He went AWOL (Left the Army without permission) for political reasons and covers stories that are not seen in the main stream media. He says: ‘ the Hollywood duality of good and bad results in stories that are oversimplified. Making it the military government versus Aung San Su Kyi does not cover the reality and complexity of the situation in Burma today.’ Ryan lives in his Mud House deep down in the jungle. His goal is to follow the Kachin ethnic group in N. Burma. There are 135 ethnic minorities in Burma. Ryan: ‘There will be no stability in the country until they are heard’. Ryan will follow the Kachin Independence Organization as a video journalist and photographer in the coming years. Ryan Libre has also been a ted.com speaker.