The Greatest Love of All

I had problems falling asleep when I wrote this. Well, I was already asleep, when a large explosion awaked me. Turns out, the explosion was in my dreams. So I thought maybe some writing would help me sleep.

Yesterday, I attended the 15^th graduation ceremony of Tadika Seri Soka (TSS). Tun Jeanne Abdullah was the guest of honour.

Seeing the bright, joyous faces of the children that graduated yesterday, I wonder how the road of life would be like for them from now. Looking at their faces, and at the photo of my baby nephew’s entire hand gently clutching my finger, I pray that we, as adult members of society, have the will to make this world and safe and happy place for them.

The first president of the Soka Gakkai , Tsunesaburo Makiguchi said, “Rather than devise complex theoretical interpretations, it is better to start by looking at the lovely child who sits on your knee and ask yourself. What can I do to assure that this child will be able to lead the happiest child possible?”  ‘’

This word from Whitney Houston’s great song, The Greatest Love of All, perhaps sums it up best:

I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

To all the princes and princesses who achieved a great victory yesterday, may you be happy and victorious throughout your lives! Do not let the thrashing waves in the sea called life defeat you.

I also realized that I was old enough to be their father...

The Perfect Hostage - part 3

She returned to Burma on April 2, 1988, to care for her ailing mother who had suffered a serious stroke. Little did she realize that trip home would cement her destiny. Michael Aris, however, wrote that “I had a premonition that our lives would change forever” (pg. 221).

When she returned, she discovered first hand the suffering that her people were going through, and how the despotic generals (who are ironically supported by the so called “leaders of the free world”) had destroyed Burma. It was around that time, one could say, The Lady received the calling to continue her father’s work in creating a free and peaceful Burma.

Her work in restoring democracy to Burma has made her the world’s most well-renowned prisoner of conscience. In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which her husband and children received on her behalf. Her courage in taking on the ruthless junta has isolated her from the people she loved the most. She could not be with her husband on his deathbed and could not even attend his funeral. She has not seen her two sons in years. She is locked up at 54, University Avenue with no companions, save a doctor who checks on her once in a while.

Despite the suffering that she personally gone through, and the sufferings of her people she had to witness, The Lady remains indomitable. She once told Steven Gan of the Bangkok Nation, (yes, the Steven Gan who is now the editor of Malaysiakini.com) that she wants to reach an understanding with the junta. “All sides have to realize that the impasse is not doing anybody any good.” That was in 1998.

While international media has highlighted the plight of The Lady from time to time, leaders of the world, especially those of ASEAN, seem to approach the matter at arm’s length. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, you have not been forgotten.

This book is well-researched and it tells a compelling story. If there is one book that will help you make sense of the tragedy called Burma, this is probably it. We all wait the day when ASEAN’s most famous citizen will lead her country into glory.

The Perfect Hostage - part 2

The early history of Burma is wracked by endless conflict and bloodshed, which somehow seems to foretell the fate that has befallen Burma today. Since ancient times, Burma has never existed as a peaceable homogenous whole. Even today, some minorities in Burma like the Shan and the Karen people do not recognize the rule of the majority-Burmese governments.

Late in the 19th century, after Burma had endured yet another bloody post-succession purge, the British, under the pretext of a “moral cause for regime change” (yes, the White Man’s Burden), made the country a part of the British Empire, the Evil Empire of its day.

When the Japanese came, the British absconded and left the Burmans to the mercy of the Japanese, just like they did in Malaysia. When the Japanese left, the British just waltzed in to reclaim sovereignty over the nations they had left in the lurch when the going got tough.

Burma’s independence movement was born before the Japanese occupation, and the leader was The Lady’s father, Aung San. His political genius won Burma’s independence, and he was well on the way to becoming Burma’s first prime minister at the young age of 32. He was to institute a democracy in Burma after more than a thousand years of autocratic rule.

It looked like Burma was to have a peaceful society at last after a long history of conflict. However, enemies of Aung San killed him and members of his provisional Cabinet on 19th July 1947. The Lady was two years old.

His widow, Daw Khin Kyi, sad as she was, did not dwell on his death and strived on her own to bring up The Lady and her two brothers, one elder and younger. She always told them about how great their father was. After all, it was he liberated Burma from the British.

Daw Khin Kyi began to take up a variety of posts within the government, ending with ambassador to India in the 1960s. By then, the country had fallen into the hands of a military dictatorship under the corrupt and superstitious Ne Win. Daw Khin Kyi was disgusted at the prospect at working for a dictator who had lied to his people about eventually restoring democracy to the country.

Thus, for most part of her teenage and adult years, she lived outside Burma. She later went to Oxford, where she was to meet her husband Michael Aris. She had seemed content to spend her life outside her birth country, though she kept a watch on what was happening there.

(to be continued...)

The Perfect Hostage - part 1

PERFECT HOSTAGE : A LIFE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI

By Justin Wintle

Published by Hutchinson, 450 pages

The image on the cover is an image of the shame that the nations of South-East Asia have to bear. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, or simply known as The Lady nowadays, is under house arrest imposed by the military dictators of Burma. These dictators operate under the guise of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), led by Senior General Than Shwe.

The Association of South-East Asia Nations, or just ASEAN, styles itself as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN).

Peace?

How can there be peace when Burmans are suffering from runway inflation and brutally oppressive rule under a superstitious old man? How can there be peace when a regime guns down unarmed, peace-seeking monks?

Freedom?

How can there be freedom when the Lady, and many others remain captive under the whim and fancy of the junta, without due cause? How can there be freedom when Burmans live in perpetual fear?

Neutrality?

What does that mean? Standing by and doing nothing while your neighbours suffer and cry out for help? Just dismiss Burma’s troubles as “internal matters” and citing the policy of “non-interference”?

The list of the junta’s crimes is endless: from the 8.8.88 massacre to Depayin and the brutal crackdown in October 2007, where unarmed monks were shot. Attempts to create a roadmap to democracy of Burma have been largely ignored by the junta. Countless mediation efforts, led by the United Nations (UN) have led to nothing but frustration. One of those frustrated UN envoys is Malaysia’s own Tan Sri Razali Ismail, who has also served as the President of the UN General Assembly.

Members of the international community, especially ASEAN, seem reluctant to do more to stop the junta’s impunity in face of international pressure. Perhaps this can be easily summed up in three letters: O-I-L. Or G-A-S. Take your pick.

Perfect Hostage : A Life of Aung San Suu Kyi by Justin Wintle is perhaps the latest and most updated biography of The Lady to date. More than that, it is, in a sense, a biography of Burma and its journey from its ancient past to its present dictatorship. It also documents Burma’s struggle against British imperialism and its liberation by The Lady’s illustrious father, Aung San. In fact, The Lady’s story only really begins after about 140 pages. 

(to be continued...)

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

There is a new book, called The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba, together with Bryan Mealer. I haven't seen this book in local bookstores yet. 

William is a young man from the impoverished country of Malawi in Africa. He is a person who loves learning and has big dreams for his future. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for not being able to pay the USD 80 annual school fees (Can you imagine yourself being forced to leave school over less than RM 300?).

Even though he was kicked out of school, he never stopped learning, thinking and dreaming. Armed with knowledge from a library book and his own ingenuity, he built, using scrap materials and blue-gum trees, a working windmill that generated electricity for his home. In Malawi, only 2% of the population can afford electricity (something we waste all the time).

Soon, his invention attracted attention from around the world, and he received support to return to school. he was also invited to visit wind farms in the USA. He hopes to build windmills to generate electricity throughout Africa.

This book has received praise from people like Al Gore and Carter Roberts, President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

It seems like this will be an interesting and inspiring book. Hope it makes our shores soon. It is always amazing to see how people who have so little can achieve so much.

You can find out more about this book at http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/williamkamkwamba/

 

That's William and the windmill he built

Freedom Film Fest 2009 and Kelesau Naan

I got back from attending the final day (today) of the KL screening of the Freeedom Film Fest 2009 (http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org/)  at the Central Market Annexe (http://www.annexegallery.com/). One of the films screened was "Delayed Justice" by Hillary Chiew. This film is about the challenges faced by the indigenous communities in land grab cases in the name of "economic development".

The films starts with Uding Lidem wistfully telling of the fateful day, 23 October 2007, when her husband, Kelesau Naan, went missing.

Kelesau was the head of the kampung Long Kerong Penan tribe situated near Sungai Segita in the interiors of Sarawak. The nearest city is 250 km away.

For several years, Kelesau had headed a resistance against the actions of loggers from the company Samling to carry out logging activities at what Kelesau regarded as their native customary land. His ancestors had inhabited the area for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The loggers were wilfully raping the land of its prized timber.

Kelesau sued the loggers and organized blockades against the loggers. No doubt he was a pain in their side.

On that day in October 2007, he went out on his usual hunting activities...and never returned. His tribesmen found his remains some weeks later, and they say there is evidence that he had been assaulted. Nick Kelesau (Kelesau's son) asked for an inquest into his father's death, and so far, the Malaysian police has refused.

And the loggers march on...

Here are some links to the story of Kelesau Naan:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3129244.ece

http://www.bmf.ch/files/tongtana/tt_0501_e.pdf

http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11374493258660&artID=12226951664201

http://www.bmf.ch/en/news/?show=86

Have you seen these news in Malaysian newspapers?

Leaving Microsoft To Change the World

I just finished this great book titled Leaving Microsoft to Change The World by John Wood. John was the Microsoft Business Development Director for the Greater China Region. In 1998, he went on a long overdue trekking trip in Nepal. There he met Pasupathi, a district school administrator in Nepal.

Pasupathi took him to one of the schools under his jurisdiction, and John was surprised by what he saw. One classroom, built for 30 pupils, was crammed with 70 people. The "library" was essentially was locked shed filled with not many books, most of them which were unsuitable for grade-school children. The pupils loved to learn, but the country was poor and did not have money to provide adequate resources for education.

John wondered what could he do to help. Then the headmaster said the words that would forever change his life:

"Perhaps, sir, you will someday come back with books."

When he went back, he started a book collection drive by mailing his friends. Soon, thousands of books arrived (beyond his wildest expectations) and he was able to make another trip to donate those books. From this one trip, more opportunities came to help improve the educational opportunities of children in Nepal.

After spending some time agonizing about his life direction and his place in the universe (as he puts it), John left Microsoft in 1999 and founded Room To Read. He went through a lot of difficult challenges, but each time he triumphed and helped improve the lives of thousands of children. Today, Room To Read has helped make a positive impact on more than 3 million people's lives in 9 countries. As of 2008, they have built  765 schools and over 7,000 libraries. They have donated and published close to 6 million copies of books. When the 2004 Asian tsunami hit tand destroyed hundreds of school, John used the opportunity provided by this catastrophe to set up Room To Read in Sri Lanka.

He and his team are making efforts that are truly changing the world. It is only through education can we break the shackles of poverty, intolerance and mistrust that is preventing us from creating a true Century of Humanity. Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda wrote, "It is my belief that education, in the broadest sense of the word, holds the key to meeting the challenges of global responsibility and fostering tolerance...To do this, education must be a personal, even spiritual encounter and interaction between human beings, between teacher and learner."

John Wood is my hero. What he is doing is truly demonstrating what one person can do to change the world.

Learn more about Room To Read at http://www.roomtoread.org/ .