The Broken People
True Calling Grants Participant
Director:
Nicholas Taylor
In 1988 there was a nationwide protest in the country of Burma, now known as Myanmar. People filled the streets of Yangon, the nation's capital, to demand an end to the authoritarian government of the day. At the time, Indy was the top kickboxer in the country and a top student pursuing his master's degree at the country's most prestigious university.
His convictions led him to become a student leader during the protest and he suffered the consequences. The government moved to quell the protest, sending soldiers into the streets. During this time, unimaginable atrocities were committed. Many of his friends were murdered in front of him, and others were hunted down and put in prison. His father was beaten within an inch of his life and left for dead. Indy was forced to flee the country, narrowly avoiding a similar fate.
Indy fled south of the border to Thailand where he became an illegal refugee. He was constantly in and out of prison camps because of his refugee status. He thought he would not survive—that he would die in one of these prisons.
After years of struggle, he was granted refuge in Canada where he was able to reconnect with his future wife and marry. Indy has now settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has committed his life to helping others across the world who have similar challenges and works tirelessly to improve the political and economic situation in his home country of Burma. He has personally helped over 1,000 families find refuge in Canada. As a testament to the capacity of humans to overcome difficult circumstances, Indy has transformed an impossibly difficult situation into a tool to help other broken people. Thus changing the lives of thousands of people and giving others the second chance that he received.
Watch all of our stories and stay up to date on new True Calling episodes by subscribing to our Youtube Channel.