Aung San Suu Kyi

Hello, Hello! Have you missed me? How were your christmas hollidays? I hope that you had so much fun like I did!

So, to start this new year amazingly, my teacher had one “fabulous” idea...

She told us to write about Human Rights. Isn't that great?!? I thought so!
I've chosen to present you Aung San Suu Kyi ( what a beautifuul name!), chairperson and General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Burma (Myanmar) bordered by China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh.

She begun a career in politics, influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence, but mainly by Buddhist concepts, to fight for democratisation. During this process, she helped in the foundation of the National League for Democracy, of which she is now General Secretary.


Suu Kyi beliefs are based in the creed that we should learn from the most various places in the world and «from everybody who has achieved a transition to democracy», not just Asian countries like Mongolia and Indonesia, but also South Africa, Latin American and Eastern European countries.
She is famous for her speech, Freedom From Fear in 1990, where Suu Kyi refered diverse themes from freedom to politics. In this speech she proclaimed her beliefs and also referes to Ghandi and motivates her people: Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. (...) Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.

One year after this speech, Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize and Francis Sejersted, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Commitee made a speech in her honour, finishing with this statement: We will never be able to lower our standards. On the contrary, a better world demands even greater vigilance of us, still greater fearlessness, and the ability to develop in ourselves the "profound simplicity" of which this year's Laureate has spoken. This applies to all of us as individuals, but must apply especially to those in positions of power and authority. Show humility and show fearlessness - like Aung San Suu Kyi. The result may be a better world to live in.

She was recently released, on 13 November 2010, from her house arrest, where she remained for 21 years, for having assumed the leadership of many movements in favour of democracy in Myanmar. During all this years, she read biographies, philosoohy, politics and playing the piano (How could someone live without going to a mall for sooo long?!).

Well, I guess I'll leave you with that HUGE question...

XOXO, Oh My Gossip!

Sara