BANGKOK — Win Maw, a 47-year-old activist-rock musician, has won the 2009 Kenji Nagai Memorial Award for his commitment as a freelance journalist in Burma. He is currently serving a total of 17-years imprisonment for his journalistic activities.Hla Hla Win, a 25-year-old female DVB video journalist who is serving a 27-year sentence in Kathar Prison for interviewing monks in Pakkoku, shared the award with Win Maw. She also was convicted for giving information to an exiled news organization.
“In fact, he didn’t mean to become a journalist, yet, his desire to expose the real situation inside Burma turned him into an undercover journalist for an exile news station,” said his brother, Win Zaw.In 2006, Win Maw visited Mae Sot on the Thai-Burma border to meet Win Zaw, who had had fled from Burma in 2004. After he returned from the trip, he would occasionally send music, songs, news, photos and videos on various issues to the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB). He was arrested for those activities in 2008.
By that time, he had covered a variety of sensitive news, including activities of the National League for Democracy, the 88 Generation's activities and their members' arrests, and the monk-led Saffron Revolution in September 2007. During the Saffron Revolution, he wrote a song, “May the People’s Desire be Fulfilled.”
On Nov. 27, 2008, Win Maw went to a tea shop on his way back from an Internet café to meet his friends Aung Aung and Myat San, a member of the Tri-Color Student Group.
“The military intelligence agents were already waiting for his friends at the teashop, and he was caught along with them.” said his brother.
Police found a computer disk of data for the DVB in Win Maw's possession. The agents tracked his previous activities during the past year. He was charged and tried in a closed court and found guilty of violating the Immigration Act, damaging public tranquility laws by sending "false" information to an exile news group and illegal border crossing. He was sentenced to 7-years imprisonment. He was sentenced an additional 10-years imprisonment for violation of the Electronic Transmission Act. Currently, he is in Sandway Prison in Arakan State about 590 miles northeast of Rangoon.
During his interrogation, he was tortured. In the early part of his detention, he suffered from asthma, pneumonia and had trouble breathing after being subjected to water torture and a broken nose.
His wife, Tha Zin, said his health has seriously deteriorated.
The award was created by the Japanese video news agency APF and the exile-based Burma Media Association (BMA) one year after the Japanese photojournalist Kenji Nagai was shot dead by Burmese soldiers in Rangoon during the Saffron Revolution in 2007.
“I feel nothing special about the award, except to be proud of my brother,” said Win Zaw, who spent seven years in Thayat Prison in 1997 for writing songs for Burma’s opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. “Although he has done his work without any hope for an award, he will surely be delighted in getting international recognition for his effort.”
As a youth, Win Maw had always wanted to be a successful musician, honing his skills as an artist when he was young.
“He had no other hobby or interest,” said his brother. “Music was his life. His single dream was to play the guitar his whole life.”
In 1980, Win Maw stopped attending Rangoon University where he was a sophomore math major and formed an amateur rock band—Computer Control. The band started with four members including Win Maw, 18, and Win Zaw, 13.
Win Maw and his brother joined the people's uprising in 1988 to bring down the Burma Socialist Program Party led by General Nay Win, who ruled Burma from 1962 to 1988. The following year, Win Maw was introduced to Suu Kyi, who had returned to Burma to look after her ailing mother. After the uprising, he resumed his music career and was not interested in party politics.
Later on, Suu Kyi recognized the brothers’ talents and asked them to support the movement through their music.
Since 1984, the band had been performing nightly in a program on state-run Myanmar TV.
In November 1996 the MIS arrested the brothers for producing anti-military regime songs and supporting Suu Kyi. In January 1997, they were each sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labor, under 5 (j) of the Emergency Provision Act.
Win Maw was sent to Taungoo Prison in Pegu Division and Zaw was sent to Thayat Prison in Magwe Division.
While in prison, Win Maw set into music a Burmese translation of the Rudyard Kipling poem, “If.” The translation was by Suu Kyi herself.
Coming from a middle class family whose members were mostly civil servants, Win Zaw said the brothers received moral support from their parents.
“Our parents never opposed our decisions. They allowed us to choose the cause we would believe in, supporting us with whatever we needed, whether in music or politics.”
Win Maw is the father of four children with his wife, Tha Zin.
“He wants his children to grow freely according to their beliefs. He is not a conservative-type of father, who controlled every part of his children’s education, social lives and their futures.”
Win Maw's arrest brought pain and anguish to his family, wife and children. His wife shouldered the responsibility for the family’s survival and the children’s education.
When Win Maw was freed in 2002, he brought together his friends to reform his band, renamed ‘A-Lin-Kar’ because the authorities banned the band's earlier name. Despite his time in prison, his dream of a music career remained.
“He didn't dwell much on his sufferings during his imprisonment. His vision was clear, and he continued what he should do as a good citizen,” said his brother.
Win Maw's humble demeanor hid steadfast principles. Besides his friends among musicians and artists, he maintained close contact with 88 Generation student leaders such as Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, who have been his friends since before 1988.
Nai Nai is a freelance writer based in Bangkok. She works as a program assistant for the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), a non-profit, nongovernmental organization that campaigns for freedom of the press in Southeast Asia.
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