A Long Journey to Mongton

Dr Maung Maung Nyo

Prologue

I remember the play, “Long Day’s Journey into Night” by Eugene O’Neil when I write this caption. It was a philosophical topic for Eugene O’Neil, well his play won him a Pulitzer Prize; but for me it was just a physically long, difficult and risky travel from Taunggyi to Mongton in the Shan State taken in the early 1960s. Please do not compare (Author).

(The Golden Triangle Seen from the Thai Side; Burma on the Left)

It takes just two hour from Taunggyi to Mongton if you fly by a light air plane, but it will take a very long time if you go by car as you have to drive to Loilem, Mongpan and Tarsan across the rough terrain and then to cross the rapid flowing Salween River by Z craft. In the 1960s it was more difficult as the area to be traveled was infested with insurrections- KMT, Shan, Pa-O and Lahu all sorts.

(The Late Opium War Lord Khun Sa in His Abode in the Golden Triangle)

We could go only when there was a military convoy to protect us. Therefore, it was an adventure to travel from Taunggyi to Mongton in those days. It took a long time to reach your destination safe and sound. Even then you would be weary and worn out by the time you were there. Enjoy.

(Stone Pillar in the Golden Triangle that Marks the Junction Between

Thailand, Burma and Laos)

Arrangements for Travel

Captain Hla Maung came back at the end of August and they were provided with a bungalow near the Medical Unit to live. I continued living in Colonel Maung Thwin’s house. Colonel Maung Thwin had asked the Eastern Command to arrange for my travel to Mongton. They would escort me from Taunggyi to Loilem where I had to wait for some time until there would be a plane flight from Namsan to Mongsat. The flight was normally arranged once a month weather permitting. There would not be any flight if the weather was bad in Namsan, over the southern state or at Mongsat. So, I would have to wait in Loilem for some time.

(Map of Shan State)

I got an escort convoy in the middle of September and we left in a long chain of cars- army Willy jeeps, Dodge jeeps and trucks, civilian lorry cars. There was a platoon of soldiers in front and behind the train of the cars. There were also soldiers stationed at strategic points between Taunggyi and Loilem. It was only a distance of about 60 miles but it took the whole morning to reach Loilem. The scenes on the way were magnificent and marvelous, but the road was narrow and dangerous as we had to drive close to the mountain ridge with a deep chasm on one side. A slip of a wheel or a steering ring would send the car down.

(Harvesting Opium in the Golden Triangle Where Mongton and Mongsat

are situated)

At Loilem I reported my arrival to the Military Hospital, but the atmosphere there was tense as there were problems. An enquiry team was investigating the Hospital’s Officer Commanding. He was a bachelor and accused of mismanagement as the non-commissioned officers and others sold the medicines at black market. Captain Myint Win offered me to stay with him, but I chose the Officers Mess of the 5^th Burma Regiment (Buregt) to lodge as they provided me bed and breakfast free of charge. They were my main clients or personnel to be looked after at Mongton. The Commanding Officer and staff officers were very friendly, helpful and cooperative during my posting at Mongton.

(One Typical Road in the Southern Shan State)

Leisurely Life in Loilem

I met Dr Yash Pal and Dr Hla Maung (Panthay from Taunggyi) in Loilem. Dr George McIntyre was just married with Dr Ma New and they lived in the hospital quarters. Drs Yash Pal and Hla Maung shared another quarters as they were both bachelors. Dr Sao Yan Naing was recently transferred to Mongnai (Mone) about 30 miles away, but he would come and stay with Drs Yash and Hla Maung on his way from Mongnai to Taunggyi or on the return trip. He was also single at the time. I used to enjoy my time at their house and shared some meals together. They introduced me to Soon Tan or Mon-Hnin (Shan cabbage or mustard leaves) soup and steamed glutinous rice with plain biter tea (Ah Khar Ye). We did not drink alcohol then although I was introduced to beer and Army Rum at the BMH, Maymyo.

(A Caravan of United Wa State Army Traveling in Southern Shan State)

It was quite cold in Loilem in September. We had to play Badminton to warm our body before taking a shower. Even then I felt giddy after bath. So, Yash Pal gave APC tablets to take one before bath. They adopted a Shan boy to help with their house chores and sent him to school. He attended the Sacred Heart Convent High School in front of their house.

(Internal Check Point Between Kengtung and Wa State's Mongla)

One day, they took me to the cinema and there was College Gin (College Buff) showing. I told them College Gin Ne Win was my friend, having stayed together at the Mandalay Hall in the Rangoon University Campus. The movie was well attended by the cinema goers. We ate some Shan noodles there. They said, “Ko Nyo, Loilem is a village by Rangoon standard.” “Never mind, I was born in Monywa and I just happened to learn in Mandalay and Rangoon”, I replied.

(Mustard Fields in the Southern Shan State)

Dr Hla Maung asked me about the internal situation of the Burma Army whether the Revolutionary Council was split or not. I told him,” I don’t know Ko Hla Maung. I’m busy with patients every day and I’m not concerned with daily politics of the Burma Army.” “But you were a student leader at medical school. You should know”, Dr Hla Maung retorted. I replied,” It’s true. But for the time being I’m concentrating on my patients. That’s all for now.” We used to have long discussion at nights. Dr Hla Maung was very idealistic Shan nationalist looking for political activities. He was killed by the Shan insurgents while hunting near Loilem.

(Panglong Column Marking Panglong Agreement to Form the Union of Burma)

An officer from the 5th Burma Regiment took me to Panglong to see the Panglong column for signing the Panglong Agreement or Treaty between General Aung San and ethnic leaders mainly Shan, Kachin and Chin. The Karen did not attend the conference and the Arakanese (Rakhaing) were not regarded as a separate race from the Burman. They were part of the Burman like Yaw, Tavoyan and Intha.

(Signatories to the Panglong Agreement; General Aung San in Green Uniform,

Sao Shwe Thike on His Left Side in the Centre of the Picture, Front Row)

I visited the Leprosorium (Lepers Hospital) supervised by the Catholic Nuns in Panglong. It was clean and homely. The nuns welcomed me warmly and showed me around. The doctor posted there had not yet arrived. Later it was nationalized and put under the ministry of health.

Loilem to Namsan

I was taken to Namsan one early morning in a convoy of three cars from Loilem. It was about 7.30 AM and the Officer sending me said, “There will be a Dakota plane coming from Meiktila to Namsan. It will land here any time and it will take you to Mongsat. We have informed the Mongsat Station to receive you. That’s why we came out early. This road is safe, but we don’t take chances and we had one platoon of soldiers to escort us.”

I was disembarked at the Agricultural Cooperative Mess.

(Namsan)

I met Dr Maung Aung, a class mate and room mate of Dr Htay Saung. He smiled and welcomed me. I greeted him, “How are you Ko Aung?” “Not bad, Ko Nyo”, he replied. Ko Aung was a good student, and passed every examination at the first attempt except the Final part II Examination. He would study regularly, went to wards punctually and attended the classes without fail. He would sit for the written papers very well, but at the clinical examination he would run away. Once he did not present himself at the clinical examination for the Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He boarded a mail train from the Dufferin Station to Prome (Pyi). He failed although he passed all written examinations. He was held by his friends to be present at all the clinical and viva examinations at the last one and he freely passed. Now he was working privately not joining the government service.

( A Beautiful Shan Scene of Mountains, Rivers and Forest)

The Dakota plane from Meiktila arrived and landed at about 9.30 AM but the weather in the Southern Shan State was bad and the visibility at Mongsat was only about 2.The perfect should be 5. So, that day the plane did not leave for Mongsat and we had to retreat back to Loilem. Only the next day we could board the plane to Mongsat. It was a bumpy ride as there were many air pockets. The plane had no proper seat and we had to sit on the linear benches. I’m not sure we were given proper seat belts. Any way we arrived in Mongsat Air Field at about 1.PM welcomed by a captain from the 5^th Burma Regiment.

(Misty Shan Hills in the Golden Triangle Where the KMT Forces

Invaded and Planted Opium That Still Goes On)

He was Captain Ko Lay, IO (Intelligence Officer) of the 5th Burma Regiment stationed in Mongton. “I have come from Mongton to welcome you and take you to Mongton safe and sound Saya”, he told me. In the Burma Army Saya means a medical officer or physician among the officers. “We’ll have to stay in Mongsat for a few days until the weather improves. Now, it’s raining heavily and we can’t drive to Mongton”, Captain Ko lay told me. Thus I had to put up at the Mongsat Officers Mess with him.

(Welcome to Kengtung, Now Kyaing Ton)

We went around Mongsat and saw the remnants of fighting between the KMT army and Burma Army. The air field was built by the KMT and we were using it after we took over from them. It was a great loss for the KMT as they lost the well-built bases at Mongsat and Mongton that were only 40 miles or so away. Mongton was also only about 40 miles away from the Thai-Burma border. The road from Mongton to the Thai-Burma border passed through Pon Pa Kyin to Chiang Mai that was only 120 miles away.

(A Lisu Village in the Southern Shan State)

Whatever we need could be brought from Chiang Mai to Mongton and Mongsat by car. It was a direct, fair weather road inside Burma but all weather asphalt road inside Thailand. There were stone pillars or columns on the Mongsat hill marking the victory of Burma Army over the KMT forces. I was fortunate to be able to see them personally and I was proud of being a Burman. It was more so when I saw the old Cedis built by King Sinbyushin’s Army on the road from Mongton to Pon Pa Kyin. It’s the last frontier town or village of Burma near the Thai-Burma border. It’s just 9 miles away.

(The Late Sao Sai Mong and the Author at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

U Saw Kaw, the Myosa of Mongsat (Town Governor) gave us dinner every day we stayed in Mongsat. His house was built of teak and it was an old Shan house. It was a two-storied building. There was a big wide veranda and we had to climb several steps of wood to reach there. From there we entered the parlor or living room with Setties (chairs) and tables. We sat there. The dining room was close by ad we ate on a long teak table. U Saw Kaw’s wife was a good cook and fed us about ten dishes.

It was delicious. U Saw Kaw’s son and daughter later became medical doctors in Rangoon. His son also was elected a People’s Representative for Mongsat during the BSPP era. The late Sao Sai Mong, uncle of the last Kengtung Sawbwa, told me Saw Kaw was an obedient person under his father Sawbwagyi and nephew Saobwa of Kengtung as Mongsat and Mongtong were under Kengtung. He was also a loyal Myosa to the central Burma Government.

Mongsat to Mongton Journey

One morning we were eating breakfast at the Mongsat Officers Mess and Captain Ko Lay told me,” We’ll leave for Mongton today at about 9.30 AM.” “OK, I’m ready at any time”, I replied. We then finished our coffee and collected our belongings. I had three suitcases only- one for the military uniforms, another for the civilian clothes and third for my perennial company, the books. I always carried the textbooks, clinical methods, operative surgery and practical guidebooks for various procedures like Pye’s Surgical Handicrafts, Emergencies in Medicine, Obstetric Emergencies by Ian Donald, Laboratory Investigation Techniques, Synopsis of Eye Disease, Synopsis of ENT Diseases, Diseases of Childhood and so on. These books helped me how to do in case of emergency as I was alone in the jungle and at the front line. “A book is a friend for ever.” I’s true for me.

At about 9.30 AM we left Mongsat. Captain Ko Lay rode the first Dodge Jeep, I the second in the middle and a Warrant Officer the third Dodge Jeep. Only the Dodge Jeep could move in this part of Burma. The road was just a track of red earth and gravel. There were patches of mud and water on the road. It was narrow and winding streaming between the ridge of a mountain on one side and the deep chasm on the other. I saw some civilian trucks in the ravine.

(Risky Road in the Southern Shan State Particularly in the Golden Triangle)

Any way, we drove on slowly, sometimes riding the car, sometimes pushing the car from behind when it was an uphill segment. We rode the car again after it was over a crest and going down. It was sheer fun to ride and walk alternately. We had lunch on the road at about 1.00 PM. It consisted of steamed glutinous rice, fried chicken, pickled Mon- Hnyin. A sergeant came and gave us plain tea carried in a Thermos flask. The infantry soldiers had a high opinion of medical doctors and they gave us due respects.

(United Wa State Army Camp Near Mongton)

There were plenty of wild banana plants on the road side. Soldiers stopped and plucked the ripe bananas. “They are happy plucking the bananas, but the taste was not good”, Captain Ko Lay told me. Some soldiers shot monkeys on the rod side trees. “We’ll drink monkey blood for aphrodisiac action ad we’ll eat monkey meat”, they shouted. Captain Ko Lay did not say any thing, he just smiled. He was a benevolent officer, well liked by his soldiers. He later became a Director of a fabric factory in Rangoon, now retired.

(Mongton Military Camp)

We arrived at the Mongton Officers Mess at about 2.30 PM. “You arrived early this time”, said the acting Station Commander Major Tin Shwe. “Welcome Saya Nyo. Don’t worry for any thing. We’re here to give you whatever you need. You are going to treat us if unwell. I had been a staff officer at BMH, Maymyo long time ago. “Welcome”, he said. He told me he had fought the Mujahid insurgents in Arakan in 1949. He was promoted to colonel and Chairman of the Arakan People’s Council. I met him at Insein after his retirement. He is deceased.

(A Shan Buddhist Ahlu or Novice Initiation Ceremony Procession)

Envoi

Thus I had arrived at my destination Mongton at long last. It took me about a month from the date of preparing to leave Taunggyi to the date of arrival in Mongton. All the roads were risky; the land road for simple slip into the ravines to ambush by the insurgents that were rampant at the time, plane crash due to bad weather or bad engines of the plane, and bad weather from Taunggyi to Mongton all the way. However I was never disappointed or dispirited anywhere on the route and I was upbeat, excited and expecting to be thrilled. In fact it was one of the mot exciting, thrilling and happy journeys I have ever made in Burma. I gained a lot from that travel.

Dr Maung Maung Nyo

09.02.2009