Political Update

On 30th March 2017, it was one year since Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy took power in Myanmar after more than half a century of military dictatorship. People had huge expectations about what could be achieved in a very short time. They now feel let down and disillusioned. On our recent trip to Moulmein (modern name Mawlamyine) an educated man in his seventies told us: “we admire ‘the lady’, but now we cannot follow her”. He believed democracy would come to the country but more slowly than people had hoped. He feared that there might be another military coup. Over the last year the peace process and the hopes for a federal system for the ethnic nationalities who make up more than 40% of the population have made painfully slow progress. As the “2nd Panglong" conference began in October, so did the Army’s intensification of the brutal six years war in Kachin state. The original Panglong treaty signed just after independence guaranteed the ethnic minorities a right to secede from the union after several years if they were not satisfied. This was never implemented. A Chin writer, Za Uk, recently compared the relationship between minorities and the dominating military to an unhappy marriage in which one partner is abused and exploited but cannot escape. Since October last year, 70,000 Rohinghas have fled to Bangledesh from Arakan State, following a crackdown by the Army whose brutality has provoked international outrage. The UN decided several weeks ago to launch a fact-finding mission. The Army is attempting to block it. Currently the Army, or Tatmadaw, has control over the ministries of defence, home, and border affairs as well as the post of vice president and a quarter of all seats in parliament. On 29th January, NLD lawyer U Ko Ni, a

prominent member of the government and a Muslim, was shot at the airport in Yangon. It is unclear who was responsible for the murder. The “lady” did not attend his funeral, although he was a close colleague. It may be that she is fearful of the military, which may have been responsible for his death. This suggests that her hands are so tied by the army’s powerful position that she cannot deliver the hopes and dreams of those who elected her. Meanwhile in Thailand King Bhumibol after 70 years as King died in October. He was succeeded by his son King Rama IX , a very different kind of king with a playboy reputation. Recently it was announced in the Bangkok Post that Thailand would ask the refugees on the border to go home. The article rather ominously added: "We will also teach the refugees about King Rama IX's sufficiency economy.” Thailand does not supply rations for the refugees, only security, but it does influence what they are allowed to receive. The refugees are already finding life in the camps harder on lower rations. Suicides have increased. Opportunities and security back home have not improved.

we stopped for tea and biscuits. When we first visited a couple of years ago he was listless and said he just wanted to die but that seeing the English again has given him a new lease of life and now he is very happy. “The most important thing is to live happily. If you live happily, you will live longer”, he says.

We travelled along the Loikaw to Toungoo Road to Lwee Paw who is totally blind and whose husband died in 1986. She lives in the rear of her son’s home in a room which is probably a converted animal shed. She was, unsurprisingly, very keen to feel my face and arms to get an impression of me. The hairs on English peoples arms distinguishes them from local people! She was very, very happy to ’see’ us and remarked “Oh, this one is younger - a man”, which, of course endeared me to her! She has a lovely personality and remains cheerful despite spending much of her day alone.

Loikaw ReportBy Duncan Gilmour

The purpose of this trip was to deliver a small laptop and camera to Tharamu Noella and Naw Gay Phoe who run the Kayah State operation very efficiently and cost. I also took solar powered lights to veterans without electricity in rural areas.As this trip was combined with a visit to Pyin Oo Lwin for RCEL, I commenced the visit by arriving at HeHo airport in Shan State at the head of Inle Lake. Due to heavy rains in the previous days the main western road to Loikaw was closed by landslides and so Tharamu Noella and Naw Gay Phoe were some time in meeting me having been forced to return to Loikaw and take the eastern road up the lake, and we were to return the same way. However, this did afford us the opportunity to meet Saw Vinton King who lives in Taunggyi and is not often visited.

In Loikaw we first visited Yee Peh who joined the Burma Rifles in 1946 and at 83 years old is the youngest on the Loikaw list. He is sprightly and full of cheer. He is still mobile and helps his wife, Daw Taung Hla, 65, at their roadside shophouse. He was very pleased to see us and insisted

Saw U Bee La is full of fun and character. He likes to say that during the war only the ugly ones survived. He sang us a song from his army days. Small and frail he still holds a military bearing and likes to call marching orders: “Left, Right, Left; About Turn!” He lives with his daughter and goes to church regularly. He says that because God kept him safe against the Japanese and he was never shot, he is now with God and puts his trust in him. He has such a positive outlook, it is always a pleasure to see him.

Yangon ReportBy Peter Mitchell

The emphasis on my visit to Myanmar, as an H4FA trustee, was to meet some of the old veterans and their widows in the Yangon Region who had not been met in recent years or had very special needs. I also took with me over 100 packets of medicines towards helping those in most need as well as numerous reusable spectacles and some Waka Waka solar lights. The medicines were generously given by our local public spirited chemist, Nigel Williams.

When I met up with our hugely committed volunteer Naw Jercy to go and see the veterans, she told me that, at 48 hours’ notice she had been asked by the British Ambassador, Andrew Patrick, to arrange for a number of the old soldiers to attend a special reception at the British Embassy.

This was to meet the British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson who was visiting the country. The Ambassador asked if they could be in Karen traditional dress. Apparently the Ambassador had been very impressed when he had met the old Karen veterans at the VJ Day Ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Yangon on the 15th August 2015; that day H4FA had especially arranged for them to take an active part. This had been well received by all those attending. Naw Jercy

Director of Grammar-productions www.grammar-productions.com to interview Saw Berny, as a record of his experiences in greatly helping the British in the War. Alex is working hard to gain support for a documentary film on the work of H4FA.Of particular note was the special visit I

was asked to make to see Saw Paw, with his wife, who was very near the end of his life. I was able to speak with him and he acknowledged me. This meeting with them both, and their son, was deeply moving and starkly brought home how much these old soldiers and their families have done for Great Britain at our darkest time in the war.We were able to give the family some additional money to help meet their immediate needs.

23.1.17 In Hpa An, capital of Karen State, Sally and I were able to meet one of our distributors, Naw Rosemary and her

did extremely well to organise everything and bring together the old soldiers at such very short notice, particularly when they live across widespread areas.

My time with her was therefore much taken up by us both ensuring that the veterans with their family/carers, could at short notice, attend the Reception and that all the costs involved would be fully met by the Embassy. Nevertheless, we visited 12 old soldiers and widows over a day and a half who had not received a visit from H4FA before.The first day we were joined by Alex Bescoby,

mother Daw Khin Nyung, the widow of an ex-serviceman called Saw Shining. (They are pictured here together.) She recounted that a British officer, Captain Lockey had come down in a parachute into her garden the day before the Japanese surrendered.Then we visited widow Daw Ma Gyi - Ethic nationality Chin. Aged 89, she had lived in Hpa An for many years and now suffered from serious dementia. Her son was present and informed us that his father Saw Han Lon (pictured) had been in the 1st Chin

Rifles. He was trained in Calcutta in 1938 and was in the Chindits. We asked him where his father had fought? Apparently he had retreated with the British to India and then come back with them and fought in Arakan State.

My wife Esme and I also visited Saw Maung Tin awarded the Burma Gallantry Medal in Moulmein who Alex Bescoby plans to film and interview this year.

Thailand ReportBy Sally Mclean

Visit to Mae La refugee camp 13th January (pop.37,518 - 99,170 total refugee pop. Border Consortium Dec.16 figure)

On visits to Mae La refugee camp in the past the ex servicemen and widows have gathered to receive their grant money and small gifts from H4FA. Three years had passed since the last visit and this time they were too old to walk to Care Villa from their homes. Since that time also quite a few had been resettled and moved with their families to Australia, the US or Canada, or they had passed away or moved back to Karen State. Our list in these five refugee camps with the Karen Refugee Committee has reduced considerably as a consequence.

So I went to the home or hut of one old soldier Pastor Lin Aye, who is bedridden with a catheter but still very cheerful and delighted to see me again. He has eight children and more grandchildren than he can count; the two grandsons who were present seemed to be taking excellent care of him. Obviously the 2nd WW memories were still vivid for him at 96; he described running from the Japanese, and how they would slit your throat if you were caught. He had fought in Maymyo, Meiktila and Toungoo, and his commanding officer had been called Galbraith. He had lived in the camp for many years, and would probably never know freedom again. I left him his annual welfare grant of £150 and gifts of warm clothes and food.

The quilts and jackets for the old soldiers and widows as well as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, noodles, biscuits, milk, coffee, and nutritious drinks which were for them and for the children at

particularly gifted children; one had got top marks in the whole camp. This girl would like to go on to a school outside the camp that costs around £190 a year to fund. Their families cannot afford it. We hope to arrange donors for these children.

H4FA shares Gloria’s opinion that the school is running well - she is grateful to our donors and we are pleased by the dedication of the teachers and the hard work and obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment of the children.

It was time to watch the children who had practiced hard for my visit - I was given a lovely display of dancing and singing; and presented prizes. I took a class of eight year olds, teaching them English and enjoyed myself and hope they did! H4FA sent Emmanuel School £7,110 in 2016

Mae Hong Son - Karenni site 2 camp 17.1.17 Together with our distributor, Saw Myew Htoo I made the long journey, to this remote camp of 2,518 refugees (Dec.16 figure). I was told by the Camp leader that only around 700 were actual refugees who had fled the civil war and are therefore registered with the UNHCR. The others had fled poverty and deprivation in their home country perhaps hoping for camp rations, safety, and the hope of resettlement in Thailand or a third country. Currently only five households were opting to return home. Before leaving Mae Hong Son we bought warm clothing for the two widows and one veteran in the camp, fruit, and other groceries for them, and for the students, staff and orphans at the Bible College. Shopping £137

Emmanuel School and landmine victims at Care Villa cost £191

Next I visited Care Villa where eleven landmine victims live. None of them can see, some can’t walk, and several have no hands. We talked a little about the political changes back home in Karen State, and they sang very movingly and heartily for me. It is a hard life for them, but they don’t complain and are very loyal to the Karen cause for which they were so badly wounded. Our annual gifts to them pay for extra food as camp rations are very sparse and for small extras such as teaching, and two care assistants. I left them gifts and was given the accounts and receipts from PSRB’s gift to them of £3,611 for 2015/16.

Emmanuel SchoolThe headmistress Gloria, Chair of committee and some of the children came to fetch me from Care Villa. The children carried the gifts I had brought including simple solar lights and I was given lunch at Gloria’s house.

Gloria explained that Emmanuel School comes under the Anglican Church in Myanmar which cannot provide them with any funding. The school is dependent on H4FA. They have been able to pay their teachers a little more than most of the other camp schools, which has given the children more continuity and security.She explained the school had two

Burma Army if fighting breaks out again and very close to the border.

Their college’s contact with other Churches has greatly increased; they are officially recognised and supported by the Baptist Church in Yangon and have good contact with a Bible College on the other side of the border. They plan to join forces with this college if the camp closes.

In day to day life as well as studying, and growing vegetables, the students care for the local community, teach the children, visit the sick and help to run services in the Churches. They keep pigs, and chickens and have a fishpond.

Under the care of the Bible College and living within the compound, there are 30 “orphans’ . These children, who are mostly teenagers now, are either genuine war orphans, or have been left behind when their extended family left for a third country, or conditions were so impoverished back home that the parents pleaded with the Bible College to take them. When I visited they asked me if we could provide money for socks, gloves, and sweaters, especially in the rainy season, which begins in May. They also have no umbrellas or wellingtons for the camp which when the heavy rains come, lacking any tarmac roads, is very muddy. I left £116 with Rev. Yah Doe’s wife who is in charge of Orphanage. In 2016

Bible College

Arriving at the Bible College was a joy, it had been completely rebuilt following the devastating fire of 2013, and the new college is a great success. There are now 47 students and 12 staff. The poverty and lack of opportunity inside the Karenni “hillside area” makes the college a real opportunity for young would be pastors. The education they received there is poor; they begin by catching up on several fronts. Studies are on theology, ethnic teaching, music, including keyboard, guitar and choir, and on history. Languages are Burmese, Thai, Karen and English. The college library is far better stocked than previously, and better used; we were asked for more books. They currently have no computers or printers, but take books to town to photocopy. They ask particularly for encyclopaedias and Bible Commentaries.

Recently the principal - Saw Yah Doh was given the right to resettlement in Australia; he passed the medical tests, but decided at the last moment against going because he could see how distressed the students, children and his fellow teachers were. This is a sacrifice not to be underestimated. The camp is literally in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by jungle, it has no electricity, no internet connection, no facilities of any kind and the nearest town is four hours away. It is vulnerable to attacks by the

then the British attacked. The villagers had to live in the jungle for four months, and when they went home there were lots of dead bodies and destroyed houses. She had seven brothers and they all fought with the British but they have now all died. She received her welfare grant of £150 and gifts

Naw Koo Reh is 77 and seems very fit and active. She was married to General Aung Than who fought in WW2 with Colonel Peacock and subsequently with the Karenni ethnic army. I visited him about 8 years ago when he had become very weak. At that time he asked Naw Koo Reh to get out a shield given to him by the British as an acknowledgement of how his people fought with the Allies. She received her welfare grant of £150 and gifts. During 2016 H4FA has spent £950 on welfare grants and distribution costs in this area.

Burma ReportBy Sally Mclean

Yangon

I arrived in time to attend a reception at the British Ambassador’s Residence given for Boris Johnson’s visit 21.1.17. About 10 Karen ex servicemen, all of whom receive annual welfare grants from H4FA wearing their traditional costumes were present and Boris Johnson spent some time speaking

H4FA provided £4,944

Visits to Saw Har Shaw and Daisy and Naw Ke RehThere is now only one ex serviceman, Saw Ha Shaw, aged 96, in the camp and two widows. All of them were very pleased to be visited and the widows had a great deal to say. Saw Ha Shaw is very deaf we couldn’t talk very much, but communicated a little through writing things down.

He apologised that he now couldn’t walk to the Bible College to see me as he had last time. I asked him if he could remember Colonel Peacock, a well known Special Forces officer who fought in that area, and grandfather to Duncan Gilmour, trustee of H4FA. He replied that yes he did, and then asked if Colonel Peacock was still alive. He remembered the aeroplanes that came to drop arms and food to the soldiers with Colonel Peacock when he was there. Paid him £150 and left gifts.

Naw Daisy; can’t see well, or walk far. She has a painful back. I was glad that she was not affected by the terrible fire that spread through the camp in 2013. Her husband died in 1994, after the Burma Army captured him. She dreams of when they were together. I ask if she remembers the Japanese soldiers. Yes, she remembers the Japanese coming to her village and how

and water and a means of communication; he went alone. It was his own initiative; he was Force 136, he explained. Were the Japanese sleeping when you crept in, I asked. Yes, the walkie talkie or wireless was under a sleeping Japanese soldier’s leg. Who was your commanding officer I ask. He points to the sky. In other words God gave him the order. Then he recounted how he contacted the British in India on the walkie talkie or wireless and explained that he had had training in how to use it in India. Then the Allied forces arrived and they were saved. Denis Gray, journalist asked him. “Who gave you the medal?” “A message came.” “How did you feel, when you got the medal?” “ V. happy. I felt I had obeyed and had got the medal.” “You kept the medal many years. Why did you then decide to sell it?” “I had no money and I was not well. I needed the money for medicines. I also used the money to make donations to the Church.”

Trip to Chin State 27.1.17 - 3.2.17Help 4 Forgotten Allies has been asked to take responsibility for making sure the ex servicemen and widows in Chin State receive their welfare grants. This is the initial year and our first trip to the area. Chin State is generally recognised as being the poorest part of Myanmar/Burma. It is mountainous and the roads are in a very poor state especially since August 2015 when the area experienced extreme weather conditions. Widespread flooding and landslides resulted in great loss of life and in roads and villages being swept away. The capital Hakha which is high in the mountains was very badly affected as was the road that leads there. It took us ten hours to reach Hakha and sadly the ex servicemen and widows that I visited had not received welfare grant money for many years. We have asked for the help and co operation of the Chin Human Rights Organisation which

to them. He said to me that their political history was one that “made you weep”. He particularly enjoyed talking to Saw Winston Pan, whose English is excellent. Winston is standing to his right in blue in the photo above. The ex- servicemen sang the Karen national anthem, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand” (the hymn that Major Seagrim and his men sang as a last request before shot by the Japanese) and finally they sang “God save the King!” This last brought the house down. Naw Jercy, our distributor in Yangon did a marvellous job at very short notice helped by Peter Mitchell.

Moulmein (renamed Mawlamyine) 24.1.17A visit to Saw Maung Tin who was awarded the Burma Gallantry Medal. He had been forced through poverty to sell his medal three years before. Such a medal is worth £4,500.

Saw Maung Tin told us that he had been in Lucknow and Punjab and had done submarine and parachute training. I asked him how he got his medal. He told us that the event happened between Loikaw and Bawlaike in Karenni State. The Japanese were withdrawing in that region. Every night he was fighting all night long. Allied forces were flying overhead all day and night. Where he was, there were only 4 or 5 British soldiers left. They had no food or water, and no means of communication. He went into a Japanese camp hoping to get food

of that age, at that time, would have joined as levies, unless they had already enlisted as part of the British Army. If this were the case they would have retreated with the army to India when the Japanese had invaded, then they would have undergone further training in India and marched back in to retake the country from the Japanese. Chin state is on the Western side of Burma near the Indian border.

29.1.17 That Nuai aged 91 Chin Levy.His service number was forgotten. In 1996

his first wife had died, they had had five children. In 2005 he married again; his wife is now 26, and they have two children of 8 and 5! He said I’m so grateful to you. (This was for the presents of food, vitamins, and paracetamols, that we had brought) I don’t know what to say, I have never met you

visits many of the remote villages in the area and has a permanent office in Hakha and we are glad that they have agreed to work with us. We hope that for what little time remains to these very elderly people we can make sure that they do receive their welfare grants and some comfort and recognition for their service.

27.1.17 Sui Sui a volunteer with CHRO and I flew to Kalaymyo a town near the border of Chin State which has no airport of its own.

28.1.17 We set off and drove 12 miles which took two hours out of from Kalay, on a road lined with beautiful old trees said to have been planted by the British, that leads towards Mandalay.

We went to the house of Sui Mug, thought to be over 100, “Do you remember the British?” I asked him, “I was a Levy.” he replied. “In the village, a white man came and asked me to help, and fight the Japanese and gave me a gun, and then I did. The white man was with a lot of soldiers.” His memory did not seem clear.

However his story is typical in Chin State of British soldiers marching to a remote Chin village and asking young men there to enlist. They apparently were keen to do so and were then called “levies”. We were told that most young Chin men who were

In the evening of 31st …. a widow and an ex serviceman were brought to my hostel room. The ex serviceman Sa Mang 92 arrived on the back of a motorbike!

I asked him what year he joined up. 1945 he tells me, his officers were Captain Paul and a Lieut. Col. but he couldn’t remember the name. He was in the 1st Chin Rifles. Where did you fight I ask. Maymyo he replies. We were about to go to India, but were asked to come back, he says. Have you ever had the grant money before? Never, he replies. He tells me has been in hospital for 6 months. I ask if he knows other old soldiers. They have all died, he says. He never heard that they got grant money either.

1.2.17 return journey to KalayOn the way we visited a village where we met: Chan Lap 96. Do you remember the British I asked him. Yes, Captain Moore asked me to join, he says. He did not go to India. He followed the British into the battles in his area. Did they give you a gun I ask. Yes, but not a uniform, I was a Chin Levy, he replied. I stayed in the village and whenever the Japanese came I fought them. I can’t remember the year, but in the Japanese period. Did you ever receive a grant before I ask. No I never got a grant I only heard

before. Why did God send you? I said “ to thank you. You helped us to win the war.” He had served with Major Manning who gave him a gun and a uniform. He said that Major Manning was the one he followed, and who had asked him to be a Levy and he followed him everywhere. To Hakka and to the battle at Kankaw.

30.1.17 Trip to HakhaWe drove to Hakha; there were hold ups along the way as the road was still being cleared following the landslides of August 2015.

31.1.17 We were picked up from our hostel in Hakha next morning after a cold night, by the Chairman of Health Concern Volunteers Group, and taken round to visit several old soldiers homes in new Hakha, so called because it was built to replace buildings destroyed by landslides in 2015. We also visited:

W/O Sui Tiak of Thang Sawi who killed 10 Japanese soldiers who were down by the river and he got a medal for it. His wife thinks he was a 1st Chin Decoy. She produced a diary and in it was written “ 10th April 1944 Japanese arrived in the village. Village leader killed. They left the village and marched on to Lung Rai. Gun model DDBC. SN 138489 Gun was awarded by the British. Nov. 1944 Killed two Japanese. “

ex servicemen’s memories have gone. He is glad to talk about the war days, because as he said all his friends from those days have passed away.

about it through your organisation. 2.2.17 Kalay

Liau Chang 90 had been a widower for some years. He had not been in a battalion, but he remembers Major Manning. They met at a Chin State village called Tlang Pi when he was 15. Major Manning arrived from India at his village in 1944 and appointed 10 new levies there who volunteered. He went near to the battle, but he was not in the fighting. Whenever he saw the Japanese he had to run to Major Manning and he was better paid than the Levies, although he was warned if he was captured he could be killed or tortured. He did this for four months when Major Manning had marched towards Falam. Did Major Manning give you extra when you saw the Japanese? No, he gave me 30 rupees a month. You never killed a Japanese? No, I was intelligence. He and his group didn’t get a uniform so as to be invisible to the Japanese and the British army told them not to wear even shoes. When we got near the Japanese we had to spread out. It was very difficult he said, to sleep in the forest without a blanket or mosquito net, but he misses those days. The British taught them English he tells us. After the British left, then the Japanese came through their village forced them to carry things. They didn’t pay them but they did feed them. His memory was good. Many of the other