I Hate Fish

If go little future from ”Baw Se Kho”, there is a camp called ”Vikkaw”. There is a stream at the bottom of the camp. We simply called “Vikkaw Stream”. The water in that stream was not too deep and it was about the middle of thigh. There are many big stones under water. There is no deep place in water to be able to swim. The water was cold and clear.

During the open season, the soldiers had to construct new roads with bulldozers to go cars, trucks and donkeys to ration for the front line camps. When they construct roads, there had a guard team for bulldozers and also had a guard team for bulldozer path.

Our battlion had been to take road security from Baw Se Kho to Vikkaw camp for about 2 weeks.

In the morning, we had to check the road and take reponsibility. If there is traffic, we had to divide in groups and provide road safety. If there is no special case after the traffic, we took a break as usual.

Being front line, food is hard. So we had to do it with our own plan. We bought food if we can and where we cannot buy food, we had to search ourselves for it. As we were nearby Vikkaw stream, we had to do fishing and searching frog and bamboo shoot for food. I also liked to search for food like that. I enjoy going around with restless legs instead of sitting down.

One day, me and my Sir went to fish with net. We went along the stream and find a good place to set fishing net. On the evening, we went back to place where we settled net.

The rest ones at the camp joked us ”Sir, bring the big fish, we were waiting with mashed chilies (making chilies to be ready to cook.)”

We went along the stream with the voracity desire of fish. The water was middle of thigh and there was also big stones so that we took time too long to go. And we were also very tired as we slipped and get back again and again.

While we were going and before we reached the place of net, we saw the shadows of people. And then we saw two people, one was on the shore and the other was near the shore. When looked at them carefully, the one on the shore had a gun. At that time, the one above the shore saw us and he waved his hand to us. We thought that they were calling us to give the fishes they caught and we ran to them happily. But we were wrong.

When the one with gun saw we were coming, he started to shoot us.

We said each other ”The one called us and the other shot us.” and we said’ ‘Run….!” and we ran as much as we can.

We ran in fear. We can’t also dive as the water was shallow. As the stones under water were big, we had to avoid them. But both of us are tall and so our knees were bruised with stones. We felt tired and puffed from running in fear of bullets from gun and hurting of knees and elbows from hitting with stones. It was lucky we two got back to our camp.

When we got back, the others asked us what happened to us with the blood on our knees and elbows and we said that nothing happened. When we said them what happened to us, they laughed us. They laughed very loudly. When the paramedic puts medicine on the bruises, he said ”instead of fishing, you two come back bathing.” and all we can do is just smiling and can’t say nothing to him.

Since that time, I hated fish and don’t even eat.

Here, I want to say is….

If a guy is waving you, it doesn’t mean he is calling you. Sometime, it may be making you to get their trap.

That is one of the military tactics. We cannot ignore and assume as fixed anything about them. We cannot lose consciousness .If lose consciousness, get trouble for a food like us. It is the same in Politics.

There are a lot of things we cannot decide only with our view. We have to use not only physical strength but also mental strength. We have plan everything by thinking every possible situation.

I hope every revolutionaries from different fields will understand what I want to say. Thank you very much.

Htet Myat

Translated English by K.Z.H