I was stationed in a base called Thit Tapin Kone just over Yun Slin River for a few months. Two columns and a company were on the hill. The listed strength only exist on paper. There were only 30 people at the base. All bases have a lot of deserters and those who didn’t come at all. The list is just a paper with no accurate data. Every day, we had to prepare base defences. Those before us didn’t build the fences well so we had to fix them. Every morning, there was a procedure to line up and inspection. Then duties were assigned. Most duties were for preparing base defences. We had to cut bamboo.
There were many mines so it was a dangerous task. I was kept on tenterhooks waiting for people who went bamboo cutting. Because the backlines were pretty far from that place, if we carried back the person who was hit by mine to the backline, it would take a long time and we would have to cut their leg. We didn’t have sufficient medical supply so, we needed to be extra careful.
We always have a food shortage. There was nothing to eat. We couldn’t even buy or ask for food as no villages were nearby. It was rice and bean every day. Bamboo shoots and banana stems were usual food. Fiddleheads and nuts were plenty. We don’t get a pension for dying from mushroom poison but we were always happy for finding mushrooms. There were cases of a whole base dying from mushroom poisoning.
But we still eat mushrooms because we were starving. We test for the poison of course. I was happy to see tiny chillies and pumpkin plants bearing fruits. I was wishing for them to grow more thinking, “One pumpkin won’t be enough.” Then the cook picked the only pumpkin and cook it. So the deputy battalion commander got mad and scold all of us. But he ate it anyway. Thinking back, it is funny. He cursed all of us just for eating a pumpkin. But we weren’t mad. What was important is we had something to eat. People will indeed eat anything if they are starving. They eat rats too. We charged our flashlights during the day using solar panels.
Then at night, we began our operation, hunting for rats. Put our flashlights on our heads, the spikes we usually use became harpoons for hunting and some bring slingshots. Then we went to the granary. Whatever rat crossed our way become a victim of our weapons. Then in the morning, we skin the rats like we were hunters and roast them dry with chillies. The deputy tasted and liked it so much that always asked, “Give me one too. You have more, right?” So we always left some extra just for him. Everyone at the base can’t fake it when it comes to food. One day, someone caught two parrots alive and it was the cook. He was happy saying, “Bogyi, we will be having a good meal. I will fry them.” I stopped him. “Don’t. Let’s keep them as pets. We could teach them to speak and at least we will have something to entertain ourselves.” He wasn’t too happy. I was having a bad feeling about it. And in the evening, at the table, I saw two fried birds on the plate. So I called him. “How could you? I told you to keep them alive,” I said. He replied, “No, no, Bogyi. Let me explain.
I tied their legs with a string just as you told me. I was bored so I bring them with me while I was cooking trying to teach them to speak and feeding them chillies. I put them on a shelf nearby but one of them dived into the boiling bean pot out of nowhere. As they both are tied together, both of them were already in the pot. I think it was looking for food. I didn’t have any time to stop it. Please trust me. There was no good saving them so I just fried them. One for you and one for Aba Lay.” Look at him say, “I couldn’t stop it.” The deputy commander laughed so much watching us he almost choked. I had no words.
I could only say, “Let it be,” as I looked at his simpering face. I lived with these kinds of subordinates.Our troubles include mosquitoes and aphids. When the daylight is gone, you should stay in the mosquito net. Because the mosquitoes would bite you every second. If you scratch your hands, it would bite your butt. And if you scratch your butt, it would bite your head. It seems like dancing looking from afar. And during that time, if you need to go to the toilet, it would be a true misery. The toilets we had were just tents. It was a nice place for mosquitoes to hide. So if we need to go to the toilet, we would take those “Tat Ma Taw Sar Sin” pamphlets. We tore those and burn them to keep the mosquitoes away. One night, our watchman shouted something. So, we got out of our tents quick and asked what happened. He said,” Bogyi, I think our toilet is burning. Smoke is coming out from there.” So, we looked over there and sure enough, we could see fire and smoke. I shouted and asked, “Hey, who’s in the toilet.” “It’s me, Win Than, Bogyi. I am having an upset stomach.” So I asked when he came out, “Are you burning the toilet or what?” “No Bogyi. I was burning the paper as usual. But my stomach hurt and the mosquitoes bite me more than usual. So, I burned the whole book instead of the pieces.” Yep, there were instances like these and we lost our sleep. With the onset of the rainy season, we encounter several obstacles. To get the rations, we have to go on foot to Yoon-Sa-Lin from our camp – the way covered by mud puddles all along.
It is such a gruelling journey; some of us usually slip on the muddy road while walking along. The rain is also pouring down almost all the time. Not only do we have a hard time carrying the heavy loads but also the leeches along the way torment us. Every time we go and get the rations, we have to let those leeches suck our blood, which leaves our legs soaked in blood. As soon as we arrive back at our camp, we have to get rid of the blood-filled leeches from our legs. On one occasion, while I was removing the leeches on my skin, one of my followers said ” Bogyi, it’d be nice if we could eat those blood-sucking creatures”. I said, ” Ewww, disgusting. Just have them all to yourself and please don’t ask me to eat them.” Another one is those insects that jump down onto us from the trees. We always need to be careful passing under trees because those insects bite and it is such a pain.Another problem in the rainy season is the athlete’s foot. All of us suffered from athlete’s foot since all of our socks and boots are always wet. We want to cry during taking off our shoes or putting them on. It hurt so much. I and my subordinates sat face to face taking off shoes and crying in misery, “Ahh, It hurts. My God.”I laughed watching him shout and he did the same in return during my turn. Such troubles. These are the problems and hardships I had to endure during my stay at the Thit Tapin Kone base just over Yun Slin. These are just small ones when there was no battle. When the other side came shooting, we had to put our heads in the mud. We would have to cry when we were sending back our injured and were hit by mine again. We had to stay alert in the trenches during the night because we heard mines blowing up. I will write these later when I have time. This is long enough for my experience. I smiled a bit remembering old times. But this doesn’t mean I want to go back to the military. There is nothing to long for or no reason to stay. I hate this military which is a slave to the dictators. I feel sorry because our sacrifices were for the dictatorship. I hope my comrades and acquaintances would see the truth and join the people’s side. Those who want to protect their motherland and their people should reconsider their choices.
This institution isn’t a place for good-willed soldiers. Join the Civil Obedience Movement (CDM).
Thank You.
Htet Myat
Translated to English by Anonymous.
cdm newsman
Zun