MY LAST MEETING WITH GAW KHO* SAW BA U GYI IN THE REVOLUTION AREA ON AUGUST 9, 1950 ,
BY Saw Johny Htoo
It was on August 8, 1950, when I was stationing in Ka Ter Ti village, PapunDistrict, an urgent matter
came up and I had to go to Papun. We left Ka Ter Ti with two bullockcarts and stopped by Htwee Thee
Ou village on our way.Whenever I stop by there I used to stay at my aunt Mu Yah Dah house, but this
time as soon as I entered the village and saw my aunt, she ran to me and told me: "Can you please
go stay with village headman this time, because my house is already filled with Gaw Koh Ba U Gyi and
his men? They came with two bullockcarts too."
As I was traveling with a few other people, I went to stay at the village headman's house. Then, I dec-
ided to go and meet with Saw Ba U Gyi at my aunt house. He was there with his other nine friends
including General Saw SanKay and a secretary from British Embassy. After a short discussion with him,
I found out that they were on their way to Bangkok for the meeting with some foreign officials there.
And just before I left the place, I asked him when he is going to leave, and he told me, "early in the
morning." Then I asked him if he wants some tea, and he asked me in return, "do you bring me just
plain tea or tea?" "Of course, sweet tea," I answered. He then said, "good! let's have some tea before
we leave tomorrow." "we will pray for you that your next child be a boy," he uttered, because until then
I had only daughters.
That night I came back to the place where I stay and asked one of my lieutenant to boil me a pot of
water the next day before 4 o'clock in the morning. For some reasons, I had a strange dream that night.
In my dream I saw Saw Ba U Gyi with his head shaved, and he shaved his beard too. I thought he did
that probably because he is going to a foreign country. I then suddenly woke up. I was going to go and
see him so that I could have a final talk with him before he leaves. But I looked at my watch and it was
too early, only 3 o'clock in the morning, so I went to sleep again.The next day, I woke up at 4 a.m. and
then I made some tea and took it to him. Soon after the breakfast we departed: he continued his trip as
I headed to Papun. At first I thought, in my mind, to tell him about my dream but I didn't, because I knew
that he does not believe in that type of things like dreams or omens. Karen people used to say that if we
dreamed of someone naked, he or she will lose his or her positions or rank, and if we dreamed of some
body with shaved he or she will lose his or her life.
The day I met with Saw Ba U Gyi was August 8, 1950, and we departed on thenext day. On August 12,
1950, at no one's expectation, my first cousin Saw Kye The who was then Signal In-charge in Papun
Area intercepted a message which says that the enemy captured and murdered Saw Ba U Gyi and his
colleagues at Hto Kaw Koe village.
The news came to my surprise and I was trying to find out what went wrong with them. I found out that
they left for Hlaine Bwe the next day. Before they took off from Hlaine Bwe, Maj. Gen. Ta Ka Baw who
was the Division Commander of that area told Saw Ba U Gyi that he would arrange for him one company
to take with him for security reason. Yet, Saw Ba U Gyi flatly replied that he did not want to disturb the
soldiers. Then Maj. Gen. Ta Ka Baw insisted again that he better accept at least one platoon, should he
not want to take a whole company of troops with him. Saw Ba U Gyi did not even accept one platoon. It
was during August and the rain was heavy so he did not want to bother the soldiers, and they continued
their trip, heading to another village by themselves with no security arrangement.
The next day, Saw Ba U Gyi and his group headed to Hto Kaw Koe village. However, before they got to
Hto Kaw Koe, their trip was delayed unexpectedly by a heavy rain of August somewhere the outskirts of
Hto Kaw Koe.
Unfortunately, that very news was informed by a Karen traitor to the enemy company which stationed
near Hlaine Bwe. It was later found out that the company commander was Sein Lwin. While Saw Ba U
Gyi and his group were stuck, they were attacked and murdered by the enemy, the then Maj. Sein Lwin
and his troops. The remain of Saw Ba U Gyi was brought back to Moulmain and was later dumped into
the river at Kaung Say Kyung, a village near Moulmain.
Saw Ba U Gyi sacrificed his life for his people. He solemnly had to die in the hands of his enemy, but
his principles for Karen people will remain alive forever. His words that he used to tell me, "brother,
justice will lift our people up," will always stay in my heart and mind.
*Gaw Kho in Karen stands for President.
Roughly translated from Karen to English by Saw Kapi of Karen Cultural and Historical Center in
Bakersfield, California.
BY Saw Johny Htoo
It was on August 8, 1950, when I was stationing in Ka Ter Ti village, PapunDistrict, an urgent matter
came up and I had to go to Papun. We left Ka Ter Ti with two bullockcarts and stopped by Htwee Thee
Ou village on our way.Whenever I stop by there I used to stay at my aunt Mu Yah Dah house, but this
time as soon as I entered the village and saw my aunt, she ran to me and told me: "Can you please
go stay with village headman this time, because my house is already filled with Gaw Koh Ba U Gyi and
his men? They came with two bullockcarts too."
As I was traveling with a few other people, I went to stay at the village headman's house. Then, I dec-
ided to go and meet with Saw Ba U Gyi at my aunt house. He was there with his other nine friends
including General Saw SanKay and a secretary from British Embassy. After a short discussion with him,
I found out that they were on their way to Bangkok for the meeting with some foreign officials there.
And just before I left the place, I asked him when he is going to leave, and he told me, "early in the
morning." Then I asked him if he wants some tea, and he asked me in return, "do you bring me just
plain tea or tea?" "Of course, sweet tea," I answered. He then said, "good! let's have some tea before
we leave tomorrow." "we will pray for you that your next child be a boy," he uttered, because until then
I had only daughters.
That night I came back to the place where I stay and asked one of my lieutenant to boil me a pot of
water the next day before 4 o'clock in the morning. For some reasons, I had a strange dream that night.
In my dream I saw Saw Ba U Gyi with his head shaved, and he shaved his beard too. I thought he did
that probably because he is going to a foreign country. I then suddenly woke up. I was going to go and
see him so that I could have a final talk with him before he leaves. But I looked at my watch and it was
too early, only 3 o'clock in the morning, so I went to sleep again.The next day, I woke up at 4 a.m. and
then I made some tea and took it to him. Soon after the breakfast we departed: he continued his trip as
I headed to Papun. At first I thought, in my mind, to tell him about my dream but I didn't, because I knew
that he does not believe in that type of things like dreams or omens. Karen people used to say that if we
dreamed of someone naked, he or she will lose his or her positions or rank, and if we dreamed of some
body with shaved he or she will lose his or her life.
The day I met with Saw Ba U Gyi was August 8, 1950, and we departed on thenext day. On August 12,
1950, at no one's expectation, my first cousin Saw Kye The who was then Signal In-charge in Papun
Area intercepted a message which says that the enemy captured and murdered Saw Ba U Gyi and his
colleagues at Hto Kaw Koe village.
The news came to my surprise and I was trying to find out what went wrong with them. I found out that
they left for Hlaine Bwe the next day. Before they took off from Hlaine Bwe, Maj. Gen. Ta Ka Baw who
was the Division Commander of that area told Saw Ba U Gyi that he would arrange for him one company
to take with him for security reason. Yet, Saw Ba U Gyi flatly replied that he did not want to disturb the
soldiers. Then Maj. Gen. Ta Ka Baw insisted again that he better accept at least one platoon, should he
not want to take a whole company of troops with him. Saw Ba U Gyi did not even accept one platoon. It
was during August and the rain was heavy so he did not want to bother the soldiers, and they continued
their trip, heading to another village by themselves with no security arrangement.
The next day, Saw Ba U Gyi and his group headed to Hto Kaw Koe village. However, before they got to
Hto Kaw Koe, their trip was delayed unexpectedly by a heavy rain of August somewhere the outskirts of
Hto Kaw Koe.
Unfortunately, that very news was informed by a Karen traitor to the enemy company which stationed
near Hlaine Bwe. It was later found out that the company commander was Sein Lwin. While Saw Ba U
Gyi and his group were stuck, they were attacked and murdered by the enemy, the then Maj. Sein Lwin
and his troops. The remain of Saw Ba U Gyi was brought back to Moulmain and was later dumped into
the river at Kaung Say Kyung, a village near Moulmain.
Saw Ba U Gyi sacrificed his life for his people. He solemnly had to die in the hands of his enemy, but
his principles for Karen people will remain alive forever. His words that he used to tell me, "brother,
justice will lift our people up," will always stay in my heart and mind.
*Gaw Kho in Karen stands for President.
Roughly translated from Karen to English by Saw Kapi of Karen Cultural and Historical Center in
Bakersfield, California.
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