Phyoe Phyoe Aung

PHYO PHYO AUNG, MA FIRST CLIP My name is Phyo Phyo Aung. The house I live is in Japan street in Insein. I live together with my grandmother - Daw Than Yin, my father U Nay Win, My mother Daw Thandar Khin, my husband Ko Aung Thant Zin Oo aka Lin Htet Naing also known as Jame and then over two year old son Maung Nay La. When I was young, my father used to write. He wrote letters/correspondence inside prison brought to me through ICRC. In these letters what he encouraged me most was not to focus only school lessons but to read many books. There were books left behind by Papa. Once I knew how to read, I started looking for books among his collections. There are books about politics. And then translated books. Those books introduced me to politics. I happened to read student literature and magazines through which I could see a part of student movements. Those readings made me come into contact with politics. And then I came to realize and believe that politics is a sense of responsibility, as a citizen in this country one should be interested in politics and involved in politics. During the period between 2006 2007 after release of my father I became deeply engaged in politics. The reason was that at that time youth activists including Ma Su Su Nwe were arrested and detained, signature campaigns were initiated, I was actively involved in campaigns. It was totally the beginning. In 2006/2007 I began being engaged with politics. Youths interested in politics came to get closer among them-selves, to group together and then later re-establish All Burma Student Federation Union and joined Saffron in 2007. We took part effectively in politics in 2007. My mother had to survive on her own for almost 16 years when my father was detained and imprisoned. Even though she was supportive to democracy movement, made regular prison visits and joined hands in activities, when I was actually engaged in politics in 2007 she was very afraid and very much concerned that I could get arrested and detained for long years like my father and I could lose my future. So she tried to object some of my activities. She did not totally prohibit/forbid me. Out of the fear that taking part in, joining politics might cause further risks she tried to stop me. But as a nature of parents she had to concede to by end of 2011 we were released. After that we were detained for a short time for student movements. When we were involved in 2015 education strike taking leadership role, she changed her mind. At the beginning she wanted to stop me but later she tried as much as she can to support. She showed her support by coming to see me for prison visits and accompanying in judiciary process, meeting with judges.