In the meantime, Karim and Fazal re-united with their families in Aung Syke. Albeit they couldn’t get back the eight extra trees Than Kin and his followers had cut, after presenting this matter to Hin Kao, the old priest gave them assurances that they would be adequately compensated for the loss. After receiving such assurances, Rahim felt pursuing the issue any further would not be helpful. However, Rafiq had an uncomfortable feeling inside him about it. Regularly he used to listen and watch the world news on television and internet. He felt, today or tomorrow, the ethnic cleansing that became a norm against Muslims in so many regions of the globe, would touch the shores of this country too. Hence, he saw this incident of cutting trees of their grove from a different perspective. Every Qurbani Eid they had to give eight thousand kiyat as tax for each animal. They needed special permission to go to another district from the Arakan state. These issues got Rafiq wondering, if they were outsiders. Rafiq could see a devastating storm brewing in the horizon. He didn’t dare speak of it.
While having dinner at night, Rafiq asked his father, “Don’t we even have the right to protest if someone has illegally snatched something away from us?”
“Of course, we have.”
Rafiq would not let go so easily. Again he asked, “If that’s how it is, why were elder brother and Fazal taken into custody?”
Rahim calmly answered, “The incident was presented to them incorrectly. Actually, this is not the main issue. What matters is that the priest of the temple has assured us of compensation. This is how we have to look at it.”
For a while Rafiq stared quietly at his father’s face. Cold draft blowing through the gap of the kitchen door had been trying to strike the people inside. The burning flames of the two stoves somehow foiled the cold attempt. Rafiq extended his hands over the stove for warmth and stared at the flame as if he was spellbound. In his trancelike state, he asked his father, “Do you know why Kamal and Fazal were released by the men of Tatmadaw?”
Rahim took a bite, tearing part of the homemade cake in his hand. Then he responded, “I don’t need to know so much. Tell me what your intentions are.”
On the right side of Rafiq, Hajera Begum sat next to the stove. She placed her hands on his and in an adoring tone asked Rafiq if he had been thinking about marriage. Rafiq wondered what to say to his mother, if he should spill the news of his marriage with Su or keep it hidden. They might face serious consequence if this matter leaked out, especially if Su’s father came to know about it. Then again, if he kept it secret, he had to keep up with his mother’s wish. It was a dilemma for him. Eventually, Rafiq drew his mother close to him and told her the truth. Hajera Begum passed a few speechless moments. The wretched expression in her eyes was enough to convey what the news had done to her. She turned to her husband and said, “Karim’s father, I can’t believe it. Rafiq has married a Buddhist girl in Yangon! She’s the daughter of a high-ranking military officer.”
Rahim asked his son, “Rafiq, is it true?”
Rafiq sat there quietly with his head held low like a criminal. Everyone present over there realized it was true. By then an uneasy silence had been playing the tragic tune of horrible consequences in everyone’s heart. However, no one dared to say anything. At one point, Rahim broke the silence. He said, “Why did you have to marry her? If her father ever knows about it, he will exterminate my entire family from the face of the earth, in broad daylight.”
Rafiq stammered to utter the next line. After clearing his throat, he said, “I didn’t have any other option. Our relationship had gone too far. I would have ended up in trouble if I had refused to marry.”
When Rafiq had finished, Kulsum said, “Dad, ship him out of the country as soon as possible.”
“We need permission to move from one district to another. How do you expect me to send him abroad in this kind of situation?”
All this time, Karim had been a silent audience. He was standing by the kitchen door without anyone noticing. He said, “For now, it’s possible to send him to Bangladesh. Later, he can move to Saudi from there. But you have to spend a lot of money.”
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The decision was made that very night to send Rafiq to Bangladesh. Karim had acquaintance with a border guard in Maung Dao. He used to work as a school teacher in Aung Syke. He left the job five years ago and joined the border guards. Now he’s responsible for a camp at the border. For the right amount, he would manage everything.
At last, on the day of the exercise, Lee and his men arrived at Awagan, before sunrise. It was a peninsula, situated in the south eastern region of Rakhain. High ranking officers of Tatmadaw and government officials would observe the exercise. Hence, the exercise was an opportunity for Brigadier Lee. Lee was the chief organizer of the exercise. If anything went wrong, he would be held responsible for it. And if it could be executed successfully, it would be a blessing for his military career.
Initially, Awagan on South-East of Sittwe and Adengrik in Budhi Daung district were chosen as the possible venue for the exercise. Most of the officers had opted for Adengrik as the appropriate spot for the exercise because Awagan was a peninsula. It was surrounded by water from three sides. Its eastern side was the only accessible rout to this region. Even that part had several river crossings over it. As a result, Awagan was more or less isolated from the mainland. For this reason, the senior officers felt, it would be a logistical nightmare for the armed forces if the exercise was to be held at Awagan. However, for two reasons Lee expressed his opinion in favor of Awagan. He argued, if Awagan was chosen, two important objectives would be achieved. As it would greatly enhance the war preparedness of the armed forces, it would also test Tatmadaw’s ability to conduct missions at difficult terrain like Awagan.
To the army chief, Lee’s opinion seemed more logical. Hence, Awagan was chosen as the venue for the exercise. The other senior officers present in that meeting praised Lee for his brilliant idea. Nonetheless, behind the curtain, unease reigned in the hearts of many, and Major General Ko Lay, the army chief’s brother-in-law, was one of them. This ambitious general enjoyed the allegiance of the officer in charge of one very important aspect of the exercise. They agreed that Lee should not be allowed to reap the fruits of success, if the exercise was successfully concluded.
A stage almost ten feet high has been built for the guests. The guests will follow the exercise from there. Almost all high-ranking officers of Tatmadaw are present. Of course, the chief guest of this program is none other than the head of Myanmar’s military regime. The exercise will start exactly at eight in the morning. The military units participating in the exercise has been divided in two groups. The enemy forces have been assembled under a green flag. On the other hand, the allied forces have been given the red flag.
The camp of the green team has been kept at a distance of half a mile from the spectators. Different types of fortifications are there to protect the camp from the red forces. The objective of the green team is to defend their camp from the assault of the red team.The objective of the red team is to take over the position of the green team as fast as possible.
The war game commenced with artillery exchanges. and then the armored and infantry units of the red team started moving towards the green team’s position. According to the plan, the red team was supposed to halt its push five hundred yards from the camp of the green team and the red team did so unfailingly. Troubles started from that point onward. The fighter jets and helicopter gunships of the air units were to bomb the positions of the green team before the red team would begin its final push to take over the enemy positions. However, when it was time for bombardment from air by the fighter jets and helicopter gunships, no more than four F-7 fighter jets were visible at the scene. They left the scene after releasing their bombs and the red team thought that was the planned assault from air. The second, the fighter jets had left the red team commenced its assault against the enemy positions. For almost fifteen minutes the green team defended their positions. Because of the overwhelming superiority of the red team in number and weapons, they couldn’t hold their fort for more than fifteen minutes. Right after the red team achieved its objective, the main body of the fighter planes and helicopters arrived at the scene. They released bombs and missiles against the positions of the green team which was by then held by the red team. The red team tried their best to halt the air assault by displaying their red flags. In the confusion of battle, the attempts to draw the attention of the air wing were ignored. If this were to happen for real, the red team would have been wiped out by its own air wing. Albeit this incident became the source of much curiosity and humor among the guests, the chief guest felt, the serious implications of this failure warranted an investigation. Most military officers held Lee responsible for such grotesque failure. However, investigation which followed revealed that the main part of the air wing could not reach the battle scene timely because of technical reasons. The responsibility for this failure actually fell upon the shoulders of the air wing which was indirectly under the command of Major General Ko Lay. But of course, it would be seen as sheer arrogance, if any officer uttered this fact. Hence, they found it much more convenient to blame Brigadier Lee for this shortcoming.