MyoMyint grew up in Burma and joined the army at age 17. He lost his limbs to a landmine and was discharged. After speaking out against the military dictatorship at a protest, where thousands were killed, he was imprisoned for 15 years. Upon release, he fled to Thailand as a refugee and eventually settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he advocates for Burmese refugees.

1. MyoMyint An Ordinary Hero

2. This is MyoMyint Former Burmese Soldier now living as a political refugee here in Fort Wayne.

3. As a boy MyoMyint went to school. He had a history teacher who inspired him He had brothers and sisters and grew up in a fairly normal setting.

4. As a soldier In 1962 Burma was taken over by their own military. MyoMyint joined the army when he was only seventeen. He hated what he saw and wished he had never joined MyoMyint lost his left arm and leg and most of the fingers on his right hand to a landmine He was then discharged from the military

5. As a man Thousands flooded the streets in 1988 to protest. Soldiers unloaded on the people. Over 3000 were killed. MyoMyint spoke out to over 8,000 people trying to persuade soldiers to join the pro-democracy movement The next day 200 soldiers left the military to join the fight for democracy His speech led to his arrest, torture and imprisonment for fifteen years.

6. As a refugee MyoMyint fled to Thailand upon being released for the safety of his family and himself. In 2008 he was granted a visa to the United States He now lives with his younger brother and his younger sister here in Fort Wayne. He is a local hero to some 6000 Burmese refugees who reside in Fort Wayne today.

10. What makes someone “ordinary”?Are we, as westerners and the freedom we enjoy…the norm?How do other people in the world get by day after day?What is their reality?

11. NVC:MyoMyint demonstrated Tapasya;willingness to suffer for a greater cause

12. Works Cited http://yearningtobreathefree.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/burmese-soldier-turned-promoter-of-democracy-myo-myint-part-one/ http://voaburmese.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/whats-in-a-name-burma-or-myanmar/ http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/developing-world-stories/2009/03/burma-political-prisoners-jail.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-484903/Burma-UN-envoy-meets-general-regime-blames-foreigners-violence.html