1995
Weight: 10 oz
Method of Disposal: It is up for grabs. If no one asks for it I will leave it on a park bench somewhere.
I was in Colorado visiting my brother when Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on November 13, 2010. He had just had a little baby, and there was a lot going on. The television was just on, temporarily, in the background but the excitement bubbled up, quietly, inside me. It is widely known that she had spent most of the last two decades under house arrest, through her husband’s death, amongst other things. There has been pressure from all over the world for her to be released. It was amazing that she was finally able to get out, though it wasn’t the first time she had been released. Let’s hope it is the last time she has to be.
The jubilation of her new freedom quickly faded, in the media, into a constant debate about if she would be able to unite the opposition, if she had any sway left, or if she would help or hurt the situation. It was sad to hear it all come on so fast, but there is a lot of work to be done still. The New Yorker had an article on her in the January 24th issue. She looked older and beautiful. She is presented as a calm and persistent woman. They did write about the younger generation being less patient, and brought up the anger of her children. I have really enjoyed interviews with her, video clips of her, and movies about her. She is incredible to watch.
I bought this book in December of 2009 when I went to a bookstore with my brother in Atlanta. I wanted to hear more directly from her. I had heard so much written by others about her. She gave a good, basic overview of the history in Burma. I believe she had originally written that part for young students, but it was helpful for me anyway. She wrote about her father, and she discussed her own role in politics. It is a collection of writings so you are brought to several places in a short time. Let me know if you want it.
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