A Thank You Note to the May 18 Memorial Foundation from Min Ko Naing

Min Ko Naing (autonym Paw Oo Tun), the Laureate of the 2009 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights sent his thank you message to the May 18 Memorial Foundation for its support for Myanmar’s democracy movement. He organized the All Burma Federation of Student Unions and detonated the 8888 Uprising and has been leading Myanmar’s democratization against its military dictatorship and became the target of the persecution by the military, receiving 65 year sentence in prison but, nonetheless, has been respected among the Myanmarese as their spiritual leader.

In the letter he said that the present atrocities of indiscriminate killings and blood shedding by the military is not new at all. It is the continuation of bloody suppressions of 1962, 1969, 1974, 1975, and 1988.

He said that the Myanmarese gained courage and lessons from the May 18 Democratic Uprising to continue carrying their fights, thanking the support and solidarity of the May 18 Memorial Foundation and world citizens who have supported Myanmar’s democratization movement and wanting the message to be shared with the world.

Quoting, “When tough times come, you know who your true friends are” he said that the Myanmarese are ready to put their lives on the line for the ongoing revolution’s success and again thanked to the Foundation and world citizens who have been on the side of the Myanmarese during these tough times.

His letter will be released in Myanmarese and Korean at the “The Nation-wide Memorial Ceremony for the Martyrs of the Myanmar Spring Revolution” at the Democracy Plaza on March 27, 2021.

<His letter in English>

To May 18 Memorial Foundation
Dear friends and colleagues,

I received the letter you sent with encouragement and compassion. I reckon that you all have heard and seen the spring revolution by the citizens of Myanmar. You all have seen that soldiers and police brutally terrorised civilians and dismantled the peaceful protesters with no weapon. The civilians only used non-violent ways. Starting from early February up to March 23th, there are 250 fallen heroes so far. But there are still some who have not been reported as fallen. And about 2500 to 3000 civilians are unlawfully arrested up to this moment.

Those cases are not a new phenomenon in Myanmar.  If we count from the coup from the 1962 civilians have sacrificed so much, their lives broken, crushed, and imprisoned during the uprisings. During the years 1961,1969, 1974 to 1975 to 1988, there were records of bloodshed.

We didnt notice immediately when your country went through the May 18 revolution.  Due to less-developed communication and media as well as a very rigid media censorship system, we didn’t get to know about the revolution in your country. We got to know about the revolution through the Time News Week magazines requested by some of the embassies by chance and we were very shocked. First of all, we were very amazed and astonished by the news and we were inspired by the citizens of Korea and students’ unwavering courage and warrior mentality. We applauded the citizens of South Korea and we shared the story to achieve our goal.

The movements of our Korean friends in the May18th revolution including the battle for liberation by the oppressed citizens around the world became the examples and lessons for our 1988 uprising movements in Burma/Myanmar.  

After we were released from prison in 2012, I came across the May 18th Memorial Celebration in Korea while I was travelling internationally, I felt as if I were in the May 18 Uprising by looking at the Korean friends who were singing the revolution song and raising the flags. I was able to sympathize mutually with Korean friends and with the feelings they went through during the revolution.  

In the meantime, Myanmar’s Spring revolution should come to the point where there is no more bloodshed of our precious innocent civilians. The fact that our Korean friends wholeheartedly agree to this matter is expressed through the letters you sent to us.

As the saying goes that “A friend who lends a hand in times of need is a loyal friend”, and your letters become encouragement to renew our strength. 

We, the citizens, are working diligently and we tighten our fists and move forward with a self-reliant mind-set.

Let me tell you that   we really appreciate the claps of encouragement from around the world including all of you. Your acts of sympathy, standing together online and in front of the respective embassies, public squares and other places in order to support Myanmar’s spring and helping in the termination of military dictatorship in various ways are appreciated. 

Once again, Myanmar’s spring is the global crisis issue. We, the civilians, give birth to the new era.
We will protect what we give birth to with our own lives.

We are thankful for the encouragement around the world and we will reach our winning destination by appreciating the encouragement. 

This letter can be sent to our friends around the world. 

With loyalty 

Min Ko Naing