Friends, this slight, beautiful, gentle woman has just had another 18 months added to her house arrest which has consumed 14 of the last 20 years of her life.
She, Aung San Suu Kyi, committed the crime of leading a successful democracy movement in Burma, something that the Military Generals felt interfered with their despotic control of the small nation. So they have put her in limbo for 14 years while they got on with controlling every aspect of life in Burma.
Her most recent crime? An American swam across a lake and entered her home which the authorities said abrogated the terms of her house arrest. What was she to do: overpower the man and throw him back into the lake?
Of course, there is supposed to be an election next year and the brutal Military Junta didn’t want someone as popular as Suu Kyi to stir the pot and awaken the Burmese citizens to the horrors of their military dictatorship. So when the American undertook his swim, it gave them a perfect opportunity to further neuter a popular leader of democratic change.
All over the world people are subjected to oppression and denial of freedom.
It can take many forms. Some examples are: Burma and Fiji, (and, until recently, Pakistan) are both run by the military. In North Korea and Egypt, the power rests in the hands of dictators like Kim Jong-il and Mubarek. In the Middle East, many countries are run by Royal Families and the citizens have few rights (Saudi Arabia for example).
In China, the country is run by a totalitarian communist political party that has its citizens under complete control as well as those in Tibet. In Iraq and Afghanistan, puppet governments purport to run the countries while the real power resides with the militaristic Americans. In the Palestinian Territories, people are under occupation or siege and have no rights at all. The list of injustices goes on and on.
Even in some so-called democracies, the Government spies on its citizens, interferes with their votes, stops them from marching, instructs their police to rough up protesters, threatens control of the internet, builds internment camps, etc.
People all over the world are being denied freedom and human rights by a few thousand people who are consumed by self-interest and greed. Aung San Suu Kyi is but one of billions who live under oppression and without freedom.
Spare a thought for her and all the others across the world who have no voice, who will never know what real freedom means, who struggle to put a meal on the table, who live in constant fear, who are being gang-raped at four years of age (Congo), who are having their limbs hacked off or flogged, etc.
Free Aung San Suu Kyi! Depose The Oppressors!
Britain a democracy has more 2.4 million CCTV cameras rivalling China a communist police state. The British Secret Courts have had on average per annam 500,000 applications from security agencies and councils to access private citizens emails, phone records, financial statements and mobile phones. The British Government have successfully created an illusion to their citizens that they are free but in fact the citizens have slept walked into this monitored age and are controlled just like the Chinese. I feel very privileged to able to speak my mind on a forum like this knowing billions of people cannot, but I support them when and with I have – FREE Speech. Always remember friends that the truth doesn’t need protection and secrecy, but only lies and fabrications need protection and secrecy.
Reply
David G Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Truth is an increasingly scarce commodity in our world as is free speech, Kemosobi! The Masters of the Universe will ensure the trend continues.
Reply
What was she to do: overpower the man and throw him back into the lake?
A good idea, but in the end probably futile as the regime had a vested interested in tacking another couple of years onto Ms. Aung’s sentence. I’d be very interested to find out what happened to John Yettaw. He sounds like a cracker. Though I wonder if he’s just a dupe for the junta.
Reply
David G Reply:
August 13th, 2009 at 8:57 am
The junta needs no dupes, Kvatch. They are a law unto themselves. Perhaps they’re modeling themselves on the Israelis!
Reply
Here in the US our freedom to speak is being denied. Obama has a new health care plan that would include a small government run plan for people who do not have private insurance. Right now that is 50 million americans.
Members of congress are going to town hall meeting to discuss this with voters and get their input. At least that is the way it is supposed to work.
Instead, the right wing conservatives have funded and organized large numbers of brain dead citizens to go to these meeting and disrupt them, shouting down anyone who attempts to speak, attacking anyone they disagree with, even making death threats.
I am sure the insurance and drug companies are laughting all the way to the bank while they watch people put all their passion into something that will end up hurting them and their family and make the rich and greedy even richer.
It is unbeleivable how stupid these people are!
Of course, these same people are or will take their government run medicare when they are 65.
Do they think for even one moment?
My husband would retire now at 63, but we need the health insurance that he gets from his job. If we had to buy our own it would cost us more than $2,000 a month. There is no way we can affor that.
The freedom to discuss the pros and cons of an issue are disappearing as is an rational discussion. Everything is primative emotion expressed with loud angry shouts while the rich gather together more and more money.
By the times those idiots wake up and see reason it will be way too late.
I know this is in no way anything like what is happening in much of the rest of the world, but it is a scary look into the future of politics here in the US. It seems more like facism than democracy!
Reply
Jeannie, I’ve been watching this issue developing. The Masters of the Universe manipulate the brain-dead with ease using fear and greed and threats.
A situation like this cannot end well. It will end up being survival of the cunning and unscrupulous. Those who are neither will get the short straw!
Reply
This IS one of the greatest tragedies of our time: the imprisonment of this popular, peaceful and gracious leader who represents everything that was right about Burma. Myanmar. America not taking action to free her, is just one indicator of American corruption. We only “rescue” people who sit on oil or who will sell us their trees (MyanmarJunta).
I never thought that my political opinions and voicing them could ever be a problem – (insert drumbeat here) BUT 9/11 changed everything – just like “they” said it did. A few men with box cutters did bring down a great nation. Actually, a few politicians brought America down. I guess all our edumacation prepared us for this new world. Our contribution to world peace and normalcy was a Presidential Beckon to “go shopping”. Because we all know that when the going gets tough, tough Americans unquestioningly go shopping.
Peace now. Free Aung San Suu Kyi, now!
Reply
“When the going gets tough, tough Americans unquestioningly go shopping.” Love it!
Reply
thank you, Jeannie
when you write:
“Instead, the right wing conservatives have funded and organized large numbers of brain dead citizens to go to these meeting and disrupt them, shouting down anyone who attempts to speak, attacking anyone they disagree with, even making death threats.”
——————————————————————————————————–
The behavior by those people reminds me very much of what was /is going on in Iran post-election (by/in the western media) hype.
As I see it:
it’s a selfish and egoistic kind of people who consider them self above laws, and have never e imagined them self to have to conform/submit to the rules of laws in a democracy.
I’ve said it before::
The more wealth, (for some people) equals more evil(ness
Reply