Soe Hlaing

U SOE HLAING – FIRST CLIP My name is Soe Hlaing, born on 24 june 1952. I am 67 now. Before 88, being involved in politics I was a practicing lawyer. My father's name is Aung Nyein, mother Daw Wyne. We live in Thayawaddy. Two sibblings. A younger sister. I got married with Htay Htay Myint around 1973, we have six children. Before I was a lawyer, I worked as an administrator in a transport company. There I served as a strike leader in 88. I was not home at the night of coup d'etat. I was still at strike camp. As the army rounded up shooting, everyone fled for life. My family was not home that night too. They called my name, as well as Joly Tun's. Asking where Soe Hlaing's house is. Please,don't feel insulted! They entered our neighborhood claiming "We are going to rape his mother and wife and kill them all". By seeing this, neighbors took my mother, wife and children and hid them separately. Since then I have not seen them again as I was not able to be back home until I was released from prison after more than 20, 30 years. The army raided our home, found no one inside, shot at roof. They rampaged the house. That is what I learned from retold accounts. I was arrested in Kyondoe area. To illustrate it, we were grabbed by neck, beaten, hit, faces slapped. Most of us sustained inn this way. Bleeding. They loaded us in an army truck and sent, I thinks, to Kawkareit. Then to Pa-an state SLORC office ( State Law and Order Restoration Council ). There we were interrogated briefly, After brief and peaceful questioning sent to Light Infantry Division 22 around 4:30-5pm. When we reached there, we were first treated with meal. We had our meal. After having meal, we start complaining about necessities. We don't seem to be afraid. We were teasing to each other saying"Guy, you are not your parent's home. You have to eat rice with such quality". Hearing this, soldiers entered and punched us saying "How dare you, we too eat that rice". We were bluntly hit before eating. Then we ate. Around 8-9 pm four came in. We know that they are drunk. Without any reason, without asking any question they instigate and hit us. That is what we endured whole night. We rolled ourselves and tried to sleep. Seeing us sleeping still they woke up us, beat and kicked for 4 days. When we reached to Rangoon by convoy trucks, MI 6 did not even start interrogation because we are deformed, faces swollen with bruises. They did not do anything for more than a day. Afterward, we get to Ye Kyi Ai we have to go through again.