EXPECT MORE FROM LOCAL 4 INVESTIGATIONS, UNCOVERING, EXPOSING AND GETTING RESULTS.
WELCOME BACK. MR WAS PARDONED
AND FREED, BUT NOT BEFORE SENT
SPENDING SIX MONTHS IN THE
MYANMAR JAIL. THE JOURNALIST IN
METRO DETROIT NATIVE WAS
ARRESTED AT THE AIRPORT IN
MYANMAR’S HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO
BOARD A FLIGHT TO COME BACK HOME
TO SURPRISE HIS FAMILY IN
MICHIGAN. NOW THAT THE ORDEAL IS
OVER, I SAT DOWN WITH HIM AT HIS
PARENTS’ HOME IN HUNTINGTON’S
WOODS. TO TALK ABOUT HIS STORY.
THEY WERE GIVING YOU AT THE TIME
OF FOR MEDICAL GALLON OF HAIR
NUT GLOVES. I HAD PUT EVERYTHING
ON AND WAS WAITING AT THE GATE
TO BOARD THE FLIGHT. WHEN AH,
LIKE GROUP OF MAYBE EIGHT OR 10.
POLICE OFFICERS JUST KIND OF
WALKED UP TO THE GATE AND SAID
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR DANIEL
JACOB FENCE THERE AND YEAH, I
JUST KIND OF LIKE US KIND OF
LOOKED AROUND AND KIND OF YEAH,
THAT’S ME. I WAS SHOCKED AND
THAT’S WHEN I STARTED REALIZING
THIS IS DRAGGING ON AND I’M NOT
GETTING SPECIAL TREATMENT. THIS
IS NOT THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT.
THIS IS NOT A GOVERNMENT THAT
THE UNITED STATES HAS ANY TIES.
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP WITH OR
CONTACT WITH. I DON’T THINK. I’M
GETTING TREATED ANY DIFFERENTLY
. AND THESE GUYS HAVE ALL BEEN
HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. UM AND
THAT’S WHEN I STARTED TO GET
PRETTY TERRIFIED AND PRETTY
DEMORALIZED SO THEY WOULD BRING
TWO MEALS A DAY, SO THEY BRING
ONE AROUND EIGHT A.M. IN THEY
BRING IN THIS BIG PLASTIC BUCKET
OF I GUESS YOU’D CALL IT A BEAN
SOUP, BUT IT WAS JUST THIS LIKE
SALTWATER WITH LIKE A FEW BEANS.
THAT WOULD BE A SCRAMBLE TO GET
ANY OF THE ACTUAL BEANS. UM,
FIRST COME FIRST SERVE AND THEN
EQUALLY LARGE BUCKET OF WHITE
RICE. AND THAT WAS EVERY MORNING
AND THEN EVERY DAY AT AROUND
THREE PM, THEY WOULD BRING AH
CURRY THAT EITHER HAD A LITTLE
BIT OF CHICKEN OR A LITTLE BIT
OF FISH. UM OR BEANS. UM THAT
WAS SO THOSE WERE THE TWO MEALS
UM NEITHER WERE PARTICULARLY
TASTY. DID YOU EVER GIVE ANY
KIND OF CRAZY THOUGHT TO IS
THERE A WAY FOR ME TO ESCAPE? OR
DOES THAT NOT HAPPEN? I DON’T
THINK I EVER GOT ANYWHERE NEAR
TRYING TO DO TRYING TO DO THAT.
BUT I WAS CONSTANT. THERE WAS A
BRICK WALL. TALL BRICK WALL
SURROUNDING OUR YARD. IT WASN’T
THAT TALL AND I WAS CONSTANTLY
STARING AT IT. SO IF I JUMPED
AND PUSHED OFF OF THERE I COULD
GET THIS HEIGHT ON THE NEXT
WALL. BUT I KNEW RIGHT BEHIND
THAT WALL WAS THE WOMEN’S PRISON
. I KNEW IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE,
BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT ALL
THE TIME. YEAH. WHEN THEY WOULD
BRING THE FOOD THAT YOU ORDER
FROM THE COMMISSARY. SOMETIMES
THEY WOULD BRING THEM IN
CARDBOARD BOXES. AND IF I COULD
ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE GUYS WHO WOULD DELIVER IT
THAT THEY WOULD COME TO ME LAST,
SO THE BOX WAS EMPTY AND I COULD
KEEP THE BOX THEN I HAD A TABLE.
IT’S AMAZING HOW HELPFUL A TABLE
AS I HAD NO IDEA. JUST BENDING
OVER LESS AND ORGANIZING THINGS
, LITTLE THINGS. HE WAS IN THE
ON SOME REALLY BIZARRE
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD NEVER
HAPPEN IN A COUNTRY WITH THE
RULE OF LAW. AND I’LL ASK HIM
HOW HE’S NOT SO. AGGRAVATED AND
FRUSTRATED AND YOU KNOW ABOUT
THIS THIS INJUSTICE. IN HIS. HIS
NOTIONS OF DETACHMENT, YOU KNOW,
UM AND SUFFERING KIND OF ONLY
EXISTING IN THE MIND. UM WE’RE
REALLY, REALLY PROFOUND. AND WE
WALKED OUT ON THE TARMAC IN THE
RICHARDSON FOUNDATION HAD HAD A
PRIVATE JET WAITING FOR US BEST
FLIGHT OF YOUR LIFE, OHMYGOD.
BEST FLIGHT OF MY LIFE BEST DAY
OF MY LIFE. IT’S BITTERSWEET,
KNOWING THAT I’LL NEVER EVER
HAVE AS GOOD OF AN AFTERNOON IS
THAT AMAZING HOW YOU CAN WATCH
MY ENTIRE CONVERSATION WITH
DANNY FINSTER BY HEADING TO
CLICKONDETROIT’S DOT COM HAVE A
GREAT WEEK. VERY HAPPY FOURTH OF