Burmese chess players in Subic worried

By Robert Gonzaga Central Luzon Desk First Posted 02:12:00 05/13/2008 SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – They spoke haltingly, in fractured English, about the gnawing fear of the unknown. “We [are] here [because of] duty. We stay [here] for duty,” said Grandmaster Win Lay Zaw, 45, leader of Burma’s (Myanmar’s) six-member team in the 2nd Philippine Open International chess championship here. While the commitment to represent their country, devastated by Cyclone Nargis as it ripped through the Irrawaddy Delta on May 2, was foremost in their minds, all the Burmese chess players wanted was information – any piece of news – on the fate of their relatives back home. “Stay(ing) here [is a] duty. We all want [to] go [home]. But no call,” Zaw told the Inquirer on Sunday night. Zaw said officials of his country’s chess federation had yet to advise his team on whether it would pull out from the competitions here and return to Burma. The team was then in Singapore when it received information that the cyclone hit Burma. The government’s death toll stood at 23,350 with 37,019 missing. For these sportsmen, who devour every bit of news from CNN and other international news networks or the Internet, the only thing worse than knowing is not knowing what is happening in their country. They left their families, some of whom live in Rangoon (Yangon), the area hardest hit by Nargis. In the first few days of the disaster, Zaw said he tried calling friends, relatives and even acquaintances in Burma to get news in between preparations and competitions, but no call or email could reach home. Not knowing whether family members were among the living or dead has become a relentless torture for the chess team. Zaw was worried about his sister in Rangoon. “I don’t know if she’s…,” he said, his voice trailing off. A ray of hope shone on Saturday when the team received a call from Mgmg Lwin, president of Burma’s chess federation, from Rangoon. Federation Master (FM) Kyaw Kyaw Soc, 38, was told by Lwin that his family was “fine; they [are] OK.” Soc’s mother, four sisters and a brother lived in Rangoon. Though his worries had somewhat eased, Soc said he and other team members could not take their minds away from their homeland. “[When images from the news reports that] we watch enter our head, [we] can’t think well. But sometimes, [it’s] fine. Sometimes,” he said. FM Lin Naing Kyaw, 26, who has been married for only three months, said: “Nearly every day my wife calls. [I am] so happy because I think [something] bad happen[ed] [at] first. [My] father is in Yangon. He [is] OK.” In fact, Kyaw is only one of two team members who can breathe easier. International Master (IM) Nay Oo Kyaw Tun, 32, who lives in Mandalay, has an uncle in Rangoon. “I am sad about what happened. Our people, so sad. My Uncle, no news.” Mandalay is more than 640 kilometers from Rangoon. IM Aung Aung, 40, also from Mandalay, said: “My brother [is in] Yangon. No news. Don’t know.” IM Zaw Htun Wynn, 26, a bachelor and also from Mandalay, said: “Every one [in my] family live in Mandalay. No problem. But news is very, very sad.” After 10 rounds Monday, the Burmese players’ scores were Wynn, 3.5; W. Zaw, 2.5; Tun, Soc, 2; and Kyaw and Aung, 1. Their days in this bustling port now follow a familiar routine – long stretches of games against Asia’s best, followed by extended hours of watching CNN and reading news reports on the Internet. They declined to answer questions about acts made by their country’s military rulers during the tragedy. But when told of reports that the junta allowed the entry of aid from other countries, they nodded and smiled. “We [are] grateful. Yes,” Zaw said. Chess, the players said, had become a “welcome distraction,” offering an escape from Nargis and its aftermath. After the competitions wrap up on May 14, the team will return to Burma on May 18. They are, however, uncertain how Burma will rise from the tragedy and how they will rebuild their lives. “We have no plans. We don’t know what [to] do,” Zaw said. Copyright 2008 Central Luzon Desk. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.