Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Legendary 30-comrade member invited to return to Burma

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Tuesday, 11 September 2012 13:15 Phanida

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Former Brigadier General Kyaw Zaw, a leader of Communist Party of Burma (CPB), and his daughter, Hla Kyaw Zaw, have been invited to return to Burma from exile, said Aung Kyaw Zaw, a son of Kyaw Zaw.

Brigadier General Kyaw ZawPhoto: my.wikipedia.org

Kyaw Zaw, 93, a member of Burma’s legendary “Thirty Comrades” said that he wanted to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon. Minister Aung Min on Friday phoned Kyaw Zaw, saying that President Thein Sein has allowed Kyaw Zaw and his daughter to return. 

Kyaw Zaw’s son said, “The government has invited my father and my sister. He [Aung Min] said that they will welcome [former] Brigadier Kyaw Zaw as a member of the ‘Thirty Comrades.’ To look after my father, his two daughters are allowed to accompany him.”

Aung Kyaw Zaw, his son, a political analyst based on the Sino-Burmese border, was not invited to return to Burma.

Aung Kyaw Zaw said that he was not invited probably because he has made public in-depth analyses of ethnic affairs concerning the Kachin, Karen [Kayin], Wa and Kokant.

Also, in cooperation with NGOs, he lobbied for Kachin war refugees to receive more aid and assistance, he said.

“They are just doing their job. I would like to say that I thank them for not allowing me to return to Burma.  I thank them for their resolute attitude towards me. I thank them that they think I am a dangerous person and do not accept me,” said Aung Kyaw Zaw.

In 1954, former Brigadier General Kyaw Zaw led the Bayintnaung military operation, which led to the expulsion of Chinese Kuomintang troops from Burma.

In the British colonial era, he, along with other comrades including Burmese independence hero Gen. Aung San, traveled to Hainan Island, China, to receive military training, later he became a member of the legendary ‘Thirty Comrades.’

Kyaw Zaw and Ye Htut are the only surviving members of the ‘Thirty Comrades.’ Kyaw Zaw was also involved in the anti-colonial expansionist movement.    

He was sacked from the army in 1957 for allegedly leaking military secrets. Later, he worked as a deputy chairman in the Peace Group formed by Thakhin Ko Daw Mhine. In 1976, he went to the Sino-Burmese border to join the CPB.

Recently, the Burmese government removed thousands of names of exiled political dissidents from its blacklist, but the names of Kyaw Zaw and his daughter Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw were not included.

Meanwhile, Burmese President Thein Sein had planned to meet on Sunday with several political dissidents who recently returned to Burma including Dr. Naing Aung of the Forum for Democracy in Burma, Nyo Ohn Myint of the National League for Democracy (Liberated Area), and Dr. Thaung Tun and Maung Maung of the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma, but the meeting has been postponed, according to Nyo Ohn Myint.

On Aug. 27, the Burmese government removed 2,028 names form a 6,165-name blacklist of political dissidents and media persons, which had blocked them entering Burma.

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