From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey

I borrowed this book from my place of employment (there's a small bookshelf containing random books concerning refugees, international politics, etc in our director's office) a few months ago, but was only able to begin reading it a few weeks ago. I first became interested in this book quite a ways back when we were still living in Columbia and my agency at the time began resettling a large number of Burmese refugees. Isaac also shared my interest and read To the Golden Shore, a biography of the first missionary to Burma, Adoniram Judson. To the Golden Shore is on my reading list for 2010.

If you're not familiar with the history of Burma, also known as Myanmar to those individuals and countries who accept the current military junta government, you can read a very brief bit of background information here in a previous post also concerning our Burmese refugees.

From the Land of Green Ghosts is an autobiography of a Burmese man from the Padaung tribe. Pascal Khoo Twe writes with remarkable clarity and draws the reader into his world from his childhood in a tiny jungle village of Burma to his time studying English at university in the city of Mandalay to his flight into the wild jungles to his final escape from his country altogether. The book does not read as another horrific tale of human survival, although Twe does indeed include these aspects of his experience. Rather, he spends a great deal of time elaborating on his culture and how his childhood shaped his worldview in significant ways. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of about his specific ethnicity is the intermingling of their traditional beliefs and Catholicism, to which many converted once Italian missionaries reached Burma. Even though many Padaung now claim to be Catholic, they still participate in traditional ceremonies. Throughout the book, I kept thinking about how remarkably diverse the country of Burma is- not only in geography and topography, but in ethnicity, religion, and every other facet of life. What a beautiful land it must be.

Twe's story is similar to many other Burmese youth; he left his village in order to study university in one of the larger cities, Mandalay. While living there, he experienced education under the regime of General Ne Win, the leader of the military coup that toppled the democratic government in 1962. No discussion or debates permitted, instructors and tutors recited party doctrine for students to memorize. On more than one occasion, the government demonetized the currency, rendering the most, if not all, of the current bills and coins utterly worthless. The government then issued new bills, in different set amounts; because of this shift, Twe lost nearly all of his savings twice and was unable to continue paying for his education. He eventually found work at a Chinese restaurant as a waiter. It was there he met an English professor from Cambridge who would later affect the course of Twe's life.

During Twe's time in Mandalay, students all over the country began to demand change in the government, and tensions escalated. Twe eventually fled home and then into the jungle, joining with Karenni (a neighboring ethnic group) rebels fighting for a free Burma. At one point, a British journalist visited their camp, and Twe was able to send a letter to the English professor with the journalist serving as a courier. To his complete surprise, the English professor received the letter and responded, eventually forming a plan to rescue Twe from his current perilous situation in order to bring him to England to stay English at Cambridge University.

The book is beautifully written and heart-breakingly honest. As always when I read about individuals fleeing their homes because of persecution and seeking asylum in another country, I am reminded of my clients and what many of them have experienced. Though difficult, it is good to be reminded of the pain, suffering, and injustice in the world today. For if we are not reminded of it, will we remember? And if we are not reminded of it, will we heed our call to do justice and love another?