In 1990, in Burma (now called Mynmar), Aung San Suu Kyi overwhelmingly won the election to be president. Burma's ruling junta, however, would not allow her to take office. Instead, they imprisoned her. She has been in confinement, mostly under house arrest now, for 14 of the last 20 years, forbidden visitors or contact with anyone outside her living quarters.
A recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, she is the world's only peace recipient to be imprisoned. Yesterday, she turned 65.
Suu Kyi, for me, is a giant. Her personal sacrifices, to stand up for what she believes, to fight for the rights of her people, were and are enormous. The cowardly generals of Mynmar are terrified of the influence of this small, thin, soft-spoken woman. They think by locking her up and depriving her of liberty that she will be marginalized, ignored, forgotten.
Think again, generals.
Happy Belated Birthday Daw Suu Kyi!!
We have not forgotten you.
_________________________
*photo from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's pages.
No comments:
Post a Comment