Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is 65 today and she spends her birthday in detention. Myanmar's Democracy leader has, in fact, spent 14 years and 238 days in detention because the odious ruling junta fears her. Like all bullies, they fear one who fights them with words of reason more than they fear violence. This is what The Lady herself has to say about fear:
"Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man. "
- Freedom from Fear, 1991
Please visit this site to find out how you can take action to help Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Myanmar [Burma].
- Freedom from Fear, 1991
Please visit this site to find out how you can take action to help Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Myanmar [Burma].
Thank you.
No sabato musicale this week. Instead, this is for The Lady:
9 comments:
Thank you for bringing Ms. Suu Kyi's situation to the forefront.
She is still under military house arrest, despite international condemnation. Sad and scary.
She is one of my personal heroes. I hope she sees the day when Than Shwe and the rest of the verminous rabble that rule Burma are consigned to the gutter
Thank-you, this is a beautiful positive post. The story repeats itself over time and we should speak up and take action to try for change.
Bloody hell imagine being "interned" in your own home for such a long time. I hope she's got a nice house with satellite television... And I'm not even joking, I'm serious! What does she do all day? Is anyone at all allowed to come in and see her? How does she get in shopping? Well it's better than being in prison, I suppose.
As long as Burma is a narco-state, relying on drugs and money-laundering to pay its way, I really cannot see any change taking place there at all...
I'd love to know what happened in that bizarre incident with the American swimming the lake to her house... What on earth was that about?
She is an honorary Canadian citizen. Our Foreign Minister calls the birthday, a day of celebration and deep sadness. Though sanctions against Burma aren't working. I read that only China could convince Burma to free The Lady. Who could convince China to convince Burma?
Why won't they just let her go to Canada?
They want her mouth SHUT I suppose...
Seriously now, how on earth does she survive with no-one to talk to except perhaps the soldiers who guard her. It's terrible, terrible.
But still, as I say, far better than being in a Burmese prison ~ surely
Hi, lakeviewer. Yes, very scary. Well said, jams. Thanks, Cherie. I do hope people take action. Hi, Gleds. As far as I know, the house is in a dilapidated state. But she is so spiritually strong that I doubt she cares. I know she finds strength in Buddhism and in reading. I believe she has a helper to get shopping, etc. I also believe she was set up in the lake incident. She wouldn't go to Canada, you know. She didn't even leave Burma to visit her dyiing husband in Britain, because she knew the regime would not let her back in and she feels she has to stay to fight for her people. There are concerns for her health at the moment. Hi, Claudia. I didn't know that. I'm glad that your country has done something. The rest of the world stands by. As you say, who could convince China?
As I say I really cannot see Burma changing in the near future. In the past they were the biggest producers of heroin in the world. That situation has changed (temporarily?) ~ perhaps it has something to do with the poppygrowing regions being semi-independent and I would guess the centralized govt doesn't like that. But apart from heroin they make vast quantities of so-called yaba, which is methamphetamine the "crazy drug".
I once got a hit from Burma! It is my most cherished hit of all, and I so wanted to find out who it was, but didn't dare mention it online for fear of scaring the person away. Or causing trouble
Hi, Gleds. I didn't know any of that about the drugs produced in Burma so thanks for the info. I can understand your curiosity and carfulness over the hit from Burma!
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