Part II — The Quarrel Within the Family

You must understand, my dear, that many of our problems were caused by the in-laws.

You know very well that your mother-in-law — my stepmother, Daw Than Shwe — has long been the root cause of much of our suffering. At least we are fortunate that her sister, Daw Khin Nyunt, can no longer disturb us as before. She was charming, always smiling and speaking sweetly to everyone, yet behind those smiles she quietly destroyed people through cunning tricks and secret manipulations.

As you know, my real father, U Aung San — generous, courageous, and loved by the entire village — passed away before I was even born.

After his death, I was adopted and raised by my uncle U Nu, who became the guardian of our family estate. To be fair, he cared for us sincerely. But he was too gentle, too soft-hearted, and spent too much time praying while others slowly took control around him. Eventually his wife, Daw Ne Win, became the true power within the household and managed the estate as she wished.

When she finally passed away, we believed our troubles might also end. But instead, her cousin Daw Than Shwe entered our lives, trapped my adopted father into marriage, and gradually occupied almost everything our father U Aung San had left behind.

What could I do immediately?

Out of respect for my late adopted father, and because Daw Than Shwe was backed by powerful relatives, village thugs, and armed enforcers, I could not simply throw her out of the house or openly fight back.

So instead, we sought legal help.

We hope our case will eventually reach the UN Court.

Ironically, even our former lawyer, Ko Yazali — whom we never fully trusted — is now quietly helping us. After all, he too carries Burmese blood. He is diplomatic by nature, but even he has become increasingly disturbed by Daw Than Shwe’s actions.

Our neighbour, U ASEAN, and his family are also trying to mediate. They gently pressure Daw Than Shwe to settle the dispute peacefully and return what rightfully belongs to all of us.

Meanwhile, the influential village elders — U Sa, U Kay, and U Eu — have become the real forces pressuring her from behind the scenes. For that, we must be grateful. They too have appealed to Ko Fi Annan from the United Nations to intervene and help resolve our family crisis.

We still hope that Daw Than Shwe’s younger brother, U Maung Aye, may one day persuade his sister and her unruly relatives to finally respect the law.

Do you remember my eldest sister, Daw Su, who married a British academic?

During one of her visits home, she saw how much we were suffering and decided to stay with us for a long time to help. Because she openly supported both you and me, Daw Than Shwe bribed the authorities and imprisoned her under widely publicized but false accusations.

Yet my sister remained calm.

She was experienced, wise, deeply principled, and remarkably forgiving. She promised never to seek revenge against Daw Than Shwe or the others. In fact, she even proposed that we should eventually work together as partners.

Perhaps she was right.

The inheritance left behind by our father is vast — one of the richest and most resourceful estates in the region. There is enough space for all of us to live together with dignity.

The only thing we truly need is fairness.

Every member of the family must have a voice in the important decisions. Whether my brothers and sisters remain inside the house or live far away in distant towns, all of them still wish to help rebuild our village — for you, for me, and for all our children.