in 1945. It was appeared after Japanese left Burma, was written by
Khin Myo Chit; my grandmother. She wrote down her actual experiences
during the 3 years of Japanese rule.
As she wrote in the first page; she could afford to be frank and
honest herself that she intended to give in the following pages her
impressions and recollections of the last three years' nightmare. Page
by page, we saw her story going through with Japanese regime. In the
chapter of the nightmare journey from Monywa(Upper Burma) to Rangoon
by train, she said it reminded her of the scene in the film 'Good
Earth' which showed Chinese refugees boarding a similar train. What
she read in books and saw in films of war were actually happening to
her!After the nightmare journey, she wrote about the war prisoners in
Rangoon were treated badly by the Japanese soldiers.
Her experiences in the Dobama Sinyetha Asiayone(D.S.A) as Chief of
Women's section, how civil liberties were outrageously encroached
upon, how hard and outrageous of Kimpetai Camp, her experience in
writing articles in Japanese newspapers, her work at Office of the
Burmese Army, hard and bloody training at Japanese Officer Cadet
Training School, how B.D.A (Burma Defence Army) was inspired and
admired by Burmese Youths, days of torture and nights of horror by
Japanese' bloody arrested, how Japanese tortured the mother and wife
of the B.D.A officers……were seen in the following chapters in the
book. She remarked that the only reason for their being so cruel to
our people must be for the love of cruelty for its own sake.
Finally she insisted to the world not to be longer fooled by their
unscrupulous display of man's noblest sentiments which hide their
wanton acts of aggression and tyranny. Let their crimes stand out as
monuments of shame and evil that they may be permanent warning to all
future generations. She said in the last page as these pages she had
made a near approach to the real conditions of a Fascist-occupied
territory, the purpose of this booklet would have been achieved.
This booklet as she called, was now translated into Burmese by me;
juniorwin, was published in august of 2011 in Burma. The book was now
in the hands of Burmese people. The Burmese readers can see how our
grandparents survived during 3 years of no freedom of thoughts and
feelings under the Japanese regime. The readers can imagine for those
who had to go through this nightmare and harrowing experience during
the three years of Japanese rule. As I quoted from my grandmother's
lines, in the pages I have translated a near approach to the real
conditions of Facist-occupied territory and a total exposure of their
Fascist wickedness in all its cruel reality, the purpose of this
translated book will have been achieved.
(photo ->(left) – the old cover of the book in 1945.There was an old
address of Khin Myo Chit's family on the back. It was written as
'Published by KHIN MYO Chit, 24 Zabuzi Street, SANCHAUNG' and also had
an address of printing house as 'printing at THE ROYAL STATIONARY,
408-410 Dalhousie Street, RANGOON' on the back. The location of that
address was now difficult to find. These were the old memories of our
grandparents. They lived at the place for only 1 or 2 years.
photo - >(right) – the new cover of the book in 2011)
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