Aung San Suu Kyi: For what price freedom?

Happy 60th Birthday Aung San Suu Kyi

I've always been interested in her. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese leader of a party that won an overwelming majority to rule Burma democratically, yet has never ruled once, instead living for over 9 years under solitary house arrest.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of many peace prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize, educated at Oxford University, the author of many academic articles and the daughter of man who united Burma and who was assasinated when she was only 5 years old.

I'm often curious to read about the formative years of great people like these - what and who influenced her to feel the way she does about her country, her people, that she accepted the sacrifice of being separated from her 2 children, her husband (who was not able to even get permission from the Burmese government to see her one last time, when he knew he was dying of cancer, and she would not leave becuse leaving Burma to see him would mean never being allowed to enter ever again, so he died, 4 years without seeing her, and she him).

I read about her formative years, and can see why she because the person she is. I wonder how many more years before she gets to leave her solitary house arrest and lead Burma, now under a suppressive military regime. I greatly admire her for the tough decisions and choices she had to make, and I hope that it will fruitfy in some ray of hope for Burma and its people.

Read more about her at: http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html

And if you get a chance, read one of her speeches, stirring indeed. But, it has no effect on the rulers in Burma and the international community have not done more than call for her release or try and pressure the government, yet, still nothing has happened regarding her current situation of being under house arrest for 9 years.