HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/introspect/aung-thmb.jpg[/SIMG]
By Debbie Kreuser
To Bono, she is "a modern icon of moral courage;" to her supporters, she is simply known as "The Lady." We know her as Aung San Suu Kyi - the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner and the person to whom Bono and U2 dedicated their inspirational song "Walk On." And as we approach the one-year "anniversary" (May 30) of her latest detention by the military government that illegally rules Burma, it's an appropriate time to remember her and the struggle for Freedom and Justice in Burma - especially since Bono has stepped up his advocacy for her in the last few months.
Aung San Suu Kyi was born in 1945, the daughter of Independence hero General Aung San who led a successful revolt against Japanese occupation during WWII. General Aung San was assassinated in 1947 when a military dictatorship took power in Burma. Suu Kyi moved to the U.K. where she spent most of her young life (and met her husband, Michael Aris). She returned to Burma in 1988 to care for her sickly mother.
But 1988 was a time of turmoil for Burma with student protests and worker demonstrations in the streets. As her "father's daughter"(her own words), Suu Kyi felt an obligation to join the protests and speak out for democracy in Burma. That led to her first detention in 1989. In 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory (82 percent of the popular vote) with Suu Kyi as their candidate but the military government ignored the results of the election and refused to give up power.
Suu Kyi was released from detention in 1995 and resumed her pro-democracy activities in Burma. But her movements were always monitored by the military government and she was constantly harassed by them. In 1999, Suu Kyi faced one of the most difficult decisions of her life when she refused to leave Burma to be with her two sons and ailing husband, who was dying of cancer. Her well-founded fear that she would not be allowed back into Burma if she went to the U.K. led to her decision to stay in Burma and elevated her in the eyes of the world - including Bono's:
"You could have flown away - a singing bird in an open cage who will only fly, only fly for Freedom." ?Walk On? by U2, from ?All That You Can?t Leave Behind.?
In September 2000, Suu Kyi was put under house arrest again when she refused to obey the travel restrictions that the military government put on her. Finally, on 6 May 2002, after the release of ATYCLB and the triumphant performances of Bono (and U2) during the Elevation Tour dedicating "Walk On" to Suu Kyi and raising the world's awareness of the courage and moral fortitude of this soft-spoken, petite and beautiful woman - Aung San Suu Kyi was released from detention.
Upon her release, she thanked U2 for all that they had done to help her and the People of Burma - still one of the poorest countries in the world. ("Walk On" and subsequently all of U2's music, is banned in Burma.) In a BBC interview in May 2002, Suu Kyi had this to say about U2:
"I am very thankful to U2 for the consideration they have shown towards the Burmese people. I also admire them because I have learned that they are also engaging in many other humanitarian activities. Artistes like them are not only a credit to the arts but to mankind as well. I respect and thank them very much."
On May 30, 2003, Suu Kyi was arrested when clashes broke out between her supporters and those of the government. Despite calls from governments around the world, the U.N. and many concerned individuals (including Bono), Suu Kyi remains under house arrest with no sign of budging from the military government - 14 years after they were elected out of office.
Bono's impassioned love and respect for Suu Kyi has brought Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Senate Republican Majority Whip, to also speak up on her behalf. Sen. McConnell's involvement has resulted in the U.S. government's imposition of strict trade sanctions on the present Burmese government - including an import ban, arms embargo and the suspension of U.S. aid. The U.S. government, along with Japan, are the only two nations in the world that have such stringent sanctions against the military government in Burma.
In addition to winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 (an honor Suu Kyi did not learn of for four years because she was under house arrest), Suu Kyi has been the recipient of honors around the world, including the Freedom of Dublin in 2000, the same year as U2. Recently, Suu Kyi was named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Bono wrote the article about the Burmese leader, calling her, "a real hero in an age of phoney phone-in celebrity."
As Bono has said "Now is the time for courage in the defense of her freedom." Suu Kyi deserves our active support in her attempts to bring peace and justice to the People of Burma. There are many Web sites to learn more about Burma's challenges and ways that we can help to make a difference for Suu Kyi and Burma, including http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk, http://www.amnesty.org, http://www.hrw.org (Human Rights Watch) and http://www.daask.org - a beautiful Web site all about this remarkable woman.
"Aung San Suu Kyi cannot be silenced because she speaks the truth."
- Francis Sejested, 1991 Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee
"Suu Kyi, with an idea too big for any jail and a spirit too strong for any army, changes our view - as only real heroes can - of what we believe to be possible."
- Bono, 2004
"Please use your liberty to promote ours."
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
By Debbie Kreuser
To Bono, she is "a modern icon of moral courage;" to her supporters, she is simply known as "The Lady." We know her as Aung San Suu Kyi - the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner and the person to whom Bono and U2 dedicated their inspirational song "Walk On." And as we approach the one-year "anniversary" (May 30) of her latest detention by the military government that illegally rules Burma, it's an appropriate time to remember her and the struggle for Freedom and Justice in Burma - especially since Bono has stepped up his advocacy for her in the last few months.
Aung San Suu Kyi was born in 1945, the daughter of Independence hero General Aung San who led a successful revolt against Japanese occupation during WWII. General Aung San was assassinated in 1947 when a military dictatorship took power in Burma. Suu Kyi moved to the U.K. where she spent most of her young life (and met her husband, Michael Aris). She returned to Burma in 1988 to care for her sickly mother.
But 1988 was a time of turmoil for Burma with student protests and worker demonstrations in the streets. As her "father's daughter"(her own words), Suu Kyi felt an obligation to join the protests and speak out for democracy in Burma. That led to her first detention in 1989. In 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory (82 percent of the popular vote) with Suu Kyi as their candidate but the military government ignored the results of the election and refused to give up power.
Suu Kyi was released from detention in 1995 and resumed her pro-democracy activities in Burma. But her movements were always monitored by the military government and she was constantly harassed by them. In 1999, Suu Kyi faced one of the most difficult decisions of her life when she refused to leave Burma to be with her two sons and ailing husband, who was dying of cancer. Her well-founded fear that she would not be allowed back into Burma if she went to the U.K. led to her decision to stay in Burma and elevated her in the eyes of the world - including Bono's:
"You could have flown away - a singing bird in an open cage who will only fly, only fly for Freedom." ?Walk On? by U2, from ?All That You Can?t Leave Behind.?
In September 2000, Suu Kyi was put under house arrest again when she refused to obey the travel restrictions that the military government put on her. Finally, on 6 May 2002, after the release of ATYCLB and the triumphant performances of Bono (and U2) during the Elevation Tour dedicating "Walk On" to Suu Kyi and raising the world's awareness of the courage and moral fortitude of this soft-spoken, petite and beautiful woman - Aung San Suu Kyi was released from detention.
Upon her release, she thanked U2 for all that they had done to help her and the People of Burma - still one of the poorest countries in the world. ("Walk On" and subsequently all of U2's music, is banned in Burma.) In a BBC interview in May 2002, Suu Kyi had this to say about U2:
"I am very thankful to U2 for the consideration they have shown towards the Burmese people. I also admire them because I have learned that they are also engaging in many other humanitarian activities. Artistes like them are not only a credit to the arts but to mankind as well. I respect and thank them very much."
On May 30, 2003, Suu Kyi was arrested when clashes broke out between her supporters and those of the government. Despite calls from governments around the world, the U.N. and many concerned individuals (including Bono), Suu Kyi remains under house arrest with no sign of budging from the military government - 14 years after they were elected out of office.
Bono's impassioned love and respect for Suu Kyi has brought Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Senate Republican Majority Whip, to also speak up on her behalf. Sen. McConnell's involvement has resulted in the U.S. government's imposition of strict trade sanctions on the present Burmese government - including an import ban, arms embargo and the suspension of U.S. aid. The U.S. government, along with Japan, are the only two nations in the world that have such stringent sanctions against the military government in Burma.
In addition to winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 (an honor Suu Kyi did not learn of for four years because she was under house arrest), Suu Kyi has been the recipient of honors around the world, including the Freedom of Dublin in 2000, the same year as U2. Recently, Suu Kyi was named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Bono wrote the article about the Burmese leader, calling her, "a real hero in an age of phoney phone-in celebrity."
As Bono has said "Now is the time for courage in the defense of her freedom." Suu Kyi deserves our active support in her attempts to bring peace and justice to the People of Burma. There are many Web sites to learn more about Burma's challenges and ways that we can help to make a difference for Suu Kyi and Burma, including http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk, http://www.amnesty.org, http://www.hrw.org (Human Rights Watch) and http://www.daask.org - a beautiful Web site all about this remarkable woman.
"Aung San Suu Kyi cannot be silenced because she speaks the truth."
- Francis Sejested, 1991 Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee
"Suu Kyi, with an idea too big for any jail and a spirit too strong for any army, changes our view - as only real heroes can - of what we believe to be possible."
- Bono, 2004
"Please use your liberty to promote ours."
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
