To understand Aung San Suu Kyi, we must first understand the country and the circumstances in which she fights. Aung San Suu Kyi was born in Burma. Burma lies between Bangladesh and Thailand; it was a province of India until 1937 when it became a self-governing colony, its capital is Rangoon. In Burma, there is no government constitution. Its citizens are under political tyranny with no guarantee of a trial or at least a fair one if charged with a crime. Burma is a resource rich country and has large supplies of gas and oil but it suffers under the governments pervasive controls. It has inefficient economic policies and 25% of its citizens live below the poverty level. Burma is the second largest producer of illicit opium and a major source of methamphetamine's and heroin. Their corrupt government is not willing to deal with these drug traders and lacks any sort of commitment towards eradicating this or the extensive money laundering. Burma has been described as one of the most repressive countries in Asia. Burma is charged with crimes against humanity by the United Nations for its systematic abuses of human rights and refusal to hand over power to the National League for Democracy, the party which Aung San Suu Kyi founded.
[...] On October Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights. Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize committee, Francis Sejested, called Suu Kyi outstanding example of the power of the powerless”. He states: Kyi's struggle is one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades. She has become an important symbol in the struggle against oppression”. At the award presentation ceremony held in Oslo on December 10, the Chairman announces: the good fight for peace and reconciliation, we are dependent on persons who set examples, persons who can symbolize what we are seeking and mobilize the best in us. [...]
[...] The SPDC would have likely quelled any opposition to their military rule The health and education fund she set up with the $ 1.3 million dollar Nobel Peace Prize award would not exist The greater international community would likely have little knowledge or interest in the plight of the Burmese people International groups like Amnesty International would not have been granted access to the country to witness and speak out about government oppression There would be no one to speak out about the human rights violations faced by women in Burma Women's groups like the Burmese Women's Group, the Burmese Women's Union, Shan Women's Action Network, and the Women's Rights and Welfare Association might not exist These are just a few of many reasons that Aung San Suu Kyi has been heralded the “Heroine of Burma”. [...]
[...] Aung San Suu Kyi is an incredible example of women's activism. Her strong and courageous character combined with her exceptional motives and actions offers an alternative to the feminine stereotypes such as passivity and weakness that represent women so often. Generally attached to the feminine or woman is the concept of mother. Leaving her children and husband to fight for a dying Burma, Suu Kyi demonstrates that playing the mother role is not necessarily compatible with the life of a politician. [...]
[...] We ordinary people, I believe, feel that with her courage and her high ideals, Aung San Suu Kyi brings out something of the best in us. We feel we need precisely her sort of person in order to retain our faith in the future. That is what gives her such power as a symbol, and that is why any ill-treatment of her feels like a violation of what we have most at heart”. Suu Kyi was under house arrest for two years at this time and her sons had to go accept the distinguished award for her. [...]
[...] He had petitioned the Burmese authorities to allow him to visit Suu Kyi one last time, but they rejected his request. The government always urged her to join her family abroad, but she knew that she would not be allowed to return. This separation she regarded as one of the sacrifices she had to make in order to work for a free Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi has become a global icon for non-violence through years and years of self-sacrifice on behalf of her people. [...]
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