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Aung San Suu Kyi asks US Congress to help democratize Burma
06.22.2011
05:29 pm
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Burma’s pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi addressed US Congress through a video link today, seeking to help force Burma’s military junta to abide by a UN Human Rights Council Resolution passed in March. The resolution deals with the issues of political prisoners, freedom of association and information, independence of the judiciary, and the right of the UN Human Rights Rapporteur to visit the country.

“I’‘ve never made a statement before a committee of the United States Congress, so I’‘m not quite sure how to go about it. I would simply like to use this occasion to request that you do whatever you can to help us implement the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution, because that will open up the real road to democracy for all of us.”

Suu Kyi’s video message was played during a Congressional Committee hearing into present conditions in Burma, after the “sham elections”, which were held last November. These elections were boycotted by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, as international journalists and observers were forbidden to enter Burma during the vote.

Suu Kyi, who was held under house-arrest for most of the past 2 decades, made her statement by videotape, a she is reluctant to leave the Burma for fear she would not be allowed to return. In her message to the committee, Suu Kyi asked for help to make Burma an open society:

“The requests, the urgings, the demands of this resolution are very much in line with what we in Burma think is needed to start Burma along the genuine process of democratization.”

Note: the sound quality on this clip isn’t that good, but we think it still important enough to share.
 

 
Previously on Dangerous Minds

Family photographs of Aung San Suu Kyi


 

Posted by Paul Gallagher
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06.22.2011
05:29 pm
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Aung San Suu Kyi

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Today, we celebrate the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s pro-democracy leader and human rights activist who has spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest. Suu Kyi’s release has been welcomed across the world, and it is hoped that this is the first step towards democracy within Burma (aka The Republic of the Union of Myanmar).

Suu Kyi’s political career started in August 1988, after a mass uprising against Burma’s military junta left thousands dead, Suu Kyi gave a speech, in front of 500,00 supporters, calling for an end to military rule and a new democratic government.

The following month, Suu Kyi co-founded the National League for Democracy (NLD) and became the party’s general secretary. The pro-democracy movement quickly gained support across the country, which led the junta to place Suu Kyi under house arrest for the first time in July 1989.

In May 1990, Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory, but the ruling junta refused to recognize the results. The following year, Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:

for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.

...Suu 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…

...In awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 1991 to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour this woman for her unflagging efforts and to show its support for the many people throughout the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means.

In 1995, Suu Kyi was temporarily released from house arrest, but her movements were restricted. She was offered the opportunity to return to her family in the UK, but Suu Kyi opted to stay an continue the fight for democratic freedom.

These photographs from her family’s collection, reveal Suu Kyi’s life before she returned to Burma. Married to academic, Michael Aris in 1972, the couple had two children, Alexander and Kim, who are now grown men, one with a family of his own. Suu Kyi’s campaign for the greater good has come at great personal cost, her husband Michael died of prostate cancer in 1999, but he accepted what Suu Kyi saw as her destiny, as before they were married she told Aris:

“I only ask one thing, that should my people need me, you would help me to do my duty by them.”

When Aung San Suu Kyi was released today, she addressed thousands of well-wishers, saying:

“There is a time to be quiet and a time to talk. People must work in unison. Only then can we achieve our goal.”

It can only be hoped that Suu Kyi’s release is the first step towards achieving the goal of democracy within Burma.
 
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More rare photographs of Aung San Suu Kyi after the jump
 

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Posted by Paul Gallagher
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11.13.2010
04:54 pm
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