Nat Hyin
My acquaintances ask me, “Which Road did you come from? Was it the upper road (Legal) or the lower road (Illegal)?” I replied, “I came from the upper road.”
The terms “upper road” and “lower road” are not about the worldly knowledge that people from the higher realms disdain. It’s merely about crossing a river, whether it’s via a bridge or a boat; that’s what we refer to as the upper road and the lower road.
Using these various paths, we young people have arrived at this place. We faced our own hopes, ambitions, feelings of homesickness and memories, while navigating this intertwined path. However, it wasn’t entirely our choice to take this path. An era compelled us to make this choice.
I passed through the archway of a bridge inscribed with large golden letters that read ‘Republic of the Union of Myanmar,’ designed in a traditional Myanmar architectural style, featuring intricately crafted pillars and arches. To be exact, it was on July 14, 2024. I completed the necessary procedures for crossing the bridge at the appropriate points and then made my way through that archway.
My emotions are heavy. My heart was pounding loudly and rapidly. My steps were weighed down. Worry and a sense of inferiority were clearly visible on my face. My fingers were trembling, and my mind was overwhelmed with a confusing mix of fears and concerns.
I came from a poor country, a nation perpetually at war for power, a country rife with soldiers, and a country with a myriad of labor class individuals. Isn’t it true that others also come from this nation like me? The dignity of our citizens here is reduced to that of impoverished laborers or to the level of illegal, undocumented foreigners living without order.
That’s why I have come to despise the outdated historical monuments and the relics of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. In reality, what we had hoped for was to come as dignified citizens of a disciplined union, individuals with integrity, highly educated and prosperous, to either study the fascinating aspects of this land, or at the very least, to make a pilgrimage and sightseeing visit.
Now, we arrive burdened with fears and insecurities. When I was in school, I used to sing the national anthem proudly, standing before the flagpole, my voice echoing the lyrics: “The world will not perish, Myanmar, we cherish the heritage given by our ancestors, protecting the union with our lives.” The land that was entrusted to us by our ancestors should not be something that the world considers worthless.
If we tread upon the land owned by our ancestors, may our blood flow to protect it. Now, it seems we have become a union that the world will not cherish. The elder taxi driver says, “Did he mention Gate No. 13 and 17? I can’t remember.” Those gates are the entry points you must pass through. Just walk straight without any worries. If you act strange, you might not be allowed to cross.
After passing through the gates, I walked towards the car. My feet halted abruptly. Then, I turned back to glance at the great Republic of the Union of Myanmar that I came from.
Since leaving Yangon, I have encountered numerous genuine checkpoints and countless demanding gates that request money. The taxi driver has stashed around fifty thousand kyats in his bag. Even gates demanding amounts from three thousand kyats to ten thousand kyats are numerous. There are also a significant number of soldiers. You can encounter soldiers at every gate, whether they are from the military council or other armed groups.
I was holding a 11/(Naing) ID, and the taxi driver said, “If you cross Hpa-An, you’ll be free.” It’s said that once I cross Hpa-An, there will be no more military checkpoints from the military council, so there will be no more genuine checks on me either. To smoothly cross these checkpoints, I had to pay the driver a bribe of one hundred thousand kyats.
While I sat in the car, I began to ponder: With such a large number of soldiers gathered, our country could become one of the countries with the highest military strength in the world, not just in Asia. If that military were a true federal army that fought to protect the nation, how great would that be?
But it’s not the case now. Under the brutal tactics of power-hungry individuals, the military has become nothing more than a level of bandits, thieves, and lawless criminals (rapists) in the eyes of the people. Therefore, young people like us have had to escape from the hands of these robbers, criminals, and rapists. The journey I took from that long coastline was not a short one.
Now, it’s time to say farewell while looking at my motherland, which is enveloped in smoke and despair. I don’t know if I will ever return home again, as I gazed at the Union of Myanmar from the bridge, feeling a deep sense of longing and saying goodbye. The taxi driver urged, “Hey, what are you staring at? Let’s go.” Only then did I reluctantly get into the car. On the thoroughfare, I started to introduce myself in languages I had never heard before.