It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of U Han Lin. He was a comrade, a man, a father, and a leader possessed of unusual strength and fortitude. We have not only lost a great human being, but a profoundly
inspirational leader.

At the same time, the courage of U Han Lin has moved - and will continue to move - all of us into action. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that “Nature never sends a great man into the planet without confiding the secret to another soul.” Nature didn’t need to confide in us U Han Lin’s greatness; it was on display for all to see. Some saw it as he struggled inside Burma. Some realized it as he struggled in Burma’s jungles. Some learned of it as he arrived in the United States and marched miles to draw attention to his country. By his dying day, thousands of people knew of the courage of U Han Lin.

It is rare that a man with the intelligence and strategic thinking to carry forward a freedom movement also possesses the greatness to stick with that movement for over two decades. His perseverance was among his most admirable traits. In a world in which passing interests distract us from genuine values, U Han Lin once joked to me that he liked Albert Einstein, who said that “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Indeed, U Han Lin chased his dreams - and the dreams of all us - from urban Burma to the jungles of Burma to Thailand and then on to the United States. Throughout that process, he never, ever gave up.
We believe that U Han Lin embodied the hopes and aspirations of Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, General Aung San, who said: “Don’t just depend on the courage and intrepidity of others. Each and every one of you must make sacrifices to become a hero possessed of courage and intrepidity. Then only shall we be able to enjoy true freedom.” U Han Lin never, ever depended only on the courage of others - he allowed others to depend on him.

U Han Lin has earned a place in the stars. While his breath has left him, his life has infused all of us with the inspiration to continue this movement until it is finished. U Han Lin’s life and beliefs must not be in
vain - we all must re-double our efforts to achieve the goals he believed in. We must always remember U Han Lin’s commitment to unity. As he often said, we cannot win without unity.
We will draw from U Han Lin’s laser-like focus on democracy and justice until Burma is free. And, as U Han Lin always said: there is no doubt, Burma will be free.

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