Heroes: Aung San Suu Kyi

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, November 14th, 2010 - 9 comments
Categories: activism, International, leadership - Tags: ,

Aung San Suu Kyi is one of my heroes.

Aung San Suu Kyi (b 1945) is a Burmese opposition politician. In the 1990 general election the National League for Democracy (of which she was General Secretary) won 59% of the vote and 80% of the seats in Parliament, effectively electing her Prime Minister. She never took up the position — she was already under house arrest. The results were “nullified”, and the military refused to hand over power.

Despite a sustained international outcry, Aung San Suu Kyi (“The Lady”) has never been properly free ever since. She has been under house arrest in Myanmar for 15 out of the past 21 years, allowed only very limited contact with the outside world. During this time she has remained a fearless and steadfast advocate of democracy, according to some “an icon, a universal symbol of courage, endurance and peaceful resistance, a new Mandela”.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been the recipient of much international recognition, and a host of awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 (using the US$1.3 million prize money to establish a health and education trust for the people). She is the world’s only imprisoned Peace Prize winner.

Aung San Suu Kyi may be about to enjoy one of her rare moments of freedom. Since 11th November The Guardian has been reporting:

Aung San Suu Kyi may be about to go free, but for how long?

After 15 years, the Burmese opposition leader is expected to be released from house arrest in less than 48 hours

“It has been a hard life, she has sacrificed a lot. But she is used [to it] now. And she keeps working, waiting for the day she will be released,” said her lawyer. For all of Burma, that day is expected as soon as Saturday which is when, according to U Nyan Win, her current sentence expires “and there is no mechanism under Burmese law to extend that detention, to keep her under house arrest. They must let her go.”

There can be no guarantees from a junta that has detained Aung San Suu Kyi, essentially arbitrarily, three times in two decades, but hints from “unnamed military sources” suggest she will be released. “I have not been told that she will be released, but it is my expectation,” said U Nyan Win …

U Nyan Win said Aung San Suu Kyi’s first act as a free woman would be to address the Burmese people and speak to the media, local and international. “She will make a press conference, she needs to speak to the Burmese people but the world too. This is what she always does.” She also wants to reinvigorate the National League for Democracy, the party she led to victory at the 1990 election but which has since been proscribed by the junta after advocating a boycott of last Sunday’s poll.

All of this is certain to raise the ire of the junta’s ruling generals. On past form, theirs and hers, Aung San Suu Kyi’s liberty could be short-lived. “She never thinks of that. She will do what she needs to do. For her people like before, like always.”

Will Aung San Suu Kyi be released? If so she will always be in danger, and will likely be taken in to custody again soon. Because she will not be prevented from speaking out. One of her most famous speeches, the “Freedom From Fear” speech, begins: “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it”. Go well Aung San Suu Kyi, the world will be watching.

Update: As predicted, Aung San Suu Kyi has now been released.

9 comments on “Heroes: Aung San Suu Kyi ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    14 November 2010 at 9:58 am

    “She is the world’s only imprisoned Peace Prize winner.”

    No she’s not, the guy that just won this years is also in prison:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11499098

    This was mentioned on The Standard at the time, particularly because John Key didn’t have much to say about it (for fear of upsetting China).

  2. freedom 2
    14 November 2010 at 10:08 am

    Aung San Suu Kyi’s release is a day for celebration by all who trust in pacifism to achieve democratic freedom. The celebrations and considerations of her future will be many. There is a strong, unwavering knowledge that Aung San Suu Kyi’s prescence back amongst the people who love and support her will be a challenge for the Junta.

    I hate to say it and every fibre in my body hopes i am wrong but the only reason the Junta that imprisoned her for so long, would release her without restrictions, is the knowledge that she will most likely be assassinated in the near future.

    It will be discrete and difficult to prove, most likely a traffic accident or illness, so as to limit the accusations and responses from her supporters, and to achieve that most vile of political ploys, “plausible deniability” .

    The potential for a violent public reaction to the death of Aung San Suu Kyi would have been duly considered, planned for and is more than likely to be promoted through \’agent provocateurs\’ under the watchful eye of one this world\’s most corrupt Military Governments, who will be more than willing to \’retain order\’ in the streets of Burma.
    Believe me, i want to be wrong on this one.

  3. Vicky32 3
    14 November 2010 at 6:35 pm

    I have been listening to the BBC WS all day, and she has been released amidst general rejoicing! (I really hope you are wrong, Freedom… but considering what Burma is, I fear you may be right…)
    Deb

    • freedom 3.1
      14 November 2010 at 9:02 pm

      So do I Vicky, so Do I, but she would not be the first and will not be the last.

      Too often the people our world needs most are taken from us for no other reason than to protect scared and frightened men with guns.

      First though the MSM has to run a routine cycle, then once her profile has again been shifted away from the spotlight, I fear there will be an incident within six to eight months

  4. Treetop 4
    14 November 2010 at 6:38 pm

    The struggle for democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi’s unwavering humanitarianism is outstanding. She is a rare individual as she has been incarcerated for trying to increase the welfare of her people; even when detained she symbolically represented them. Nelson Mandela’s fate was truly amazing, unfortunately the political climate in Burma will suffocate anyone who dares to interrupt the brutal strategy of the military rulers.

    Miltary rule is now tighter than ever. No one in Burma is free.

  5. Carol 5
    15 November 2010 at 7:56 am

    Aung San Suu Kyi is a very heroic and courageous leader, and I do hope she is able to help improve the situation in Burma, in the face of potentially brutal opposition.

    There are different levels or degrees of freedom and democracy. Myanmar is the brutal face of the military dictatorship end of the spectrum. But, it has seemed to me that the widespread celebration of her release in Western democracies seem to me like we are celebrating as if we were free.

    • freedom 5.1
      15 November 2010 at 8:11 am

      and the MSM design that very response, very carefully

      for example, if Western Media, especially in New Zealand, were so concerned with democratic freedoms then perhaps CERRA and the E-CAN decisions would have gotten some real coverage as our democracy was attacked by the very people who are meant to represent it

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