Posted by
Dave on Saturday, September 29, 2007 5:53:58 PM
The term "freedom fighter" calls to
mind different things to different people, but perhaps the most heroic
freedom fighter today fits no stereotype: Aung San Suu Kyi is no
fierce soldier, but rather a dimunitive 62-year old Burmese woman. Her
courage and strength is back in the news with the recent crackdown of
the Burmese military junta on the peaceful pro-democracy protests by
Buddhist monks. The military government has responded by slaughtering
innocent people.
Suu Kyi is the matron saint behind the protests, locked away in house
arrest. Her crime: she and her party won the last free elections held
in Burma, in 1990. She's a prime minister without a government, as the
military refused to relinquish control. She was offered her freedom on
one condition: she leave Burma, her return to be prohibited. She
chose to remain in Burma, protesting her confinement and the continued
oppression of the military regime. Her husband, a British citizen,
died of prostate cancer without her, as she chose principle and
adherence to liberty and democracy over even her own family.
In 1991, Suu Kyi received the Nobel Peace Prize for her dedication to
freedom and democracy; she is today the only Nobel laureate effectively
jailed for dissent. She has been lauded by world leaders from Margaret
Thatcher to Bill Clinton to both George Bushes, and her story is told
in the song "Walk On" by U2 (from which the title of this column is
taken).
As we continue to see the images of blood-stained sidewalks and streets
in Rangoon, the capital of Burma, keep in mind that the blood being
spilled is that of unarmed monks, protesting in favor of democracy and
liberty. Not armed uprising, not terrorists, but unarmed Buddhist
monks. There may be more images that we're not
seeing as well: visitors to Google Earth have noted what is possibly
the destruction of whole villages in Burma. Even without knowing the
full extent of the brutality of the military regime, the images are
chilling and the actions are unimaginable.
Most news articles and television stories refer to the crackdown in
"Myanmar", the "official" name of the country; however, pro-democracy
activists in Burma refuse to acknowledge this name, as it was chosen by
an un-democratic, illegitimate government. Whatever the name, a true
hero remains imprisoned, sacrificing everything -- her own freedom,
even her family -- for her country and for liberty. The courage,
determination, and strength shown by Aung San Suu Kyi should serve as
an inspiration to us all.