AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S Freedom from Fear and OtherWritings
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BOOK REVIEW AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S Freedom from Fear and OtherWritings Reviewed by JiNG PORTE w ho has not heard of Aung S a n S u u K y i , B u r m a ' s "woman of destiny," many times featured on the cover of various international publications, she w h o w o n t h e Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990, a n d t h e Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Suu, as she is fondly called b y h e r supporters, again featured prominently in media when s h e w a s released from six years of house arrest in Burma. Freedom from Fear and Other Writings i s a collection of essays by Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League of Democracy (NLD), the main coalition of groups fighting the authoritarian regime in Rangoon. Edited by her husband, Michael Aris, the book provides the readers with not only a glimpse of the socio- cultural history of Burma but also a personal account of Suu's participation i n h e r people's struggle for democracy. Suu's essays come in three batches, like a triptych of her political thoughts, reflections on Burmese history and culture and remembran- ces. Her earlier writings, completed before her return to Burma in 1988, make u p t h e book's first part. Included are a daughter's remembrance of her father, Aung S a n , t h e revered leader of the nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s; essays on the literary and cultural heritage of Burma; a n d a comparative study of intellectual development in Burma and India under colonialism. Forming the book's middle part are miscellaneous documents composed b y S u u during her inmiersion i n t h e Burmese people's democratic struggle. Collectively, these articles convey something of the atmosphere of the whole movement and Suu's response to the unfolding situation. The documents are arranged in chronological sequence from the time Suu returned to Burma, whereafter she quickly stepped into the political scene by issuing her first political manifesto, u p to the events that l e d t o h e r house arrest in July 1989. Finally, there are the essays written by other people about Suu. There are the poignant and often humorous reminiscences by two people who have known Suu before she became a symbol of Burma's struggle for democracy. Suu's growing up years are recalled by MaThan E, a close friend of the Aung San family and whom Suu referred t o a s a n "emergency aunt.' Meanwhile Ann P a s t e r n a k S l a t e r , Suu's neighbor and close friend in England, writes about Suu's academic years in Oxford and her family life with Michael Aris. The two other essays are by two academics who have closely followed the developments from England and the rise of Suu as Burma's prime spokesperson in the international stage. What emerges from these writings, specially those of her friends', is a more rounded picture of Suu a s a person. Her media celebrity notwithstanding, the question begs to be asked: W h o i s Aung San Suu Kyi? How does one account for her meteoric rise and continued popularity i n a country where the military has dominated all aspects of life for the past 32 years and where no woman in modem times has ever been considered for national leadership? Josef Silverstein, o n e o f t h e book's contributors, gives a very telling reply: "There are no real cultural impediments to a woman 42 Women in Action No. 1,1996
Transcript of AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S Freedom from Fear and OtherWritings
BOOK REVIEW
AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S
Freedom from Fear and OtherWritings Reviewed by J iNG PORTE
w h o h a s n o t h e a r d o f A u n g S a n S u u K y i , B u r m a ' s " w o m a n o f d e s t i n y , " m a n y t i m e s f e a t u r e d o n t h e c o v e r o f v a r i o u s i n t e r n a t i o n a l p u b l i c a t i o n s , s h e w h o w o n t h e S a k h a r o v P r i z e for F r e e d o m o f T h o u g h t i n 1 9 9 0 , a n d t h e N o b e l P e a c e P r i z e i n 1 9 9 1 . S u u , a s s h e i s f o n d l y c a l l e d b y h e r s u p p o r t e r s , a g a i n f e a t u r e d p r o m i n e n t l y i n m e d i a w h e n s h e w a s r e l e a s e d f r o m s i x y e a r s o f h o u s e a r r e s t i n B u r m a .
Freedom from Fear and Other Writings i s a c o l l e c t i o n o f e s s a y s b y A u n g S a n S u u K y i , l e a d e r o f t h e N a t i o n a l L e a g u e o f D e m o c r a c y (NLD ) , t h e m a i n c o a l i t i o n o f g r o u p s f i g h t i n g t h e a u t h o r i t a r i a n r e g i m e i n R a n g o o n . E d i t e d b y h e r h u s b a n d , M i c h a e l A r i s , t h e b o o k p r o v i d e s t h e r e a d e r s w i t h n o t o n l y a g l i m p s e o f t h e s o c i o -c u l t u r a l h i s t o r y o f B u r m a b u t a l s o a p e r s o n a l a c c o u n t o f S u u ' s p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n h e r p e o p l e ' s s t r u g g l e for d e m o c r a c y .
S u u ' s e s s a y s c o m e i n t h r e e b a t c h e s , l i k e a t r i p t y c h o f h e r p o l i t i c a l t h o u g h t s , r e f l e c t i o n s o n B u r m e s e h i s t o r y a n d c u l t u r e a n d r e m e m b r a n c e s . H e r e a r l i e r w r i t i n g s , c o m p l e t e d be f o re h e r r e t u r n to B u r m a i n 1 9 8 8 , m a k e u p t h e b o o k ' s f i r s t p a r t . I n c l u d e d a r e a d a u g h t e r ' s r e m e m b r a n c e o f h e r f a t h e r , A u n g S a n , t h e r e v e r e d l e a d e r o f t h e n a t i o n a l i s t m o v e m e n t i n t h e 1 9 3 0 s a n d 1 9 4 0 s ; e s s a y s o n t h e l i t e r a r y a n d c u l t u r a l h e r i t a g e o f B u r m a ; a n d a c o m p a r a t i v e s t u d y o f i n t e l l e c t u a l d e v e l o p m e n t i n B u r m a a n d I n d i a u n d e r c o l o n i a l i s m .
F o r m i n g t h e b o o k ' s m i d d l e p a r t a r e m i s c e l l a n e o u s d o c u m e n t s c o m p o s e d b y S u u d u r i n g h e r i n m i e r s i o n i n t h e B u r m e s e p e o p l e ' s d e m o c r a t i c s t r u g g l e . C o l l e c t i v e l y , t h e s e a r t i c l e s c o n v e y s o m e t h i n g of t h e a t m o s p h e r e of t h e
w h o l e m o v e m e n t a n d S u u ' s r e s p o n s e to the u n f o l d i n g s i t u a t i o n . T h e d o c u m e n t s are a r r a n g e d i n c h r o n o l o g i c a l s e q u e n c e f r o m the t i m e S u u r e t u r n e d to B u r m a , w h e r e a f t e r she q u i c k l y s t e p p e d i n t o t h e p o l i t i c a l s c e n e by i s s u i n g h e r f i r s t p o l i t i c a l m a n i f e s t o , u p to the e v e n t s t h a t l e d to h e r h o u s e a r r e s t i n J u l y 1989.
F i n a l l y , t h e r e a re t h e e s s a y s w r i t t e n b y other p e o p l e a b o u t S u u . T h e r e a r e t h e p o i g n a n t and o f t e n h u m o r o u s r e m i n i s c e n c e s b y t w o people w h o h a v e k n o w n S u u be f o r e s h e b e c a m e a s y m b o l o f B u r m a ' s s t r u g g l e for d e m o c r a c y . S u u ' s g r o w i n g u p y e a r s a r e r e c a l l e d b y M a T h a n E , a c l o s e f r i e n d o f t h e A u n g S a n f a m i l y and w h o m S u u r e f e r r e d to a s a n " e m e r g e n c y aunt . ' M e a n w h i l e A n n P a s t e r n a k S l a t e r , S u u ' s n e i g h b o r a n d c l o s e f r i e n d i n E n g l a n d , wri tes a b o u t S u u ' s a c a d e m i c y e a r s i n O x f o r d a n d her f a m i l y l i fe w i t h M i c h a e l A r i s . T h e t w o other e s s a y s a r e b y t w o a c a d e m i c s w h o h a v e closely f o l l o w e d t h e d e v e l o p m e n t s f r o m E n g l a n d and t h e r i s e o f S u u a s B u r m a ' s p r i m e s p o k e s p e r s o n i n t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t a g e . W h a t e m e r g e s from t h e s e w r i t i n g s , s p e c i a l l y t h o s e o f h e r f r iends ' , i s a m o r e r o u n d e d p i c t u r e o f S u u a s a pe r son .
H e r m e d i a c e l e b r i t y n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g , the q u e s t i o n b e g s to b e a s k e d : W h o i s A u n g San S u u K y i ? H o w d o e s one a c c o u n t for h e r meteoric r i s e a n d c o n t i n u e d p o p u l a r i t y i n a c o u n t r y w h e r e t h e m i l i t a r y h a s d o m i n a t e d a l l aspec ts o f l i fe for t h e p a s t 3 2 y e a r s a n d w h e r e n o w o m a n i n m o d e m t i m e s h a s e v e r b e e n c o n s i d e r e d for n a t i o n a l l e a d e r s h i p ?
J o s e f S i l v e r s t e i n , o n e o f t h e b o o k ' s c o n t r i b u t o r s , g i v e s a v e r y t e l l i n g r e p l y : "There a r e n o r e a l c u l t u r a l i m p e d i m e n t s to a w o m a n
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as a leader i n B u r m a . T h r o u g h o u t i t s h is tory , women have enjoyed equal i ty w i t h m e n i n the household a n d the economy. Marriage was a n d is a c iv i l act; w o m e n r e ta in the i r o w n n a m e s du r ing m a r r i a g e , a n d d i v o r c e i s a s i m p l e procedure w i t h no s t i gma a t tached to e i ther party. More important , women have always h a d the r ight of i n h e r i t a n c e . O n l y i n B u d d h i s t religious t e rms were they cons idered inferior. "
B u t wh i l e B u r m e s e pre -co lon ia l h i s to ry i s replete w i t h i n s t a n c e s where w o m e n a t ta ined positions of power a n d in f luence , the role of w o m e n i n p o l i t i c s , a d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d diplomacy de t e r i o ra t ed d u r i n g the c o l o n i a l period. Th i s infer ior pos i t i on pers is ts u p to the present. F r o m the co l on ia l per iod onwards , women's o r gan i z a t i ons became a t t a ched to political parties. Coun t l e s s women part ic ipated in the nat iona l i s t struggle of the co lon ia l per iod and many w o r k e d c lose ly w i t h the m e n who were the ir leaders . B u t they never ach ieved leadership i n their o w n right. Under the mihta iy dictatorship, women 's soc ia l a n d poUtical s tatus further deter iorated.
A u n g S a n S u u K y i i s spec ia l i n so m a n y ways. As ide f rom he r be ing the daughter of a national hero , she h a s a n u m b e r of qua l i t i es which prepared he r we l l to enter a n d r ise i n the po l i t i ca l a r e n a i n he r o w n r ight. S u u i s inteUigent a n d we l l - educa ted , hav ing f in i shed her educat ion i n Ind ia a n d later at Oxford. She is also wide ly- t rave led . After l eav ing Oxford, she went to New Yo rk where she was employed for some time at the U n i t e d Nat ions Secretariat. Small a n d t h i n b u t feisty, S u u possesses a commanding presence that h a s been proven repeatedly by he r capac i ty to at tract crowds i n their thousands .
Bu t it i s her courage i n the face of adversity that s tands out as most ou t s t and ing feature. In response to the mi l i ta ry ' s se izure of power on 18 September 1988 after G e n e r a l Ne W i n resigned a n d ca l l ed for a re f e rendum to adopt a multi-party system, S u u j o ined i n the founding of the Nat ional League of Democracy (NLD) and became i ts general-secretary.
In her p o s i t i o n , S u u spoke ou t s h a r p l y against the m u r d e r i n the streets of B u r m e s e youth, a n d the mi l i ta ry ' s v io la t ions of h u m a n rights. A t one t ime, she was a c cused by the mihtary of a l l ow ing herse l f to be m a n i p u l a t e d by the c o m m u n i s t s Her party, the N L D , was equated w i th the b a n n e d Burmese C o m m u n i s t Party. She par r i ed the a t tacks by te l l ing the
mi l i ta ry that she h a s a m i n d of he r own a n d by expe l l ing afterwards her co-party leader at N L D who was m a k i n g s im i l a r charges.
D e s p i t e t h e m i l i t a r y ' s b a n o n p u b l i c gather ings , S u u trave led a r o u n d B u r m a a n d gathered crowds i n the t h o u s a n d s . O n 5 A p r i l 1989, whi le campaign ing i n D a n u b y u province, a n army capta in ordered h i s soldiers to a i m their rifles at her . She w a l k e d towards the so ld iers as the cap ta in started the c o u n t d o w n for the f i r ing. A n a rmy major s tepped forward a n d c o u n t e r m a n d e d the order , p r e v e n t i n g h e r assass inat ion .
O n 20 J u l y 1989, the mi l i t a ry in tens i f i ed i ts a t tacks aga inst the democrat ic oppos i t ion . Many NLD leaders and supporters were arrested a n d S u u a n d N L D cha i r T i n U were p laced u n d e r house arrest. S u u immediate ly began a hunge r s t r ike w h e n her d e m a n d to be p u t i n the same j a i l as her supporters was tv imed down by the mUita iy . The hunger str ike, w h i c h lasted 12 days, ended only after S u u was a s s u r e d by her captors that her suppor te rs w o u l d not be t reated i n h u m a n l y a n d w o u l d be g i ven due process.
I n M a y 1 9 9 0 , t h e e l e c t i o n s for t h e const i tut iona l assembly was he ld . T h o u g h S u u was not a l lowed by the mihtary to r u n , the N L D s t i l l w o n more t h a n 80 per cent of the seats. B u t the mi l i tary re f i ised to recognize the resu l ts of the election. Instead, it t ightened the dragnet aga inst the N L D . B y the e n d of October 1990, on ly four of NLD ' s leaders were free.
S u u ' s captors have f inal ly let her out bu t the restr ict ions on her movements remain . Yet, S u u pe r s i s t s i n he r work , a d d r e s s i n g l o c a l meet ings a n d demonstra t ions a n d lobby ing for i n t e r n a t i o n a l s u p p o r t to t h e d e m o c r a c y m o v e m e n t i n B u r m a . H e r i n i t i a l p u b l i c speeches indicate that Suu ' s commitment to the struggle for democracy i n B u r m a is unwaver ing.
S u u is not only r e shap ing B u r m a ' s poht ics , b u t i s also h e l p ing reinvigorate the B u r m e s e w o m e n to r e c l a im the role they h a d p layed i n pre -co lon ia l t imes : coequal , i f not better, w i t h m e n i n a l l aspects of life.
Jing Porte is a projects consultant of KABABAIHAN, a women's center working with urban poor women and trade unions. She was the coordinator for South East Asia of the Hong Kong-based Committee for Asian Workers in the early 1980s, and has written extensively about Filipino women workers.
Women in Action No. 1, 1996
