In these astonishing letters, Aung San Suu Kyi reaches out beyond Burma’s* borders to paint for her readers a vivid and poignant picture of her native land. Here, she celebrates the courageous army officers, academics, actors and everyday people who have supported the National League for Democracy, often at great risk to their own lives. She reveals the impact of political decisions on the people of Burma, from the terrible cost to the children of imprisoned dissidents—allowed to see their parents for only fifteen minutes every fortnight—to the effect of inflation on the national diet and of state repression on traditions of hospitality. She also evokes the beauty of the country’s seasons and scenery, customs and festivities that remain so close to her heart. Through these remarkable letters, the reader catches a glimpse of exactly what is at stake as Suu Kyi fights on for freedom in Burma, and of the love for her homeland that sustains her non-violent battle.
Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader if the struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma. Born in 1945 as the daughter of Burma’s national hero Aung San, she was two years old when he was assassinated, just before Burma gained the independence to which he has dedicated his life. She herself was placed under house arrest in Rangoon in 1989, where she remained for almost 15 of the 21 years until her release in 2010, becoming one of the world’s most prominent political prisoners & a Nobel Peace prize winner.
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*P.S. Confused why this book refers to Burma & not Myanmar? As noted by AP News in the article, Myanmar, Burma and why the different names matter: “For generations, the country was called Burma, after the dominant Burman ethnic group. But in 1989, one year after the ruling junta brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising, military leaders suddenly changed its name to Myanmar. By then, Burma was an international pariah, desperate for any way to improve its image. Hoping for a sliver of legitimacy, it said it was discarding a name handed down from its colonial past and to foster ethnic unity. The old name, officials said, excluded the country’s many ethnic minorities.
At home, though, it changed nothing. In the Burmese language, ‘Myanmar’ is simply the more formal version of ‘Burma. The country’s name was changed only in English.
It was linguistic sleight-of-hand. But few people were fooled. Much of the world showed defiance of the junta by refusing to use the new name. Over the years, many countries and news outlets, including The Associated Press, had begun using the country’s official name. As repression eased and international opposition to the military became less vocal, ‘Myanmar’ became increasingly common. Inside the country, opposition leaders made clear it didn’t matter much anymore. Unlike most of the world, the U.S. government still officially uses ‘Burma.’ But even Washington has started to mellow its stance. In 2012, during a visit to the country, then-President Barack Obama used both ‘Burma’ and ‘Myanmar.’”