Prisoner Thein Win - Ton Ngewa Treasure

Chapter (1)

When I was a prison guard, I was transferred to Katha in 1956. I took the train from Yangon to Mandalay and stayed overnight in Mandalay Prison (Pan Dwin).

. . Although there was a railway from Mandalay to Katha, it was unreliable because of the large locomotives that were fueled by firewood and coal. My teacher friends urged me to travel by water. So, to gain experience in water travel, I chose the “Papawin Ship” which was the earliest to leave from the (P) type, small ships, Papawin, Ponna Pyan, and Padummar.

The ship would leave Gowan Port at 6am, so I had to get up at 5am and take a Toyopet car that was sent from the prison to the port.

The ship had not yet left, so after having breakfast at the port, I said goodbye to my escorts and disembarked. The "Papawin Ship" was a small, single-decker ship, slightly larger than a motorboat.

On this route to Bhamo, there are also large ships of the type Pwint Phyu, Pyitkyi Patmyar, Pyada Pyan, Punya, and Pyada Shin. These ships are very slow because they carry both people and goods.

From Mandalay, we passed through Sint Ku, Tha Beik Kyin, Tagaung, and Htee Chaing and arrived in Katha after spending two nights (3 days). It was a long journey by water. We also had to watch out for rafts coming along the way.

' It is said that if you take a big ship, it takes four or five days. I don't think the train will take that long. I didn't dare to take the train because the locomotives are unreliable. I am alone and there is no problem. It is important to arrive on time and arrive gracefully. .... - The green and brown mountains surrounding Katha are surrounded by the sea. Katha, which is located on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, is even more beautiful when you look up and notice it. • On the outskirts of the city, you can enjoy the Mya Pagoda, Tawatisa, and Maha Abaya Pagoda. In addition, there are motorboats, boats, and cruise ships moored at the port.

That is why in ancient times, Katha was called “Kamtha”. In the Shan language, it was also called “Kapsa”. The meaning is “Mingtha City”.

Similarly, in the Kadu Chronicle, it is also called "Kasa" Pyu. "Kasa" is one of the three major cities founded by King Anawrahta of Bagan in 395 Burmese calendar.

Moe Ta and Yin Khe, which were the capitals of that time, still exist as large villages on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River.

Katha is bordered by Kachin State's Moehnyin Township to the north, Shweku Township and Ma Bain Township of Shan State to the east, Htee Chin Township to the south, and Inn Taw Township to the west.

Katha is surrounded by the Minwan Mountain Range, the Phatsut Mountain Range, and the Suil Mountain Range. In addition to valuable trees such as kyun, pyinkatoe, in, kanyang, yinma, yaman and yong, there are also moemakha, yechinya, thrawpin and tazin trees growing in clusters on the shore. Three-quarters of the entire township is covered in forests, and Katha has a pleasant climate.

When we arrived at Katha Port, it was already past 12 noon, and we stopped at a nearby restaurant to eat a variety of meat and fish. Not only did we get wild game meat, but we also had a variety of fish dishes.

Strangely enough, the fish are about the size of a palm, and when grilled, they are juicy and yellow. They are fresh and very tender to eat.

After eating, we hired a rickshaw to take us to Kathar Prison. The road was not paved, but a gravel road. We didn't see any traffic. When we got to the market in the city center, we only saw a few GMC trucks and jeeps parked there. . .

As we rode a rickshaw along the road south of the market, we reached the outskirts of the city and came to the Katha Prison, which was surrounded by a large brick wall. It was only about one-tenth the size of the Insein Prison.

In Katha Prison, I have a fellow student, Ko Myint Swe, who is also a weekly trainee. The prison warden is U Ohn Maung, a very kind person. So, I don't have to worry about Katha Prison.

As soon as we arrived at the prison gate, the staff greeted us. The prison warden, U Ohn Maung, and the prison warden, Ko Myint Swe, also came out.

U Ohn Win - "Come on... We've been waiting since Ko Thein Win's order arrived. I think we got delayed on the way."

Me: “No, sir, it’s convenient on the road. It took a long time because the bamboo rods were being transferred to the Insein Prison detention center. The bamboo rods there are over (2000).”

U Ohn Maung: “Oh, well... in our prison, there are about 100 male prisoners and 60 female prisoners, and only 15 female prisoners/guards. That’s a lot of responsibility.”

Ko Myint Swe. "Friend... have you eaten? There's nothing to worry about here. We can arrange it right away."

Me: "I've already eaten. When we arrived at Katha Port, we ate at a nearby restaurant, and the fish and meat were very cheap."

U Ohn Maung - "Yes. Katha is very rich in meat and fish. Vegetables are also abundant. There are also beautiful women. It is convenient for young prison guards like you."

Ko Myint Sue. “Don’t worry about eating or drinking. You don’t need to buy or cook food. The food office always cooks for us young prison guards. We don’t have what we want. We make it convenient for you.”

Me: "Okay. It's okay. Sometimes we go out to eat when we're not feeling well."

Ko Myint Swe: "There are a lot of outside catering. Since there are few government employees in this city, we often have to eat out twice a week, sometimes with a few guests."

I asked, "What kind of businesses are there in this city?"

U Ohn Maung: “There are only timber, agricultural and fishing industries. During the rainy season, when the “kazin” fruit is in bloom, there is a business of picking tazin fruits.”

Me: "What does a pomegranate do?"

U Ohn Maung: “The tajin tree is a tree like the mayan tree. It grows on the banks of streams, and is a common tree. It bears fruit during the rainy season. We have to pick it by rowing it in boats in the water.

The seeds from the fruit are extracted and sold to the township cooperative for soap making. It is a very popular tree, and at that time, poor artisans made money. The tazin tree also grows along streams, between streams, and all over the country. .

“What’s unique about this township is that men don’t work much. Women and children often do the cleaning.”

Me: "Why do men work less?"

U Ohn Dhar. "The locals are mostly dependent on opium and live a luxurious life. There are many Kadu, Kanan and Khanti Shan here, and they work in the timber industry. Opium is also abundant, so they live a luxurious life. I think this is the only town with as many jobs as this one. You can earn money by simply harvesting bamboo without any capital."

Me: “What are the common cases?”

U Ohn Maung. It's just theft of wood, theft of wood, fighting, and stabbing. Oh... there's also opium. Other serious crimes are rare. Robbery and murder are rare."

Ko Myint Swe.. “Well... my friend, you want to listen too.

Saya U Ohn Maung lives on the east ghat. I live on the west ghat. We live together.

"Let's take a shower and rest, then go out into the city in the evening to eat and drink. We'll do the work tomorrow."

U Ohn Maung. "U Thein Win has to handle the "support", so it's easier. The daily rations are distributed by the support department's secretary, U Hla Aung, and his staff. I only go to the trade office two or three times a month to get rice, oil, salt, and beans."

Me: “Yes, prison warden.”

At that time, the prison officials were only at the level of prison commander. They were one step higher than us. But they were seniors with experience.

Myint Swe and I went to the West Gate. While I took a break to shower and change clothes, Myint Swe went back to work. Kathar Prison is a prison from the British era, over a hundred years old and outdated.

However, the area is rich in bamboo and the buildings are sturdy. They are stained with oil.

In the evening, while I was getting up, taking another shower, and changing my clothes, Ko Myint Swe returned from the prison. Their prison was small, so it seemed easy to be imprisoned.

There are very few inmates in and out. In our Insein Prison, there are so many inmates that the prison usually closes at 6 pm and closes at 7 pm.