“There Will Be a Bigger Revolution” – Interview with King Zero

King Zero / Ashin Issariya, 34 is one of the key leading monks of Burma’s uprising against the military regime, known as the Saffron Revolution in 2007. He is one of the few founding members of the All Burma Monks Alliance and co-founder of The Best Friend, Children Education Projects.
He escaped to Thailand in October 2008 after eluding authorities during a year in hiding and a two-week manhunt.

TBF: How long since you escaped to Thailand and what difficulties did you expirience coming here ?

King Zero: To escape I had to change my clothes, hide my robe and dress like a layman to disguise. Since 2007 after the Saffron Revolution I was on the run and working for freedom in Burma.

In October 2008 I escaped to Thailand, means, that I was hiding in Burma for one year. During that time the police knew about King Zero, but they did not know who the real person behind this nickname was. After 10th of October 2008 they knew King Zero as U Issariya and it became very difficult for me to hide any longer.

Because I was working together with U Ganbira during the Saffron Revolution in 2007, I would have been, if arrested, prospectively sentenced between 58 and 100 years in prison. The police also knew my family. They tried to arrest my brother. They wanted to take him as a hostage. When they found out that I had escaped to Thailand they stopped following him.

TBF: Are there many monks still on the run, or living underground ?

King Zero: Yes, many. Some came here to Thailand; others are hiding and going from place to place. Many monks have already changed their robes into lay peoples’ clothes. The monks from my group are still in contact. Others are living far away, not in touch with each other.

TBF: Since the protests in September 2007, the Saffron Revolution a total of 1.118 actvists have been arrested. Including 219 monks who are in prison or labor camps now. What can you tell us about the situation of these monks ?

King Zero: The monks are not used to hard labour, so the situation in the forced labor camps is extremely unbearable for them. Ashin Pannasiri, who escaped to India last year from Lantalang Prison in Chin State, told us of many problems and bad situations inside the prison. The monks are forced to work so hard that some of them allready died in the camps.

The treatment of the monks in the prisons is especially hard because of political reasons. Like U Pannasiri, who was tortured during many interrogations, the monks are specificly repressed and maltreated in the prisons.

The monks are also isolated because their family members don’t know where they are now. They don’t know how to inquire and how to find out. Mostly monks come from the country side. These relatives are very simple people and the government doesn’t inform them.

So, these monks face a lot of difficulties. Only if the country changes they can become free. Otherwise there is no way for them to come out of the prisons and labor camps.

TBF: U Gambira, the leading monk of the peacefull demonstartions in 2007 was charged with treason and reseaved a total prison term of 68 years. He suffered from brain and neurologocal diseases while being held in Insein prison. What do you know about his current situation ?

King Zero: He was moved to a remote prison recently because he demonstrated against General Than Shwe inside prison. He was attacked repeatedly with psychological torture and solitary confinement. Nobody knows exactly how his health situation is now. His family can only visit him once a month and even these visits are often canceled by the authorities on short notice without giving any reason.

TBF: Since the Saffron Revolution the Buddhist monks in Burma have become main target of the Military Junta. How has this changed the life for monks in Burma ?

King Zero: It’s very hard for the monks in Burma now, because the secret service is always following them. Some monks have already changed their robes into layman’s clothes. Some monks believe that they have to struggle until the end of this revolution. Other monks are uproad, they had to run away. But many monks are determined to finish this revolution.

These days in Burma the monks have to give their fotos and detailed information on a CD to the police offices. The secret service police comes disguised in robes into the monasteries, or they come as lay people pretending to help the monks. There are many. Nobody knows whom to trust. But since the Saffron Revolution started the monks became braver. Even infront of strangers they openly talk, openly express their feelings against the regime because they are absolutely set to reach their goal.
Now the monks are preparing to strike again.

TBF: In 2008 a tape with dharma preaches of the prominent monk Ashin Nyanissa was blocked, could not be released to the public. Does the Military Junta controle religious activities?

King Zero: Yes, after 2007 many speeches of monks, not only U Nyanissa, also U Thumingala, U Kossanla and others have been blocked. Although they are dharma preachers they sometimes talk about politics and the present situation. Monks like them are always followed by plain clothes agents of the government as a means of controling their speeches. If there is no permission from the goverment, the plain clothes agents always make disturbances during the dharma sermons.

The regime fears the people, fears that they will demonstrate against them again, that is why they always controle the dharma speeches.

TBF: Would you say the Saffron Revolution is over ?

King Zero: No, all the monks keep on working for this revolution. There will be a bigger revolution, a bigger movement.

What I want to say to the whole world is, that the Burmese regime is killing the monks who are peace makers and peace lovers. The killing of monks means the killing of peace and that is why the people all over the world who love peace must put pressure on this regime. We have to push together; we have to put pressure on this regime because it also endangers the world peace.