Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Exiled Physician Fighting for a Better Myanmar Tommy Walker BANGKOK - A minister of Myanmar's shadow governmentsaysthe United Nations hasan"obligation"to recognize what the people want ahead of the 76th General Assembly that beganTuesdayin New York. Myanmar has been in turmoil since February's military coup,duringwhich themilitary oustedthe democratically elected governmentandfollowed itwithan ongoing violent crackdown on opposing demonstrators. The annual assembly, whichconcludes on September30,will see anine-member credentials committee discuss who will take thenation'sU.N.seat, withthechoice down to eithermembers of the military junta orrepresentativeof theformer government. Dr.Sasa, theminister of International Cooperation for Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), the shadow government formed in the wake of the coup, whichincludesousted legislators and ethnic minority leaders, says the people have spoken. "The origin ofthe legitimacy is really with the will of the people of Myanmar. The will of the people of Myanmar has been expressed in the elections,which were free and fair. The U.N.'s duty is to uphold the will of the people of Myanmar.That is the obligation. "The U.N should look at realistic issues, not just about politics,"Sasa, who uses one name,toldVOAfrom an undisclosed location. "With or without U.N recognitions, we know what we have to do. That is to end this military junta regime reign of terror,"he added. In Myanmar's November elections, the National League for Democracy (NLD)party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory. But the armed forcesmade unsubstantiatedclaimsofelectoral fraud as the coup unfolded earlier this year. A mass uprising,spearheaded by the Civil Disobedience Movement,opposed thecoup,andthousands tookto the streets in protest. But thousands have since been killed and detained, according tothe [1]AssistanceAssociationfor Political Prisoners,agroup that monitorsMyanmar. The military disputes the figures,sayingthe number of those killed is lower. In July, the U.N.had warned that a civil war could breakout,but Sasa said the current situationshouldn'tbe defined this way. "People from the outside will see this as a civil war.It'sreally nota civil war.It'sa struggle for freedom and democracy, and tyranny, and the destruction of democracy under a military dictatorship." 'We draw the line' But only last week the NUG announced a"defensive war"against the Myanmar military,following months of fighting across the country. Political analysts have arguedthatthe announcement was a call to arms. Sasa explained the decision. "We want to stick to law and order, protect the civilians as muchas possible, but[at]the end of the day,another side is fighter jets.The people of Myanmar are facing military fighter jets, heavy artillery, heavy weapons.And the question is,how can we disable those weapons? "We draw the line.Enough is enough. We cannot prolong this reign of terror,"Sasa said. Myanmar's politicalunrest has only multiplied the country'sproblemsas it struggles with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.Becausemany protest leaders work in the medical sector,severalhave been targeted by the armed forces. Furthermore, people are refusing to be vaccinated under the military's stewardship. Originally a medical doctor from a remote villageinChin Yet, Sasahasbecome a popular new face in politics and was set to take a top job in the government before the coup. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has spent much of its years under military rule and has endured years of ethnic hostilities. Sasa saidhe faced many difficultiesgrowing upin the country, includingthe loss ofchildhood friends and family members. "The suffering I have seen in my life is something I cannot even begin to describe. It is hard to see such suffering--no hospitals, school, college.To go to hospital orcollege '¦ takeslikesevendays walking through the jungle,"he said. But he managed to get an education,first in India,and then in Armenia, where he went to medical school.He also worked as a schoolteacher, he said,and morerecentlywith humanitarians and health workers in rural villages in Myanmar.Butwhen the opportunity to move into politics came, he found it difficult to resist. "I was being asked by top leaderships to try politics.It becamevery difficultto sayno.I got the opportunity to bring people together--me,as a minority.I feel I can bring a real value to the country." He became a leading member of the Chin State NLD's election committee for the general elections, which got him noticed by Aung San Suu Kyi. Today,however,with Suu Kyi still detained and facing a slew of charges by the military,andSasaon the run, things are much different. "None of us thinks this hell[the coup]would happen. Because COVID-19 is happening, it would lead to chaos and help no one." Whenthe coup unfolded, Sasa found himself immediately at risk. He managed to flee to India unnoticed, disguisedas a taxi driver. "We saw the smoking guns, the government surrounding us, every street everywhere. I start thinking about how to get out from there. The only way was to do like a taxi driver--it takes me three days and nights--I thought I'd be arrested and killed." Sasa is still on the run and admits his current situation is still "very tough." The military charged him with high treason following his political involvement after the coup. He became Myanmar's representative to the U.N. by the Committee RepresentingPyidaungsuHluttaw (CRPH) -- a legislative body representing ousted lawmakers. Butheis still hopeful, sayinghe'shonoredto be"bringing people together"with an"inclusive government"fighting for a better Myanmar. "That feeling of risking life every day, it is uneasy, it is painful.But in the way we are building the future, we are building a better tomorrow for all. "Hopefully,we'll see a new Myanmar,a new future,sooner or later,"he said."All the sacrifices we have made, history will look back and remember something great." References 1. https://aappb.org/?p=17633 .