Unforgettable Saffron Revolution:
A Memoir of a Leading Monk
Ashin Htavara
Translated by A.N.O
May Your Head be straight,
May The Rope of Your Hands
behind Your Back be Free .….
“
One is to Turn the heads of citizen, another is tying their hands behind their
backs _ this was the military dictatorship’s work ”
Hanthawadi U Win Tin
I like these words from the bottom
of my heart because they can show the way to own survival and freedom.
Our
heads are turned backwards by the tactic of the military government through its
2008 Constitution and its amendments with the addition of Race Guarding Law
which makes us misled our goals in its display of deceit-maze.
The
front is misled, which primarily comes out in front of the citizens for
democracy, by that deceitful law. How to amend the Constitution in this maze?
Those who want to amend if are tied their hands behind their back with the rope
of this illusion.
Monks
of Myanmar have their icon in the World. May have scarified their lives for
Myanmar citizens’ democracy affairs and human right with Buddha’s Vinaya. They
protested in demonstration opposing the military government, in the streets of
towns across Myanmar, reciting,
“Let none deceive another
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
wish harm upon another.
…………..
………..
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living
beings.
Radiating kindness over the entire
world,
……………………”.
They
know no discrimination between races, ages, sexes, classes and so on. They only
know that all men are equal. At Present, they are accused as radicals for races
and religions.
We should do them to heads of our
monks to be straight and to untie the rope of hands behind their backs. “The
Saffron Revolution” is a tried and true one to follow as an example for us.
I have requested Ashin Htavara to write
articles of his experiences of the event when he was exiled for our journal
“Notes of the Youth” as a columnist while I was working as the chief editor.
I
knew that he was not a writer, but he tried his best to depict the whole
picture of the revolution and the emotions of all those had participated in the
movement. More than that, he seemed to digging his bitter past for the journal
article. I appreciated his work and edited his articles to be read conveniently
for the readers. He helped for the journal for a year with his memoir.
His
articles make me reflect on the brave events of our monks and people for
democracy movement. I appreciate his attitude, perseverance, diligence and
capacity.
The
most important thing of him is his competency for that event. By reading his
articles next time, I feel the Saffron spirit of unity between monks and men to
protest against the established military regime. He said no words of hatred
throughout his writing, but documenting with compassion, sympathy and love for
all the beings.
I
wish that this booklet, compiling of Ashin Htavara’s articles be a must for
those who would like to force from the deceit, maze and illusion of the
influencing authority as a guiding star.
“Ashin
Htavara” became a writer with this book. I am very glad to have a writer for
the people. I pay a great respect to him for his deeds and work.
Nay Sakkyar Naing
(Chief Editor)
