14 | DECEMBER 2 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

negotiation with the Myanmar military
government, secured the release based on
humanitarian reasons. They worked inde-
pendently from the U.S. government and
divulged few details of the conditions of
Fenster’s release.
On Monday, Nov. 15, the military junta
did not clear Fenster of his charges but
announced to him he was being deported.
He was driven to an airport in Naypyidaw,
Myanmar’s capital, where Richardson and
a small delegation met Fenster on a tarmac
outside a private chartered jet headed to
Qatar. After an overnight stay, Fenster,
Richardson and the delegation touched
down at JFK on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

At the conference, Richardson Center
Executive Director Mickey Bergman said
the organization had been in constant
contact with the Fenster family while
Richardson had four in-person meetings
with Myanmar junta Commander in
Chief General Min Aung Hlaing since the
beginning of the ordeal. Bergman praised
Richardson for his negotiation skills as well
as the efforts of Qatari government officials.
“We believe diplomacy is about showing
up,” said Bergman, a former Israeli Defense
Forces paratrooper. “It’s about personal
relationships and especially sitting down
with people with whom you disagree.
“It is complicated, and sometimes it fails.
Today, it worked. Seeing Danny hugging
his family outside was absolutely worth
every single step of the way. I am thankful
for Gov. Richardson for always being will-
ing to show up.”
Before giving his statements, Richardson

acknowledged the efforts of Fenster’s fam-
ily and remarked that the joyous day could
not have been possible without a team
effort that spanned across political parties,
countries, government and non-govern-
ment organizations.
He said he believed that visits with
those in his organization with Hlaing not
only freed Fenster but also Aye Moe, a
31-year-old woman on Richardson’s staff
who was arrested during civilian protests.
He added that his visits also secured deliv-
eries of humanitarian and COVID aid to
Myanmar’s population and loosened up
visitation restrictions for those jailed at
Insein Prison.
“During those meetings, I said to
(Hlaing) that (Fenster’s release) would be a
humanitarian gift to the American people,”
Richardson said. “Fenster was a journalist
doing his job reporting what was happen-
ing, and he shouldn’t suffer. Like Danny
said, we’ve got a long way to go all over
the world. The more vulnerable people
that are arrested are journalists because
they’re reporting the truth. This is not just
in Myanmar. This is worldwide. And this
is not right.”

REACTION FROM THOSE AT HOME
Congressman Andy Levin (D-9), who
serves as the vice-chair of the Asia Sub
Committee for the House Foreign Affairs
Committee and penned the first resolution
condemning the Feb. 1 military coup in
the country formerly known as Burma,
said the knowledge that Fenster had
cleared Myanmar airspace was “his happi-
est moment in Congress.”
He praised the efforts of Richardson
and Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
and U.S. Ambassador to Burma Thomas
Vajda. Imploring for an end to unfruitful
unilateral diplomacy, he praised the efforts
of the governments of Japan, Singapore,
Thailand, China, Israel, Qatar, Sri Lanka,
India and others for the success of Fenster’s
freedom.
“This was an incredibly broad effort
that proves that America going it alone
has never worked,” Levin said to reporters.
“We want to thank those (we worked with-
in these countries) who did things, most of
which will never be known to get him out
of there.”
Levin noted that the diplomacy to free
Americans being detained abroad is not

RIGHT: The first
photo released
of a freed Danny
Fenster, with
Ambassador Bill
Richardson.

OPPOSITE
PAGE, LEFT:
Rose, Buddy and
Bryan Fenster
wait to greet
Danny.

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