KOCHI: Finally, the end of the long and exhausting wait of Aung Soe is on the horizon. Destined to live the harrowing life of a ‘no land’s man’ for almost a year, the 30-year-old Thai fisherman, who is trapped in a city police station after being rescued by the Indian Navy from Somali pirates, may head for his homeland soon, thanks to the efforts initiated by the Sailors Helpline, along with others, to track his roots.
The Sailors Helpline had aired a programme on Soe’s plight via Burmese Radio, and is now in the process of filming a documentary, ‘Aung Soe the Man without a Nation’.
“We have contacted the sailors’ forums in Thailand. In a programme aired through the Burmese Radio, ‘Radio Free Asia’ we brought the issue before the public. Finally, we were able to track Aung Soe’s friend Hein Zaw from Ranong in southern Thailand. He was tracked through Aung Thu Ya of the Seafarers Union of Burma,” said Manoj Joy of the Sailors Helpline Chennai, who was in the crew that shot the documentary.
Earlier, in a major breakthrough, a crucial document to prove Aung Soe’s citizenship and his sailor identity has also been recovered. The Home Allotment Booklet used by the vessel management to send money to his relatives in Thailand has been found.
‘Express’ had earlier reported the plight of Aung Soe, who has been confined within the four walls of Ernakulam Harbour Police station since 2010.
Rescued from Somalian pirates, while on board Prantalay 12, a Thai fishing trawler, Soe was in police custody since December 8, 2010. However, the authorities could not send him back to Thailand since he did not have a passport or documents to prove his citizenship, leaving the State Home Department in a fix over his deportation.
The documentary, directed by Prasanth Kanathoor, has the technical assistance of K Sreekumar of the Indian Transport Workers Federation.
“Being lonely in a no-man’s land isn’t a pleasant experience at all,” says Soe in broken English.
“In fact, we are bringing in an interpreter, Apinya, chairperson of the Regional Welfare Committee South East Asia, for translating Soe’s conversations in Thai. Once the documentary is completed and the issue brought to the attention of the international maritime community, I hope he would be able to sail home,” says Manoj Joy.