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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