Sat Bo

Sat Naung Bo and his family remembers the day they were forced to flee their home in Burma, as the day  he and his family would finally have the right to an education, human rights and personal freedoms.
“My father was a politician in Burma when I was young,” said Bo.  “Because of his political views, his life was always in danger.”
Bo explained that in Burma, people are not allowed freedom of speech.  He said the government continually investigated his father’s public speeches and tried to prevent him from speaking his mind.  His father was finally run out of the country when Bo was in the third grade.  As long as the family did not speak with their father, the government left them alone.
“My father fled to Thailand and worked for a group called National League for Democracy for the Liberated Area,” said Bo.
Although they were not supposed to speak with their father, they broke the law when they took a phone call from him.  He warned his family that they must flee Burma immediately.  They left all of their relatives, friends and belongings behind.
“We couldn’t even tell our neighbors or relatives,” said Bo. “If the government group heard this information, they would come and arrest my family.”
The family, stayed in Thailand for about one year. Then the family traveled to the United States.
“Life in the U.S. compared to Burma is easy,” said Bo. “People can get jobs here easier and we have the freedom of speech and freedom to choose what we want to do in life. Burma is the worst place in the world.”
Bo said that when his family arrived in the United States, they felt safe and comfortable knowing that they did not have to worry about going to jail. They were also thrilled to learn that they had an opportunity to further their education.
“In Burma,” said Bo, “there are only 9th and 10th grades in high school where you must choose between biology or economics as a major.”
Bo explained that in Burma people have to pay for registering for school, textbooks, uniforms, papers and pencils. He added that students must return home for lunch because it is not included in one’s education.
“I would never travel back to Burma until the country has democracy,” said Bo. “If I travel to Burma now, the government will arrest me and put me into jail.”

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.