October 12, 2005 Aung San Sui Kyi
Living under a brutally repressive regime, the people of Burma, for years, have been crying out for democracy. Yet, other than lip service found on the U.S. State Department's web site and some nearly meaningless economic pressure, the Bush Administration has largely ignored Burma. Why? Perhaps, because, unlike Iraq, Burma is not a major exporter of oil. (It does have natural gas reserves that the infamous Unocal has played a role in developing in conjunction with the ruthless junta.) Burma -- renamed Myanmar in 1989 by the military government -- does have Aung San Sui Kyi, who won 82% of the popular vote in 1990, but she has never been allowed to hold office. Instead, since the election, she has been under intermittent arrest, house arrest, surveillance, and is prohibited from taking part in political activities. Because she chose not to abandon her countrymen and women, exile wasn't an option. In 1991, she won the Nobel Peace Prize "for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights." She could have led a life of academic research and comfort in Oxford, England, but left her family and returned to Burma to lead a pro-democracy movement, courageously enduring the barbaric military rule of her native land. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Aung San Sui Kyi is a non-violent liberator in a nation run by a junta that kills dissenters at will. She seeks no materialistic rewards, just freedom for her people. Aung San Sui Kyi has something to teach Americans about the importance
of fighting for democracy and the sacrifices we all must take to
insure its survival. That is why she merits this week's BuzzFlash "Wings
of Justice Award." * * * The winning nominator is: Brian Moore of Raymond, New Hampshire
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