Freedom from Fear

Aung San Suu Kyi, human rights activist and leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, was detained in 1989 by SLORC, the ruling military junta, following a spontaneous uprising that swept a nation silenced by more than 25 years of political repression. Today she remains under house arrest in Rangoon, a prisoner of conscience, separated from her family and friends. Although her party won an overwhelming victory in May 1990, the military has refused either to release her or transfer power in accordance with its earlier promise. This collection of writings, edited by her husband, Michael Aris, reflects Aung San Suu Kyi's beliefs, hopes and fears for her people. Composed before her incarceration, it ranges from a portrait of her father, Aung San, the revered leader of the nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s, to essays on the literature and cultural heritage of her country, a comparative study of intellectual development in Burma and India under colonialism and a selection of essays, speeches, letters and interviews resulting from her involvement in the struggle for democracy.
Together with reminiscences by two people who know her well and two independent assessments of her role in politics and the human rights movement, these writings give a voice to Burma's "woman of destiny", an individual whose spirit, courage and ideals were internationally recognized when, in 1990, she was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and in 1991 the Nobel Peace Prize.