Freedom from Fear: And Other Writings

by Aung San Suu Kyi, Michael Aris (Editor), Václav Havel (Foreword by), Desmond M. Tutu (Foreword by)

Overview

Freedom from Fear - collected writings from the Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi's collected writings - edited by her late husband, whom the ruling military junta prevented from visiting Burma as he was dying of cancer - reflects her greatest hopes and fears for her fellow Burmese people, and her concern about the need for international co-operation in the continuing fight for Burma's freedom. Bringing together her most powerful speeches, letters and interviews, this remarkable collection gives a voice to Burma's 'woman of destiny', whose fate remains in the hands of her enemies. Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the world's greatest living defenders of freedom and democracy, and an inspiration to millions worldwide. This book sits alongside Nelson Mandela's memoir Long Walk to Freedom. 'This book is bound to become a classic for a new generation of Asians who value democracy even more highly than Westerners do, simply because they are deprived of the basic freedoms that Westerners take for granted'The New York Times 'Aung San Suu Kyi's extraordinary achievement has been to confront the regime peacefully, reasonably and persuasively... [in] one of the most laudable continuing acts of political courage' Financial Times 'Such is the depth of passion and learning that she brings to her writings about national identity and its links with culture and language that she has attracted the admiration of intellectuals around the world' Sunday Times Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader of Burma's National League for Democracy. She 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. She is also the author of Letters from Burma.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141039497
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/14/2010
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Aung San Suu Kyi is the pre-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. She has been kept under detention for most of the past two decades. Her party, the National League for Democracy, won an overwhelming victory in 1990 elections but was denied power by the military, which has ruled since 1962. She is still being held by the government of Myanmar.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Acknowledgements xi

Foreword to the First Edition Václau Havel xiii

Foreword to the Second Edition Archbishop Desmond Tutu xv

Introduction Michael Aris xvii

Part 1 The Inheritance

1 My Father 3

2 My Country and People 39

3 Intellectual Life in Burma and India under Colonialism 82

4 Literature and Nationalism in Burma 140

Part 2 The Struggle

5 In Quest of Democracy 167

6 Freedom from Fear 180

7 The True Meaning of Boh 186

8 Speech to a Mass Rally at the Shwedagon Pagoda 192

9 The Objectives 199

10 In the Eye of the Revolution 203

11 Two Letters to Amnesty International 208

12 Letter to the Ambassadors 211

13 The Role of the Citizen in the Struggle for Democracy 212

14 Open Letter to the UN Commission on Human Rights 214

15 Dust and Sweat 217

16 The Need for Solidarity among Ethnic Groups 218

17 The People Want Freedom 224

18 The Agreement to Stand for Election 227

19 The 1991 Nobel Prize for Peace 228

20 The Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech 235

21 Towards a True Refuge 239

22 The Need for Dialogue 249

23 Empowerment for a Culture of Peace and Development 260

Part 3 Appreciations

24 A Flowering of the Spirit: Memories of Suu and Her Family Ma Than E 275

25 Suu Burmese Ann Pasternak Slater 292

26 Aung San Suu Kyi: Is she Burma's Woman of Destiny? Josef Silverstein 301

27 Aung San Suu Kyi and the Peaceful Struggle for Human Rights in Burma Philip Kreager 318

28 The Spirit of Reconciliation 360

List of Contributors 362

Index 365

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Such is the depth of passion and learning that she brings to her writings about national identity and its links with culture and language that she has attracted the admiration of intellectuals around the world.”

Editorial Reviews

"A Classic."

“Aung San Suu Kyi’s extraordinary achievement has been to confront the regime peacefully, reasonably, and persuasively…[in] one of the most laudable continuing acts of political courage.”

“Such is the depth of passion and learning that she brings to her writings about national identity and its links with culture and language that she has attracted the admiration of intellectuals around the world.”  

From the Publisher