Statement of Purpose

My native country is at present one of the poorest and most repressive in the world. Currently, the United Nations is trying to create a process of peaceful talks between the opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the military regime. But even if the current political conflict is peacefully settled, the people of Burma (Myanmar) will continue to suffer from poverty and its many consequences, such as ill health, human trafficking, starvation, high crime rates, lack of education and corruption.
Since I was a high school student, I have had a keen interest in assisting the people living in Burma, by developing programs to improve the Burmese economy. Therefore, after high school, I took advantage of an opportunity to complete a three-year Business Administration degree at Bradford Business School (in Thailand and UK campus) with full scholarship funding from OSI (The Open Society Institute), The Brackett Foundation, and Prospect Burma.

Later, I had a chance to actually practice working with migrant workers and refugees from Burma on Thai-Burma border. However, I found that most programs just temporarily helped the needy but not helped them begin to generate own incomes by themselves.
Then, I left Thailand for the United States. Currently, I am trying to get experience at a not-for-profit organization, such as the Ecological Society of America, Inc., where I am now working in its business department. I am learning to apply their management principles and eco-friendly practice to the situation in Burma and other emerging economies. I also got some general ideas about how to solve financial and other problems in the third world countries from two interesting books, Banking the Unbankable (Pano Institute) and Financial Sector Governance (the World Bank Group). I would like to gain direct experience in business development for humanitarian aid projects through financial sector – the area I was most interested in.
Earning an MBA (International Finance) from George Washington University’s School of Business will help me obtain the knowledge which is required to help me reach my goals: working with the developing programs of the international organizations such as Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund, those are helping develop and maintain the emerging economies. If I would have a specialized knowledge of that, I could help these organizations develop programs that support people in those countries to have better living conditions. I hope to work for the programs that would do more than temporarily help the needy, but that would actually elevate poor communities for long run.

Cherry and Padauk

Hello! Friends,

Last Sunday, I went to Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. When I saw many cherry blossoms, I missed Padauk flowers from Burma. Every year in April, Burma celebrates its new year when the Padauk flowers are blooming. The yellow flowers and green leaves are in everywhere when people play with water in the humidified weather. On every small street, people are having fun by watering each other; some are making traditional food and let the players eat free food. On the main crowded roads, dancers and singers are entertaining the season and its audience. In the monastery, for the religious purpose, some people practice meditation while some make donations to Buddha and his sons, monks. I had never missed the new year festival when I lived in Burma. I hope to get a chance to enjoy the festival in Burma at least once in the rest of my life.

When I was looking at the cherry trees and thinking of Japan and U.S history, I felt the peace of the world. Hiroshima and these cherry trees prove peoples’ ability to forgiveness and love for peace. Even if Japanese people and government can forgive American people and establish a good relationship with the U.S, I have a question why Burmese people cannot forgive and build peace with each other.

Sadly, we cannot see the products of Burma in the U.S stores today due to the U.S trade sanction against Burma military regime. However, one day when freedom and justice are well balanced in Burma, I hope to see not only made-in-Burma products in America but also Padauk trees with beautiful and fragrant flowers given to the American people who supported for the freedom of Burma

Response to the comment on "Dam is Damn"

Dear Reader,

Thanks for your comment on my previous article since you seem interested in my article. I did not generally mean to all dams in the world. Specifically, dedicated to the damn that Burmese junta who has no respect on human rights of the indigenous people living in Burma jungle where no government supply on electricity is available, planned to build a dam which will provide electricity to Thailand where 24 hour electricity is accessible.

Of course, let's check where the money from Thailand for selling our river, is going to. A large amount of unofficial money will mainly go to the another wedding for one of the U Than Shwe's family members and a few official money will go to the huge quota of military budget and the expenses of terribly corrupted government system which will report the money in the governement financial statement that never have transparency.

How about the indigenous people who are suffering from the new dam? They might be able to tell there is a dam in our native region. What else? As an american, dam represents electricity, power supply, income generation and employment to the local people. As a Karen, dam means fire, homeless, no fishing (means no food). Some of them might get some low income jobs before the dam has been built then what they gonna do?

Think about it.

Welcome to any feedback and different points of view. I respect human right that is freedom to express.

“ No Dam … Dam is Damn”

While we were demonstrating in front of Thai Embassy, I remembered a day I took a trip along Salween River. Under a bright sunshine, I was looking at beautiful scenery, touching and breathing fresh air that came through the river and taking pictures of flying birds above the river. Looking at both sides of the river, I noticed the different green colors of the forests in the two lands. On Thai side, as a replacement of the past complete deforestation, there were many young bright green trees artificially planted due to the plan of Thailand Queen’s soil and environmental protection program. On Burma side, the dark green trees, those were quite aging and naturally grown, made me having more affection to the nature and what Burma is.

Suddenly, one of my friends told me to stop taking pictures because our boat was approaching to the area where Burma dictator’s troops were stationing. We disguised as traders to hide the military group who were looking at us through the binoculars. I was encouraging myself that we were safe from their attack because we were traveling in the area of Thai territory. However, no one could certainly tell you that you would not be shot if they, the Burma brutal army, found out that you were from the opposition group. I saw a golden temple near their tents but not any fence. By using the temple as their firing ground, I felt bitterly that they were abusing Buddhism which never supports wars and violence.

Fortunately, we passed their area quietly without any problem. Half an hour later, a cluster of tents on the shore of Burma loomed. I thought there was one more troop of the regime’s army. Then, I saw a man in partial army uniform on the shore holding a gun in his one hand signalled us to stop our boat. We went within reach of him. He got on the boat and talked to the operator that he wanted to go to a place which was on the same direction we were heading. We did not talk to him as we kept ourselves pretending we were villagers or traders. Then, I found he had a peacock figure engraved pendant on his neck, and realized he was one of the ABSDF( All Burma Students' Democratic Front) soldiers.

Minutes after we dropped him, I saw a group of people with two or three boats crossing the river from Burma to Thailand. On their boads, there were several big plastic bages filled with unknown stuff inside. I supposed they were traders. Our boat paused on the shore of Burma for 15 minutes. Meantime, I took some pictures of Karen soldiers who did not respond me with smiles. I felt it was very unusual throughout I did not get warm response when I greeted the villagers in their language that I knew a few words.
Almost a half hour after we departed that place, my friend told me that the village we just visited was burnt down on ground by the regime's soldiers as a strategic plan for building a dam on the Salween river. As soon as I got to know these awful atrocities, I felt shocked and the beautiful scenery I enjoyed along the way disappeared suddenly. I did not have any idea about the recent skirmish and the soldiers' vicious attack until my friend told me. I did not realize when I was in their village because I did not understand what they were talking and nobody explained/translated to me.

I, after all, felt strangely that no one seemed very much frightened of the battle even if they knew it was coming. They are no longer crying not because they have no fear but because they have no tear left.

Then.. I again shouted “ No Dam … Dam is Damn”

Silence and Sorrow

One of the usual Monday mornings when Mae Toe Clinic supplied free nutrition supplements and vaccinations to the babies, I was volunteering at the CPPCR registration booth which was closed to the child centre of the clinic. Babies' cry and Mothers' talk were making noises to the surroundings. A suffocated atmosphere filled with medicine smell, odor of human sweat and dusty air gave me a headache.

Often, I was quite puzzling and hard to fill their babies' birth-registration forms based on the answers from the parents and guardians who plainly said ‘don’t know’, ‘approximately, and ‘anonymous’ on the biographical data of their families. During my work there, I was told many genuine heartbreaking stories from these people. It was a bit funny I had no idea how to take the foot-prints of just-born babies.Meanwhile, a young mother in her mid-thirty and four year old child checked in. She showed up without her birth record from the clinic. I asked her to get her preganancy record from the clinic. She came back later with the record in which I found that she was HIV Positive, and bottle-fed her child.

Then, I looked at them. The mother in her slender shape looked good, clean and healthy instead of being transmitted by deathly threatened HIV disease. Her innocent look showed she didn’t know what record written in English said about her health condition. Her lovely baby girl was enjoying sugary snacks and coughing as normal. Again, I looked through the medical record to prove myself that she is positive. While filling her registration form, I learnt that her child would be registered at a local school next year using the birth certificate that we would provide.I told her it was a wonderful plan and good for the baby while I was taking the baby’s foot-print. Upon touching very soft feet of the baby, I was shock to see the baby was already contracted HIV infection. It was the first time I encountered and contacted HIV patients. With the knowledge that the clinic had very limited pills for HIV patients, I questioned myself whether she would send her girl to school or not if she knew her child was infected.

Eventually, the woman and her little girl thanked me with smiles and left. The women might be imagining of her child in a classroom and the child might be thinking of playing with other children on the school playgrounds. Staring at their backs, I remained silence and sorrow with a deep sigh.

We are the children...we are the world

“The Bush administration is expected to allow children aged 15 or younger with parental consent to be allowed to cross the borders at land and sea entry points with a certified copy of their birth certificates rather than passports.” AP Feb 22 2007

The above news reminds me of the children who have no birth certificates. Generally, a registered hospital or clinic provides birth certificate as soon as a child was born. However, I wonder how many illegal Burmese migrant women in Thailand have a chance to delivery their offsprings in those Thai hospitals and clinics. Usually, they come to an unregistered clinic known as Dr Cynthia's Mae Toe Clinic which welcomes every human being indiscriminately.

A piece of paper that the clinic provides to the patient is called a birth record which includes a signature of a nurse or mid-wife from the clinic with records such as birth time and date, weight of an infant and name of the mother. The data of those child births were kept on old and low quality papers of the clinic which often has to negotiate with Thai authorities to get a tiny space on the land of Thai people.

On the crowded market streets of Mae Sot, many children in dirty outfits are meandering. Those country-less children were born in Thailand. They are not only neglected by their illegal migrant parents from Burma but also both of the Burmese and Thai governments. No one except child traffickers cares their existence. Often, those children are gazing around the snack bars. Sometimes, they are staring at other children who are in Thai school uniforms and waiting for their school bus coming.

Those pictures generated an idea to a group of people who founded the Committee for Protection and Promotion of Child Right (Burma) called CPPCR. Currently, the committee is providing a birth certificate and child certificate with the approval of Dr. Cynthia Maung who is a head of the Mae Tao Clinic and chair of the committee.

Although the Mae Sot Burmese migrants these days receive the CPPCR approval birth-certificates and can send their children to schools in Mae Sot, the CPPCR is still facing many barriers and ways to overcome their issued birth-certificates to be recognized as legal and be fully used locally and internationally. In this situation, the CPPCR certificates are, meantime, helping to protect chidren from those unscrupulous child traffickers and child sex exploiters in the border town.

One day, I believe that our innocent children will have a chance to become a full citizen of a peaceful country and be able to travel as far as they can using their birth certificates.

Youth of Burma

On a day in the first week of May 2007, I got a chance to participate in a youth symposium of the American University. Thanks to Myatnoe, who encouraged me to join the symposium. I presented the education of youth from Burma and their potential for Burma's democratic movement by dividing into three classes.

The first one belongs to the families and relatives of the top generals and their cronies. Their children get excellent education at private international schools in Burma and were sent to study in overseas. They simply take over the businesses protected by and interests of their parents. To them, education is a privilege but not a right. Their schools are equipped with modern facilities and supports. This group is not interested in rights and freedom of people.

The second group is so-called a middle class or working class. Children from this group attend public schools those are severely unfunded, shortage of teachers and insufficient facilities. I defined myself as a member of the second group in Burma. We did not have a choice but tried to get whatever education available. We were under strict control and no rights and freedom in our learning. Often, the regime shut down schools for political reasons and suppression. That’s why affordable families find ways to send their children to neighboring countries for further education. As a result, there are lots of young people from Burma studying in Thialand, Singapore and other Asian countries. Those young people know why Burma is poor and how to change it but they are hesitant to take a risk to fight this cruel regime that oppresses ruthlessly to its opponents. Eventually, they do not return to Burma and find jobs in overseas after graduation. If we can find some ways to motivate or lead them to join our democratic movement, they will be very useful.

The last class is poor and underprivileged who cannot afford even basic education. They are the majority. Because of political instability and mismanagement of the regime, economy in Burma is deteriorating with high rate of inflation, unemployment and corruption. In this class, poverty is the greatest barrier to accessing primary and secondary education in Burma. These days, young people drop out of schools and left home and look for jobs in neighboring countries. Today there are lots of young people working as illegal workers in Thailand, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. They cannot live long time outside of the country and often are deported to Burma because of their illegal status. Those people are willing to change the country. Of course, they are the most suffering from the crisis of Burma. If we can provide certain education to them, they will take the knowledge and skill back to Burma.

On the other hand, there are hundreds and thousands of young people living in the refugee camps along Thai Burma border. I met these young refugees when I studied in Bangkok. Very lucky few of us got scholarships and had a chance to study at the international college. However, many potential young people in refugee camps and on the border are losing their future. As scholarships are always limited, we need more educational programs that can effectively help the majority of the young people.
I also mentioned Dr. Thein Lwin, who is the Director of migrant learning center and teacher training programs. I informed the audience to visit his website at http://www.educationburma.net for more information. That's my two cents.