-data of the fallen leaders of 19 July 1947. The visitors lay wreaths and saluted when The Military Band sounded The last post as the State Flag came down to join the salute.
The writer upon seeing the tomb of Ko Htwe at the foot of that of Sayagyi U Razak his memories rolled back to his native town Mandalay. It was on the occasion of Sayagyi U Razat, our immediate neighbor who came to us to bid goodbye as he would join Bogyoke Aung San’s cabinet as Minister of Education. U Razak’s family and ours are almost close relatives. His mother Daw Nyein Hla was a strong Buddhist who accompanied the writer’s mother to Buddhist Dhamma lectures and festivals. Sayagyi’s sisters and brothers’ were Buddhist U Ba Kyaw, Daw Thein Thein, Daw Yan were very religious and very patritic. Though the writer was not U Razak’s pupil as he was a principal of Mandalay St Peter’s English High School he was indirectly involved in the activities of Mandalay National School of which Sayagyi U Razak was the head master. He himself was a unique personality. He was the product of Mandalay Westlyan School [Methodist school] specializing in English, Pali and Buddhism. He wore European dress neat and tidy and spoke English. Pali and Burmese excellently.
To cut the story short, as he bid farewell to us, he turned to me and said ” Hey young boy, come with me to Yangon. I appoint you my PA you are the same age as my personal body guard Maung Aye [who was only month my senior].
”What is PA Sayagyi?”
”PA means personal assistant. You have to be near me and to do all jobs I ask you to do such as fetching my clothings, food, books etc.”
”No, Sayagyi I don’t like that kind of job I like pwes [festivals] in Mandalay I would miss them. Besides I’m sitting for Matric Examination this year March 1947″.
”Ok, Ok then I’ll wait for your Matric result. Then you’ll have to join me as my PA”.
Then turning to my mother, Sayagyi said ”Amagyi [my elder sister] would you agree to my idea?”
But things did not work out as Sayagyi’s plan. But the write missed luckily the tragic end like. Ko Htwe. Bo Htun Hla [Tetkatho Ney Win] whom the writer often met on the occasions of the Writers’ Day told me often two things the write never forgot.
Firstly aouHra&muf? oufraysmuf ”[If your time has not arrived for your death, your life survives].
Secondly strong and devoted national leaders are sincerely convinced that they had no dangerous enemies who are always their immediates”.We both used to reviews assassination cases in Buddha Jataka stories, Myanmar history as well as those of the world. In Jataka the son Ajatasa killed his own father King Bimasara and many other stories of Patricides and Matricides.
In Myanmar history cases of patricides such as Narathu the son of King Alaung Sithu two sons Myint Kun and Myin Khons Taing of King Mindon. In the world’s history, it was his close friend Bruthus who assassinated Julius Caesar, Emperors of Roman Empire. As he was stabbed he opened his eyes to known who his assassin was and he exclaimed.
”Et tu,Brutus”.
There are many cases of political murder or assassinations with unsolved problems of who the assassins were namely Abraham Lincon’s assassin. Mahathma Gandhi’s assassin, Andra Gandi’s assassin, JF Kennedy’s Assassin, Hammarskjold’s assassins etc. etc.
In the case of our martyrs, though we had found out the assassins of our leaders, we still did not know who directed them to carry-out that political murder.
Second point of lesson that Bo Htun Hla and the writer got from these assassination cases we both reviewed was that devoted patriot leaders’ over-confidence that they had no dangerous enemies and that there enemies were near at hand.
Bo Htun Hla told the writer that very morning when the cabinet meeting was about to begin, Bogyoke Aung San called off the bodyguard saying, there could not be dangerous enemy for us who were working for our country’s independence. Bo Htun Hla was asked by Bogyoke Aung San to go back to his office to bring him some important files on his desk. So he very narrowly escaped assassination. When he heard shootings and appeared on the spot Bogyoke was dead in a well of blood with many bullets in his body. Whereas Ko Htway, personal bodyguard of Sayagyi U Razak was lying dead with bullets in body.
The writer explained to Bo Htun Hla that he had the same case of aouHra&muf? oufraysmuf. Had he accepted the PA post, he might or might not have met the same fate as that of Ko Htwe.
But Bo Htun Hla and the writer both agreed and would like to leave our sincere message to our patriotic leaders of the present and future ”Please do not take it for granted that they have no dangerous enemies, who are always near you. Please take caution and keep security measures. Body guards to protect you safety. health and happiness and success to all.
