"My escape from Burma"

by Min T. Naing

Min T. Naing, our consultant for this course, is a student who escaped from Burma during the riots of 1988. This text describes how Min escaped from Burma and was able to come to this country. Someday Min hopes to return to Burma and help the people there.
  1. 7ua manùm yamu7 men tan nayng.
    I have name Min Than Naing.

    'My name is Min Than Naing.'


  2. Ha't nu 7ua palup padua kakom kwah phè'a ce7 cah tabah chontea ka' 7alè'asoa
    Reason from I participate in group pupil school go-down opposite demonstrated prep. government

    padua ka' sanam 1988 7akhoing 7akhong 7arè'a manè kalay kamo'
    in Prep.year 1988 time democracy things people [uprising]

    7alùm padua du'ng pamèa kàwh toa
    whole country in country Burma foc finish

    'Because I participated in a student group that demonstrated against the government, in 1988, during that time the whole country of Burma was in an uprising for democracy.'


  3. 7ua wu7 kwoin poi7 [tè'h tù'ng] rap ka'
    I worry scared[suffer]arrest prep

    [tala 7awe panan] toa krip tèa te't klu'ng nu du'ng kwan [ the military] finish run leave come from country village seed is.

    'I was afraid of being arrested by the military, so I ran away from the country.'


  4. Padua ka' chamoat ngoa cow tecam kit taw maraykaso'
    In prep grade sun 10 8 pain [month] December

    sanam 1988 ko' tala 7awe panan sem ket 7ana toa
    year 1988 foc. Majesty power military [take away] power finish

    dè'7 to'7 palawm palay ta tana tapah chondea kamalayn toa.
    he pl. [break down] throw- away place demonstration pl. finish.

    'On December 18, 1988, after the military coup, the military broke down the boycott station.'


  5. Peaklay rawp nyeh me7-ce7 ca tapacondea ka' dè'7 taw7 7o't ra.
    looking for arrest person rel[against] demonstration the he pl. gone aff.

    'After that they tried to arrest everyone who was against them.'


  6. Roa 7ua pòa met klayn de'h tù'n rawp na kù't tem ket ra.
    Friend I [many] [suffer] arrest take away receive know take aff.

    'As I know, many of my friends were arrested.'


  7. 7akhoing ka la7 ko' wu7 7ua krip toa 7op mò'ng padua ka'
    time [time ] foc. I run finish hide prog. in to prep.

    pèa leit ciayt poayn pa poa ngua mea7 tò' kom ra.
    temple stick God during 2 3 sun was

    'In that time I ran and hid in the Buddhist temple for 2 or 3 days.'


  8. 7akoh ka la7 7ua 7op mo'ng padua pèa ko' tala7 7awe
    while [time] I hide exist in temple foc. person power

    panan taw7 klày rawp mo'ng 7ua nom dè'7 7ua moa
    military pl. look for arrest exist I future sister I one

    klu'ng lea tapah cia'7 ka' 7ua mè' tò' ra.
    come tell show eat foc I was aff.

    'While I was hiding in the temple, one of my sisters came and told me the military was looking for me.'


  9. Ngoa le'karaw wu7 payam nu kaiah praw 7amù 7ua klu'ng ce
    sun behind time dawn early uncle I come see

    kapeat 7ua padua ka' payn karan pèa toa nyeh tù'n pateat na
    meet me in in gate, door temple finish uncle suffer take out

    mange'h du'n du't toa.
    outside city over there finish.

    'The next day, early in the morning, my uncle came to see me in the gate of the temple and then he took me out of the city.'


  10. Nu ca koh 7ua ca7 7a taraw padua 7akra krò'p tè ka' 7ua 7a cawp
    from [there] I tie go distance in between forest [until] I go arrive< 7a kwan Cayt Poa padua to'a7 payo' sem moa tanay mè' tò' ra.
    go village Pagoda 3 in earth border Thai 1 place [ was] aff.

    'From there, I proceeded into the forest, until I arrived in the village Three Pagoda Pass, which was in the Thai border.'


  11. 7ua mo'ng padua payo' moa sanam toa 7ua lup klu'ng dan kabe'ngko'k mè' tò' ra.
    I live in border 1 year finish I in come country Bangkok [was] aff.

    'I lived in the border for 1 year , and then I came into Bangkok.'


  12. 7akoh 7ua toi'n taw tamo'ng padua du'in kabe'ngko'k kò'h net ka' kaw sa' ko'h toa
    While I live live in country Bangkok foc. Windfall prep lucky good finish.

    7ua ke't ce kabea ket kekom mei'trinol toa
    I windfall prep. Lucky good take group Maryknoll finish

    'While I was living in Bangkok, I was (unexpectedly) lucky to meet the Maryknoll group.'


  13. Nyeh to'7 paton ka' 7ua pèasa 7engloit ka'wm sam ka' reimtaloin tè ka' 7ua
    he pl. teach prep I language English and also prep. help [until] I

    nyo'ng kei't klu'ng cawp padua du'in Amerikan naw7 ra.
    get-approved receive come arrive in country America this aff.

    'They taught me English and helped me get approved to come to this country.'

  14. Padua ka' sanam 1992 klà hù'7 7o't 7ua klu'ng cawp du'in naw7 ra.
    In prep. year 1992 before not gone I come arrive country this aff.

    'Before the end of 1992, I arrived in this country.'


  15. Nu ka' 7ua klu'ng cawp du'in naw7 toa 7akom 7arèa o't sa'm sawak 7ua dèh rea
    from prep I come arrive country this finish [everything] for I [very good]

    taw poa mè' lon ra.
    burn 3 father miss aff.

    'After I arrived here, everything was very good for me.'


  16. Mu ha't raw 7ua kei't ce ket maneh ke'tkow poa mè' klàyn kawm sa'm ka' 7ua
    [because] I receive see take people nationality [a lot] then [includes] I

    manùm ka' 7akong kei't che'k ta'n 7a phèa mea7 tò' ra.
    have prep allow receive process go-up go school [was] aff.

    '(It was good) because I met many different people and I had the chance to go to school.'


  17. 7atayn ke'kom mei'trinol reimtalain lo' lataw 7ua kò'h 7ua kataw kun caray
    -- group Maryknoll help (with everything) past. foc. I [appreciate]

    [poa me-loin] ra.
    [everything] aff.


    'I really appreciate the Maryknoll missionaries because they helped me with everything.'
Notes

1 manùm seems to be a variant of nùm 'have' which can be used with non-material things (like a name).

2 kwah and phèa when used together mean 'student'.

3 ce7 and ca together mean 'against'.

4 tabah contea = "demonstrate" tabah = "show" contea = "desire, plan"

5 "Toa" in this sentence seems to be a lead into the next sentence, and means something like "after that."

6 Wu7 is some sort of discourse particle in Mon, but we do not yet understand its use.

7 tè'h tù'ng is the auxiliary used in passive sentences

8 Tala means "owner." It is also a title that is given to someone like the king.

9 Krip and teit are separate words but when placed together they mean run out or away."

11 cow tecam = 18 12 Sem ket ana seems to refer to the military coup, which took the power away from the people.

13 Dè'7 to'7 refers to all the military.The word dè'7 (younger) is used instead of nyeh to indicate a lack of respect for them (because they are bad).

14 Pea attaches to klay (looking for) but doesn't seem to change the meaning at all.

15 leit ciayt = Buddhist (person)

16 Ka la7 is optional in this case.

17 Tapah is optional in this case.

18 Ca (start) is spelled the same as cia (eat).