Searching for Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Searching for Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

(The Honourable article of India’s Independence Day)

By Lan Htong Sat Suu Lay

My father, Sawbwa Sat Su alias Lan Htong U Sat Su (1901-1966), Burmese citizen but

Chinese origin, had written and published three political and biography books with Burmese. Among those three books, in 1963 published “ 75 years Hearings and 49 years Visions of Burma by U Sat Su” was included. My father U Sat Su wrote that book for “Peace of the World, Peace of the Asia, and for China-Burma-India Friendship and Peace”. His main aim of writing and publishing that book was “Could be peacefully solved for 1963, China and India Crisis”.

There were 24 articles in that book and 7 articles were directly concerned with one of the

Indian National Leaders Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. I think some sentences of those articles can help for searching Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. So I tried the following article by the helps of Mission Netaji, some friends of Manipur, Naga Land, INA Martyr’s Memorial Moirang and Pro-democracy activists of Burma. But my English writing is poor and I beg your pardon and correction for my usages, sentences and so on.

The following are the titles of articles about Netaji by my father U Sat Su.

Chapter 9; A BOMBING RAID OF DR. BA HAN’S HOUSE

Chapter 14; THE STATEMENT OF DR. BA MAW

Chapter 15; A LETTER TO THE INDIAN EMBASSY

Chapter 16; THE PAST EXPERIENCES

Chapter 17; THE SIMILAR TEARDROPS IN TOKYO

Chapter 18; CANNOT FORGET EVEN TWELVE YEARS LONG

Chapter 19; THE SEPARATION AND MISSING

Among those articles, I think the Chapter 9 and Chapter 15 can be understood by the following photo of Burmese Prime Minister U Nu, India Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, U Sat Su and Khin May Nyun of 16-10-1957 at Rangoon Mingalardon Airport and the photo of the Nation Newspaper of 16-10-1957. I enlarged that Newspaper’s article and then copied and typed. So please read to understand what my father had written in his article.

“SAWBWA SATSU” WILL JOIN

INDIAN MISSION TO JAPAN

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SAYS, “ SUBHAS BOSE WAS MY FRIEND,

I WISH TO PAY MY LAST RESPECTS”

From Our Staff Reporter

U Sat Su Of 746 Dalhousie Street, Friend of Presidents and Prime Ministers, who once

donated Rs.100,000 to Bogyoke Aung San’s , Army Amenities Fund, and who recently made the headlines or “ Sawbwa Satsu ,” has decided he now wishes to be know as “India Satsu.”

This decision coincides with the coming of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister, to Burma. U Sat Su has only a hearing acquaintance with Mr. Nehru, but he claims to have been a personal friend and conductance of the late Subhas Chandra Boes.

U Sat Su ,who sometimes acted as “Mr.Fixn” for Bogyoke Aung San, whenever a ticklish problem had to be settled with the Japanese ,says that he once secured the release of several rich Indians who had been arrested by the Japanese on suspicion of being British agents ,and that Subhas Chandra Bose was grateful to him for the favor done to the Indian community.

Subhas Chandra Boes was first with U Sat Su on February 14,1945, when they both sped to Dr. Ba Han’s house at the 7th mile , after a bombing raid.

Now that the death of Mr. Bose has been established, “India Sat Su ” wishes to go to New Delhi and join the mission which is to journey to Japan, to receive Mr. Bose remains .In a letter addressed to the Indian Embassy yesterday, U Sat Su wrote.

I hear from the newspapers that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, has promised a special mission to go from India to Japan to receive the remains of your great leader and patriot, the late Subhas Chandra Bose.

During the last war, I had the honour to be associated of the work of the late Bogyoke Aung San and Subhas Chandra Bose. I met several times with the leader when the Indian Independence movement was being discussed with Japan’s General Kawabe. My last meeting with him was in 1945, when we both hurried to Dr.Ba Han’s house after it were bombed. At that time, there was an explosion over the house and an unexploded 100-lb bomb outside Dr.Ba Han’s trench.

Mr. Bose showed much concern over the safety of our leaders and I talked with him for a while as he examined the unexploded bomb. After wards, I heard he was killed in an air crash.

It is consequently, as an admirer and a friend of Mr. Bose that I now request your assistance to enable me to join the official mission when it starts out from New Delhi to bring home Subhas Chandra Boes’s ashes. I shall journey to India at my own expense and although a citizen of Burma and proud to be one, I wish to don Indian clothes and in that guise pay my last respects to Subhas Chandra Bose, who to me is the Bogyoke Aung San of Burma.

Since your great leader Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru will be visiting Burma soon, perhaps I may hope for these sentiments of mine to be conveyed to him, with my kindest regards. When he was here for the Water festival in 1955, I had the pleasure of throwing two bowlful of water on him. He was then dressed like a Burman and so he should be sampling to the idea of my dressing like an Indian for a very special occasion.

16-10-57

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And then in his article my father wrote about “a meeting of Netaji Subhas Chandra Boes,

General Aung San, General Yanakimuda and U Sat Su.” In that meeting, General Yanakimuda told “Japanese should not so much attack against China; 30 to 40 lakh of Japanese soldiers were in the trap of China; If some of those Japanese soldiers from China had attacked India, India would have liberated from British; In Asia, if India, China, Burma and Japan had united, they would not have been afraid of any European; British were only a paper tiger.”

My father also wrote; He and Netaji met daily.  Netaji and INA members frequently came

to my father’s Lan Htong Hotel and met with Japanese Military officers, Burmese (BIA,BDA) Army officers and Freedom activists, U Sat Su and his Chinese Association members and Members of Indian Associations of Burma. They discussed about; To get more Japanese Regiment from China; The new fronts of Haka-Thantaland-Mizoram-Kolkata, Rakine-Ramu-Kolkata (like 1824 Front of Burmese General Mahabandoola and Myawady U Sa); To cut out British Supplies; about the largest volunteer army in the history of the world ( 2 million combatant and a half million noncombatant troops, most of them were Indian Natives); The systematically organized and usages of troops by General Slim and General Wingate; Japanese should take those examples and should not be so proud and selfish; Japanese should use full power in India Fronts, To pay INA the same duties in the spearhead of the

advance into India; Netaji and INA didn’t want to fight “ Indian against Indian” and Netaji and INA understood “Japaneses’ Fascism” and Netaji had a plan to handle or to against Japan, like General Aung San, Thakhin Than Tun and Thakhin Soe of BCP.] And then my father U Sat Su wrote in his articles, he got the chances to know Netaji’s honesty and kindness to all. After the long term friendship, my father understood the more about Netaji and the more respect to him.

For Chapter 17, please study the following photos of Hindi, Burmese, Chinese and English

Newspapers of 1957, December.

(From The Nation Newspaper 1957, December 27)

SAWBWA SAT SU KEEPS HIS WORD: “Sawbwa” Sat Su, businessman, bon vivant and friend of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was as good as his word when he said he would join the official Indian Mission going to Tokyo to receive the ashes of the late Mr. Bose. When the Mission was delayed, U Sat Su went to Japan on his own, and received VIP treatment in Tokyo. Here he is seen with the head priest of the Shrine (40 miles from the city) where the ashes of the late Subhas Chandra Bose are enshrined. With them (on extreme left) is Mr. D.Hejmadi, First Secretary (Commercial), Indian Embassy in Tokyo.

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In Chapter 16, my father wrote “If Indian government take the ashes of Netaji Subhas

Chandra Bose, Mr. D.Muruge San, the first secretary of Indian Embassy in Rangoon, will inform him”. He also wrote “It was right, Netaji fled from British, American occupied area to Japan”; Netaji was not a person, who wanted to surrender; He will be always an honourable leader of India and Asia; And then my father wrote “He met some Punjabi Immigration Officers of Hong Kong, who can fluently speak Cantonese and told him, “Mr. Bose and Mr. Nehru are like their parents”.

In Chapter 18, my father wrote, he donated ¥10,000 and saluted for Netaji at Renkoji’s

Temple during he was in Japan, he could get the chances of meeting with some Chineses ,Japanese old veterans who had been Burma during the second World War and other Japanese friends. And then he wrote about; “Until 1945 August 7, Japanese Government and people wanted to move Manchuria and to prevent long term War against to the Allied. There were 3 lakh Japanese soldiers in Manchuria, 30 to 40 lakh Japanese soldiers in China and one third of those soldiers could prevent Russian troops, who enter to Manchuria in 1945 August 9.

In Chapter 19, my father wrote about “ War is the main killer, to his friend Netaji”; He

had got visa and passport to go to India; He also wanted to meet Nataji’s family and relatives; He couldn’t forget under Japanese troops in Burma, Burmeses, Chineses and Indians had more unity than ever; In those day, they donated to Burmese Army fund more and more like auction; If they always have these goodwill and spirit, these people of those three nations will have unity and friendship forever.

My father concluded “Because of the War, there were many separations and missing like

Netaji and him, People understand the worth of the Peace when the Wars were occurring.” So he always wants and prays “No War and Always Peace”.

In Chapter 14, the article of “ The statement of Dr. Ba Maw”, my father wrote; In 1946

August 5, under Japan , Burma’s Head of State Dr. Ba Maw came back from Japan to Rangoon by a British war plane and he explained his experiences to some friends and correspondents in his house.

In 1945, Dr. Ba Maw fled with Japanese troops from Moulamine to Mudon; In August 17,

he fled from Mudon to Bangkok, next day to Saigon and to Taiwan by plane. When they fled from Taiwan to Japan their plane surprised met an American war plane and their plane was shot by machine gun.

Their Japanese pilot cleverly pretended and dived toward the sea. After some moment Japanese pilot turn up their direction. At that time, they could see the American war plane was away from their plane and it couldn’t follow and shoot them.

And then in August 24, Dr. Ba Maw arrived at Japan. At that time Japanese Government was surrendering to the Allied and the American Army ordered no Japanese planes to land and to depart. So their Japanese plane secretly landed near a forest apart from the town. Afterward Dr. Ba Maw hid in a monastery of the Japanese small village. The Japanese monk looked after him and he could not forget the gratitude of the monks.

He always listen the political situations of Burma and in 1946 January, he had heard the news of the British Viceroy’s government of Burma. So he wanted to come back Burma and went and informed to an American Army by himself. But the American Army jailed him in the Tokyo centre Jail.

After Dr. Ba Maw refused the gaoler’s order of cleaning plates and sweeping, they detained him in the 9 by 6 feet cell until he was free. Some American officers frequently threaten him and showed him the photos of “Hanging and cruelly killing of some war-criminals”. He thinks he would also die by those ways; Dr. Ba Maw explained with cry and tears.

And then in 1946 July 31st the American Army transferred Dr. Ba Maw to British Army;

American Army announced, they attained him because of British, they had also transferred all his property to him. So he came back by British war plane. Some correspondents asked him some questions and he answered and explained.

Afterward my father U Sat Su asked Dr. Ba Maw, “ What about my best friend Netaji

Subhas Chandra Bose?” and Dr. Ba Maw answered “ The plane of Netaji crash with fire on the trip, from Taiwan to Japan; A junior General of Burma along with Netaji was dead on the spot; After two days Netaji was dead in Taihoku hospital; “ My father U Sat Su told General Aung San, about Netaji’s dead and General Aung San was also so sorrow for his friend.( General Aung San and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were closed friends since 1941).

Therefore, by the some facts of my father U Sat Su’s books, by my some interviews and

research of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and General Aung San, the following are my questions and advices, to Indian Government and People, for searching Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

1. Had the Mission, leaded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru or any Mission received and

taken back the ashes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, from Japan to India? If hadn’t received and taken back yet, the ashes should be received and taken back. If Indian Government had any ashes of Netaji, are those ashes same as the ashes of Renkoji Temple? Had any DNA test for those ashes finished or not yet? If hadn’t finished yet, should not be delaying. I think any DNA result of any ashes concerning Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose may help all the People, who searching for Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

2. I also think Netaji’s plane might not crash on the Taihoku airport; It might crash on the

trip of Taiwan to Manchuria (or) Japan. Likewise the attack by an American fighter to the war plane of Dr. Ba Maw and Japanese General Tanaka on 22nd August 1945, the plane of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and General Shidei might be attacked and crashed by an American fighter (or) British fighter (or) General Claire Chennault’s Flying Tiger, because of they had got Japanese codes, on August of 1945. In 2006, the friendship of American and India are developing more than ever , so Indian Government and People should request to help the American and British governments and People, all war plane fighter pilots of World War II and their family for Searching Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

3. In the Dr. Ba Maw’s Statements, “The Junior General of Burma along with Netaji was

dead on the spot when the plane crash” was included. I inquired some elders and searched in some Burmese books for that statements, but nobodies could remember and my friends and me could not find any sentences concerning about that statement. So we should inquire any message from some very old INA members and their families in all Burma, Old BIA’s Brigadier General Kyaw Zaw, Colonel Ye Htut, Thakhin Ohn Myint, Thakhin Khin Aung and all the books and notes of the writers like U Thein Pe Myint.

(In BBC2 presented “Who really killed Aung San?” programme, Brigadier General Kyaw

Zaw replied “ British government was really killed Bogyoke Aung San”; “It was their plot; Bogyoke Aung San was the leader who could organise and unite the country; So they were afraid of the whole Burma that united. They supposed that they could handle Burma more easily, if they removed Aung San.”)

U Thein Pe Myint alias Tha Khin Thein Pe, the representative of Anti-Fascists People’s

Freedom League (AFPFL) was in Kolkata during the second World War.

From 14-9-2005 Radio Free Asia, Burmese Journalist Sayagyi Kyemon U Thaung (Aung Bala) told, “ General Aung San said , he and Mr. Bose were closed friends since 1941; In Dr. Ba Maw’s book of “ The Brief History of Burma”, Bose was unforgotten person if someone had been met once a time; Bose had told, they must fight against Japan: and so on.) Therefore I think Dr. Ba Maw’s books and some interviews with Sayagyi Kyemon U Thaung and old persons can get more facts of Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

4. The most possible facts I think most for Searching Disappearance of Netaji Subhas

Chandra Bose is, like Dr. Ba Maw and General Tanaka, the war plane of Netaji and General

Sheidei secretly landed in a Japanese small village and hid in a small house or monastery. General Shidei went to Manchuria and died in war field. But not same as Dr. Ba Maw, Netaji didn’t go to any American Army camp and lived safely and in the middle of 1954 he might die peacefully.

( Please read a letter from INA Treasure, dated December 2, 1954 and signed by M.O. Mathai, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s private secretary; December 5, 2005, INDIA TODAY page 31.) So Indian Government and People asked for the helps of Japanese Government and people, especially very honestly and faithfully Japanese villagers.

5. Indian Government and People should search the helps for Disappearance of Netaji, not

only Government to Government but also People to People around the world.

6. Therefore during the coming months of 2006, by the helps of M.K. Mukherjee

Commission, Indian Government, all the Parties, all the Organizations, and all the People of

India should unitedly solve Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. So I think this my article may be representative of the Burma People, Burmese pro-democratic activists, all old INA members and their generations of Burma, one of the Netaji’s friends, “Father of the Burma, General Aung San”, my father U Sat Su and all the People of the world who love the Truth.

May all People of the World understand “the differences between War and Peace.”

May all Indian People get the best answers of “Disappearance of Netaji Subhas

Chandra Bose” with unity.

May all Indian People be happy-minded.

Lan Htong Sat Suu Lay