Hero driver

May 18, 2007

 

Meet Ms. Charm Tong. In 2005, She was adjudged as Time Asia's Heroes for advocating Shan people's human rights in Burma. At barely 18 years old, she addressed the 200-strong meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to report the atrocities committed by the Burmese regime.

"At age 16, Charm Tong began working with human rights groups, interviewing sex workers, illegal migrants, HIV patients and rape victims. The following year, she spoke in Geneva on their behalf—and still speaks, in four languages, with the poise and confidence of a mature woman," says the Time report.  

 Five years ago, she established a school for Shan State Nationalities Youth located in Northern Thailand, which has become her second country. The exact location of the school is secret being that the Shans have no legal personality in Thailand. Technically speaking, they don't exist and those that do exist are in prison or deported back to Burma where they face certain persecution or even death.  

Her group, while regally known as SWAN, does not emulate the renowned graceful characteristics of the large water bird with white plumage popularized by the children's tale The Ugly Duckling. Unless Swans have fangs, that is. SWAN along with the Shan Human Rights Foundation published a report "License to Rape" which detailed the systematic rapes and murders of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), a misnomer if I ever see one since the words "peace and development" are not equated with the Burmese junta.

Because of that, Charm Tong was officially regarded as an enemy of the state and I'd imagine shot on site. The SPDC has done worse for less offense.      

It's quite a long introduction I know, but I want everybody to appreciate the context of this entry. Last Thursday, I was riding on the back of her motorcycle while she drove around Chiang Mai. It was a very surreal experience. Sure, I've seen modern-day heroes on TV, read about them in the papers, hell I even talked to some of them. But how often have you had a hero giving you a ride?

As I settled on the back seat, I noticed her right foot rest was broken but I never bothered to ask why. As we were cruising, our conversation went like this:

Me: Well, this is rather weird.

Her: Yeah, I know.  

Me: This certainly is an experience. I've never been driven around by one of Time's Asian heroes before.

Her: Maybe that's why we're called heroes.

In the Time article, 19-year old May, a girl from Burma's Kachin state described Charm Tong as a "candle in the darkness." "She never behaves like she's superior or better. She is like our sister, and the school is our family," says May. 

Indeed. A sister to some, a driver to mine.