Letter from Burma (No. 48) by Aung San Suu Kyi

Mainichi Daily News, Sunday, November 10, 1996

COURAGE OF ORDINARY PEOPLE GOES UNMATCHED: "Tribute"

Letter from Burma (No. 48) by Aung San Suu Kyi

There is nothing to compare with the courage of ordinary people whose names are unknown and whose sacrifices pass unnoticed. The courage that dares without recognition, without the protection of media attention, is a courage that humbles and inspires and reaffirms our faith in humanity. Such courage I have seen week after week since my release from house arrest 15 months ago.

Our brave supporters who come to our weekend rallies are a shining symbol of true commitment and strength. There are those who have not missed a single rally and who have become part of the family of our hearts. There is our lovely /Ahmay/ ("Mother"), who has her hair up in an old-fashioned top knot just as my own mother did during the later years of her life. Ahmay usually wears an insouciant smile on her face and a small flower in her hair. She is accompanied by /Ahba/ ("Father"), gentle of mien and quiet of manners, and by their bright-faced young grandson. Ahmay is the center of a group of democracy faithfuls who have looked the cameras of the military intelligence squarely in the lens and again and again braved the threats of the authorities to demonstrate their unwavering support for the cause of democracy in Burma.

These unshakable stalwarts arrive early in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays and stake out their places in front of my house. They sit against the fence on sheets of newspaper or plastic, seeking respite from the glaring sun under the speckled shade of a tree. During the height of the monsoons, they construct a plastic awning under which they sit out the heaviest deluges with unimpaired spirits and determination. When U Kyi Maung and U Tin U and I come out to speak at 4 o'clock, the are stationed right in front of the gate with beaming smiles of welcome and affection. They are the representative heart of the thousands who come to our rallies because they believe in the importance of the basic democratic freedoms of association, assembly and expression. They listen intently to what we have to say and respond with intelligence and humor. Time and time again, foreign visitors and correspondents have commented on the extraordinary courtesy and good will that is evident among our audience.

Our rallies are political rallies so the main thrust of our speeches is about politics. We respond to letters from the people about the current economic, social and political situation; we discuss the latest international developments; we talk about the struggles for justice and freedom and human rights that have taken place in different parts of the world; we criticize policies and programs which are detrimental to harmony and progress in the nation; we touch on historical matters.

One could say that each one of the three of us has a "specialty" of our own. U Tin U, as a one-time Chief of Defense Services and Minister of Defense, as one who has spent two years as a monk and as one who has a degree in law, talks most often about matters relating to the armed services, to religion and to the law. He is able to illustrate political truths with stories from the teachings of the Buddha and to analyze actions taken by the authorities against the NLD from the legal point of view. He has an arresting "voice of command" which at times makes the microphones almost redundant. There is a transparent honesty and sincerity about his words that endear him to the audience.

U Kyi Maung concentrates on economics, history and education and has a delightful sense of humor. Across the road from my house is a compound from which the security services survey my house. During our rallies a video camera team stations itself on the fence and records everything. Around this team there is usually a small group of members of the military intelligence and other security personnel: they listen carefully to our speeches and sometimes they laugh so heartily at U Kyi Maung's jokes (some of which are directed against them) that I can see their teeth flashing in their faces. His occasional stories about a "grandson" with a very MI-like personality are great favorites.

I am the one to respond to letters from the audience and discuss political struggles that have taken place in Burma in the past and also in other parts of the world. I also talk often about the necessity to cultivate the habit of questioning arbitrary orders and to stand firm and united in the face of adversity. One of my most frequent messages is the reminder that neither I alone, or the National League for Democracy by itself, can achieve democracy for Burma. The people have to be involved in the process; democracy involves as many responsibilities as rights.

The strength and will to maintain two rallies a week for more than a year came from our staunch audience. At those times when the authorities were at their most threatening the crowds become larger as a demonstration of solidarity. Even when the authorities blocked off access to my house to prevent the rallies from taking place, people still came as near as they could to let us and the rest of the world know that they were determined to continue the struggle for the right of free assembly.

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This article is one of a yearlong series of letters. The Japanese translation appears in the Mainichi Shimbun the same day, or the previous day in some areas.