NEW hope for Burma
Abstract
Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese woman who studied abroad in the early twenty century. She returned to Burma in 1988 to speak out against U Ne Win, who held the brutal rule of dictatorship. She began a nonviolent movement to achieve democracy and human rights in Burma. The government placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989 and she had to spend almost fifteen of the twenty-one years in imprisoned. Because of her outstanding efforts, she won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1991. She was released from house arrest in November 2010.
Keywords: freedom, woman, culture, democracy, effort, impact, Burma
Introduction
Burma, also known as Myanmar, was once called the “Golden Land” because of its abundance of gem mines. However, all the gem mines have been sold to the Chinese for guns and other weapons of destruction. These weapons of destruction were used to bring Burma under a self-destructive dictatorship. Under the dictatorship governors, this country has begun to deal with hardships, death, debating, and civil wars. There is a woman named, Aung San Suu Kyi who has become the hope for the country, Burma. She believes the Burmese people will achieve legitimate freedom and be free from fear. Suu Kyi was the daughter of one of Burma’s most admired and adored country leaders, General Aung San. In the 1940s, he fought for independence from Great Britain and was killed in 1947. Suu Kyi received her strong passion for seeking the true freedom for her country from her father. Suu Kyi grew up in Burma and India, but moved to England in 1960s to study abroad at Oxford University. She returned to Burma to take care of her dying mother and that changed her life dramatically (“Aung San Suu Kyi – A Biography," 2004).
Education
Suu Kyi’s mother, Khin Kyi, was appointed Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960. Suu Kyi later followed her mother to obtain education and graduated from Lady Shri Ram College with a degree in Politics in 1964. She moved to England to continue her education and attended St. Hugh’s College at Oxford University. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 1963 (“Aung San Suu Kyi,” 2013). Suu Kyi also received a Master’s degree from Oxford University. In 1969, she traveled to New York and took a position at the United Nations as an Assistant Secretary for the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions. She became influenced by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi, who believed in nonviolent civil disobedience (“Aung San Suu,”2013).
Culture and Social norms
Suu Kyi became well known for her peaceful, nonviolent protests and even protested some things in her culture that seemed to go against the idea of Independence. In 1972, on New Year’s Day, Suu Kyi married a man named Michael Aris. She met Michael while studying at Oxford and they had their wedding reception at a family friend’s home, with a Buddhist blessing. Their marriage was not highly supported by Burmese government which did not support most foreign marriages. After Suu Kyi returned to Burma, during the time she was under house arrest, Michael was suffering from Prostate cancer and only got to visit her five times before dying in 1999. It was suggested by the Burmese government she go visit him during the last year of his life, since they wouldn’t allow him to enter the country, but she was afraid if she left Burma they would not let her back in despite what they promised ("The Beauty and," 2010). In Burmese culture women's roles and expectations are quite low. Though not enforced it is a social norm for women to be expected, by men, to be submissive. Things like cooking, cleaning, taking care of children, and other house chores are some of those expectations on women. Men, in Burmese culture, are considered to be the dominant figure of the household and to be given respect. Women are not expected to have an education either, but still can get one as it is not opposed.
Impact on Her Country
Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988 to help take care of her mother after she received a phone call about her mother was suffering a stroke. In December, her mother, Khin Kyi, passed away. The Burma she had returned was different from the one she has left as a young adult. During the year she returned, there were many protests held throughout the country to demand the reinstitution of democracy and the end of the one-party system. It started as a student brawl with no political meaning (“Aung San Suu,”2013). It was the period when General Ne Win held the position as dictator. The government responded to the protesters with military force and killed or wounded hundreds of thousands of people. The group that had power during that period, called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), did not improve the situation or condition of the country. From her father she developed a sense of duty to her country and began a political career. She traveled around the country and gave speeches in support of democracy and nonviolent resistance to the military. Suu Kyi gained recognition as the effective leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in August 1988. She became a general secretary of the NLD was recognized as a popular and effective speaker in favor of democracy throughout the country. On April 5th, Suu Kyi courageously walked toward the rifles, which soldiers were aiming at her. In 1989, during the election period, after being involved with several speeches and political movements with the NLD, she was placed under house arrest for her opposition to the government. The government declared that she was not eligible for election. In 1990, the NLD party won 392 out of 485 seats in the parliament, which was eighty-two percents. However, the SLORC refused to recognize the election results (“Aung San Suu Kyi – Biography,” 2004).
One year after the election, Aung San Suu Kyi received the Human Rights Prize from the European Parliament and the Norwegian Nobel Committee even awarded her the 1991 Peace Prize. During this time her book, "Freedom from Fear," got published in some parts around the world and was about human rights ("Freedom from Fear," 2004). Seeing as she was awarded these prizes while still in detention, her sons accepted the prizes for her, which caused the world to grow ever more attracted toward her achievements and appeal for her release. She, of course, was offered her freedom if she left Burma and gave up her political position, but she refused. With these prizes came money as well, a large sum of $1.3 million, and eventually Suu Kyi had decided what she would do with it.
In 1992 she gave all $1.3 million of her prize money away in order to make a Health and Education trust for the people of Burma in order to help and improve the country ("The Nobel Peace," 2013). During the last three years, before her release from detention/ house arrest, a few events happened in her name. In 1993, a group of Nobel Peace Laureates (Nobel Prize winners) visited Burmese refugees on Thailand's border and, after being denied entry to Burma, appealed for Suu Kyi's release from detention and even appealed again back in Geneva. During 1994, SLORC members met with Suu Kyi and even some of her first non-family guests come to see her, who happened to be a United Nation representative, US congressman and even a New York Times reporter. After six years of detention, Suu Kyi was finally released in 1995. However, she was still under some restrictions.
In September 2000, she was once again placed under house arrest because she was trying to meet with NLD members by attempting to travel rural areas. In December, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was the highest U.S. honor given to a civilian ("World Biography," 2013). In 2003, the military placed her under house arrest and extended it by one year in the years of 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010. On November 13th, 2010, she has released after spending fifteen of the last twenty-one years under house arrest. Suu Kyi once again participated in the NLD party and gave freedom speeches to the Burmese. On November 2012, the President Barack Obama traveled to meet with Suu Kyi. Obama praised her for her courage and determination during his visit. This was the first visit by a sitting U.S. president (“Aung San Suu Kyi Fast Facts,” 2013). Aung San Suu Kyi is the only and one hope for Burma and everyone believes that she will never give up on what she believes in. “We achieve everything by our efforts alone. Our fate is not decided by an almighty God. We decide our own fate by our actions. You have to gain mastery over yourself. It is not a matter of sitting back and accepting." (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi).
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Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese woman who studied abroad in the early twenty century. She returned to Burma in 1988 to speak out against U Ne Win, who held the brutal rule of dictatorship. She began a nonviolent movement to achieve democracy and human rights in Burma. The government placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989 and she had to spend almost fifteen of the twenty-one years in imprisoned. Because of her outstanding efforts, she won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1991. She was released from house arrest in November 2010.
Keywords: freedom, woman, culture, democracy, effort, impact, Burma
Introduction
Burma, also known as Myanmar, was once called the “Golden Land” because of its abundance of gem mines. However, all the gem mines have been sold to the Chinese for guns and other weapons of destruction. These weapons of destruction were used to bring Burma under a self-destructive dictatorship. Under the dictatorship governors, this country has begun to deal with hardships, death, debating, and civil wars. There is a woman named, Aung San Suu Kyi who has become the hope for the country, Burma. She believes the Burmese people will achieve legitimate freedom and be free from fear. Suu Kyi was the daughter of one of Burma’s most admired and adored country leaders, General Aung San. In the 1940s, he fought for independence from Great Britain and was killed in 1947. Suu Kyi received her strong passion for seeking the true freedom for her country from her father. Suu Kyi grew up in Burma and India, but moved to England in 1960s to study abroad at Oxford University. She returned to Burma to take care of her dying mother and that changed her life dramatically (“Aung San Suu Kyi – A Biography," 2004).
Education
Suu Kyi’s mother, Khin Kyi, was appointed Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960. Suu Kyi later followed her mother to obtain education and graduated from Lady Shri Ram College with a degree in Politics in 1964. She moved to England to continue her education and attended St. Hugh’s College at Oxford University. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 1963 (“Aung San Suu Kyi,” 2013). Suu Kyi also received a Master’s degree from Oxford University. In 1969, she traveled to New York and took a position at the United Nations as an Assistant Secretary for the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions. She became influenced by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi, who believed in nonviolent civil disobedience (“Aung San Suu,”2013).
Culture and Social norms
Suu Kyi became well known for her peaceful, nonviolent protests and even protested some things in her culture that seemed to go against the idea of Independence. In 1972, on New Year’s Day, Suu Kyi married a man named Michael Aris. She met Michael while studying at Oxford and they had their wedding reception at a family friend’s home, with a Buddhist blessing. Their marriage was not highly supported by Burmese government which did not support most foreign marriages. After Suu Kyi returned to Burma, during the time she was under house arrest, Michael was suffering from Prostate cancer and only got to visit her five times before dying in 1999. It was suggested by the Burmese government she go visit him during the last year of his life, since they wouldn’t allow him to enter the country, but she was afraid if she left Burma they would not let her back in despite what they promised ("The Beauty and," 2010). In Burmese culture women's roles and expectations are quite low. Though not enforced it is a social norm for women to be expected, by men, to be submissive. Things like cooking, cleaning, taking care of children, and other house chores are some of those expectations on women. Men, in Burmese culture, are considered to be the dominant figure of the household and to be given respect. Women are not expected to have an education either, but still can get one as it is not opposed.
Impact on Her Country
Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988 to help take care of her mother after she received a phone call about her mother was suffering a stroke. In December, her mother, Khin Kyi, passed away. The Burma she had returned was different from the one she has left as a young adult. During the year she returned, there were many protests held throughout the country to demand the reinstitution of democracy and the end of the one-party system. It started as a student brawl with no political meaning (“Aung San Suu,”2013). It was the period when General Ne Win held the position as dictator. The government responded to the protesters with military force and killed or wounded hundreds of thousands of people. The group that had power during that period, called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), did not improve the situation or condition of the country. From her father she developed a sense of duty to her country and began a political career. She traveled around the country and gave speeches in support of democracy and nonviolent resistance to the military. Suu Kyi gained recognition as the effective leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in August 1988. She became a general secretary of the NLD was recognized as a popular and effective speaker in favor of democracy throughout the country. On April 5th, Suu Kyi courageously walked toward the rifles, which soldiers were aiming at her. In 1989, during the election period, after being involved with several speeches and political movements with the NLD, she was placed under house arrest for her opposition to the government. The government declared that she was not eligible for election. In 1990, the NLD party won 392 out of 485 seats in the parliament, which was eighty-two percents. However, the SLORC refused to recognize the election results (“Aung San Suu Kyi – Biography,” 2004).
One year after the election, Aung San Suu Kyi received the Human Rights Prize from the European Parliament and the Norwegian Nobel Committee even awarded her the 1991 Peace Prize. During this time her book, "Freedom from Fear," got published in some parts around the world and was about human rights ("Freedom from Fear," 2004). Seeing as she was awarded these prizes while still in detention, her sons accepted the prizes for her, which caused the world to grow ever more attracted toward her achievements and appeal for her release. She, of course, was offered her freedom if she left Burma and gave up her political position, but she refused. With these prizes came money as well, a large sum of $1.3 million, and eventually Suu Kyi had decided what she would do with it.
In 1992 she gave all $1.3 million of her prize money away in order to make a Health and Education trust for the people of Burma in order to help and improve the country ("The Nobel Peace," 2013). During the last three years, before her release from detention/ house arrest, a few events happened in her name. In 1993, a group of Nobel Peace Laureates (Nobel Prize winners) visited Burmese refugees on Thailand's border and, after being denied entry to Burma, appealed for Suu Kyi's release from detention and even appealed again back in Geneva. During 1994, SLORC members met with Suu Kyi and even some of her first non-family guests come to see her, who happened to be a United Nation representative, US congressman and even a New York Times reporter. After six years of detention, Suu Kyi was finally released in 1995. However, she was still under some restrictions.
In September 2000, she was once again placed under house arrest because she was trying to meet with NLD members by attempting to travel rural areas. In December, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was the highest U.S. honor given to a civilian ("World Biography," 2013). In 2003, the military placed her under house arrest and extended it by one year in the years of 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010. On November 13th, 2010, she has released after spending fifteen of the last twenty-one years under house arrest. Suu Kyi once again participated in the NLD party and gave freedom speeches to the Burmese. On November 2012, the President Barack Obama traveled to meet with Suu Kyi. Obama praised her for her courage and determination during his visit. This was the first visit by a sitting U.S. president (“Aung San Suu Kyi Fast Facts,” 2013). Aung San Suu Kyi is the only and one hope for Burma and everyone believes that she will never give up on what she believes in. “We achieve everything by our efforts alone. Our fate is not decided by an almighty God. We decide our own fate by our actions. You have to gain mastery over yourself. It is not a matter of sitting back and accepting." (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi).
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References:
Aung San Suu Kyi. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 03:14, Feb 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/aung-san-suu-kyi-9192617.
Aung san suu kyi fast facts. (2013, January 18). Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/18/world/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-fast-facts
Aung San Suu Kyi. (2005, 11). StudyMode.com. Retrieved 11, 2005, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-70891.html
Aung San Suu Kyi 3. (2008, 10). StudyMode.com. Retrieved 10, 2008, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-3-167634.html
Aung san suu kyi biography. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.notablebiographies.com/An-Ba/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi.html
Aung san suu kyi was born. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/exeas/asian-revolutions/leaders-aung-san-suu-kyi.html
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s Pages. (28 May 2004). Retrieved from http://www.dassk.com/index.php
Nobel e-Museum. (27 May 2004). The Nobel Foundation. 28 May 2004.
http://www.nobel.se/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html]
“Myanmar.” Encyclopedia.com. 28 May 2004. 28 May 2004.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/M/Myanmar.asp
The Beauty and the Beast. (2010, December ). Retrieved from http://goodguy.hubpages.com/hub/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-The-Beauty-and-the-Beast
The nobel peace prize. (2013, February 20). Retrieved from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html
Image: http://imaginepeace.com/archives/6882
Aung San Suu Kyi. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 03:14, Feb 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/aung-san-suu-kyi-9192617.
Aung san suu kyi fast facts. (2013, January 18). Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/18/world/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-fast-facts
Aung San Suu Kyi. (2005, 11). StudyMode.com. Retrieved 11, 2005, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-70891.html
Aung San Suu Kyi 3. (2008, 10). StudyMode.com. Retrieved 10, 2008, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-3-167634.html
Aung san suu kyi biography. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.notablebiographies.com/An-Ba/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi.html
Aung san suu kyi was born. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/exeas/asian-revolutions/leaders-aung-san-suu-kyi.html
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s Pages. (28 May 2004). Retrieved from http://www.dassk.com/index.php
Nobel e-Museum. (27 May 2004). The Nobel Foundation. 28 May 2004.
http://www.nobel.se/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html]
“Myanmar.” Encyclopedia.com. 28 May 2004. 28 May 2004.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/M/Myanmar.asp
The Beauty and the Beast. (2010, December ). Retrieved from http://goodguy.hubpages.com/hub/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-The-Beauty-and-the-Beast
The nobel peace prize. (2013, February 20). Retrieved from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html
Image: http://imaginepeace.com/archives/6882