“At the root of human responsibility is the concept of perfection, the urge to achieve it, the intelligence to find a path towards it, and the will to follow that path if not to the end at least the distance needed to rise above individual limitations and environmental impediments. It is man’s vision of a world fit for rational, civilized humanity which leads him to dare and to suffer to build societies free from want and fear. Concepts such as truth, justice and compassion cannot be dismissed as trite when these are often the only bulwarks which stand against ruthless power.”
– From “Freedom from Fear” by Aung San Suu Kyi
Thus spoke Burma’s Lady of Peace in her famed “Freedom from Fear” speech, a full two decades ago. Placed under house arrest for 15 of the last 21 years, Aung San Suu Kyi remains devoted to the creation of democracy and freedom in her homeland. Finally released from her latest 7 year internment in her collapsing Rangoon home, this post is in dedication to a modern heroine.
Since founding the National League for Democracy in 1988, Suu Kyi has held steadfast to her belief that nonviolence is the path by which her country will achieve liberty. She has worked tirelessly to bring Myanmar (formerly called Burma) out of military authoritarianism and into democracy. With a family abroad, Suu Kyi has remained in her homeland for the last twenty years for fear of not being allowed re-entry should she ever try to leave and then return. Her continual imprisonment in the nation and frequent incarceration on false charges or without trial have forced her to miss her husband’s battle and ultimate succumbing to terminal prostate cancer and much of the lives of her two children. Despite the heavy weight of these sacrifices Suu Kyi has remained in Myanmar, unwavering in her devotion to bring democracy to her countrymen.
The recipient of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to a pacific revolution and the advancing of human rights in Burma, Suu Kyi has braved harassment and the violation of the Burmese constitution in order to keep her behind bars. Finally released from her latest house arrest on November 12th, Suu Kyi is presented with the opportunity to promote change in her struggling nation under the newly and fraudulently elected Union Solidarity and Development Party. A symbol of hope to a long oppressed people, Ms. Suu Kyi has already vowed to continue her peaceful fight against injustice and repression.
Voicing no animosity towards her captors and merely looking to meet with the new government and discuss issues of Burmese freedom, Suu Kyi, speaking before a thronging crowd of thousands of loyal supporters, encouraged the nation to remain hopeful that one day liberty will reach its borders. Hoping for conciliation and cooperation from the USDP government despite its legitimacy issues, Suu Kyi in her 72 hours of freedom has worked at a breakneck pace to mobilize Myanmar towards democracy.
With the unpredictable nature of her arrests, Suu Kyi’s freedom may be a matter of days, weeks, months, or years. Living in the present though, the sight of Burma’s most beloved lady mounting the gates of her home and prison and greeting her distraught nation with a smile of hope reveals the glimmer of a new dawn in Myanmar.
Video of the Release of Suu Kyi courtesy of Russia Today
Photocredit: AP