Su Mon Kyaw-Myint

Story

Unlike the story of some Burmese migrants, ours isn’t a refugee story. However, I don’t think my parents would have ever considered leaving Burma if it was a country of opportunities and freedom. We left Burma in 1992 because my father got a job at the UN. At the time, I couldn\’t have imagined that this was a permanent move. I just knew I was going where my parents were going.

My journey to Australia is not a just a journey in a literal sense. Every bit of who I am contributed to why I wanted to be an Australian. It is my upbringing, especially having experienced many cultures that made me want something different for myself. I was also lucky enough to get a Western style education and my teachers (especially those in Dhaka) taught me to value freedom of speech and thought. During my visits to Burma, I found I could not express myself freely and many people had insular views because they didn’t have the opportunity to hear or read anything other than the state run media and the heavily censored publications. I thought to myself I could never go back to that life. If I witnessed an injustice, I wanted the ability to voice my opinion or do something about it. I didn\’t want to have to offer a bribe for what should be any citizen\’s right, like a driver\’s license or a passport. I also wanted people to see me and like me for who I was and not because of what I had or because I was so and so\’s daughter and granddaughter. Most of all, I strongly believed that no one should be above the law and everyone should be accountable for their actions. I felt all of those things were not possible in Burma.

Another thing I struggled with growing up was my identity. In a world where one is defined by his/her nationality, who was I? Being a UN child, you move countries and schools often and you feel you don’t really belong anywhere. I used to tell myself that I was a global citizen and it was ok that I didn\’t have a country but in my heart, I desperately wanted to belong.

I was sent to Australia for my tertiary education because my parents felt it was a wonderful and safe country. I arrived in February 1998 and fell in love with the country and its people. Here was a place where I could be me and I could be free. I could understand the language and people accepted me. There were no culture shocks. I didn\’t have to cover myself fully just because I was a girl. I didn\’t have to be angry and indignant at the way women and girls were treated. Finally, I found myself a ‘home\’.

When I completed my degree, I went back to my parents who were in Pakistan at the time. I did not want to go back to Burma because none of my family was there and I felt like a misfit there. But I was also unhappy in Pakistan. I missed being in a secular society and the safety of Australia, the friendly faces, and the fabulous sunshine. I then decided to apply for skilled migration and returned to Australia a few months later in 2001. The day I got my citizenship was one of the happiest days of my life. I could now officially call this wonderful country home.

While in Pakistan, I fell in love with Kyaw, the son of a Burmese diplomat. After several years of a long distance relationship, Kyaw joined me and we got married in 2005. Kyaw, like me, loves Canberra and its people. We feel that we have made the best decision by settling here.

Both my siblings and my parents have also chosen to settle in Australia and I am very happy that all my loved ones are here with me.

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