“Normal Housewife Life and Soldier’s wife Life”

It is true that if you marry a soldier, you will move and stay in the military. Before I got married, I was right with my decisions and thoughts. I did not have  worries about for living and  I thought that I can do farming for eating. I also thought that there is no way to pay for water & electricity bills and social costs.

 I thought that I could save money from my husband’s salary about 2 lakh-kyats. I only knew that my thoughts were wrong after we got married. We could not live in our own life. I have to clean, cook and wash clothes at the commander’s house like their maid .Even the maid have to get paid. But in the military, we have to work and also afraid of them.

Sometimes we have to attend courses. When the lectures are long, we cannot do anything on that day. If I did not do as the commander and his wife’s orders, my husband cannot come back from the front line of battlefield. I could not save money because they cut my husband’s salary for insurance, welfare fund and U Paing fund, etc. Finally I did not have extra money for donation and shopping. I didn’t even have new clothes to go out. It is fortunate since we have no children yet.

Normal house wives have many chances than soliders’ wives .They can do their own house works as a housewife or enjoy with their hobbies or make money with business.They can do whatever they want. Let it be. I understand that our lives are different from the outside world. But I can tolerate all of this in the past .I was proud of being a soldier’s wife as the soliders sacrifice their lives for the country. But now, I only see the angry civilians to the military and soliders.

There is no civilians who love the soliders like the time before coup.I don’t dare to say anything and cannot use social media freely because our facebook accounts are under the control of military.I feel pity for my husband from the front line of battlefield. So I want to talk with him to understand all the situations and want to stand in the same side with civilians. I don’t want him to lose his life for the senior officers’ benefits.

I only want him to serve under the army with justice and no abuse of authority. It is true that the soliders have dedicated to the country, but I hope to have equal opportunities like the outside world.

Thank you so much.

Ma Thwe Thwe Aye (A housewife from the military.)

Translated to English by Nasir