Thursday, August 19, 2010
Celebrations for the 65thbirthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Early in the morning on June 19, more than ten girls wearing red Mon longhis (sarongs) ran out of our house and piled into the car waiting outside. After five minutes driving through the village, we arrived in front of the compound where celebrations were underway for Aung San SuuKyi’s 65th birthday.
Early in the morning on June 19, more than ten girls wearing red Mon longhis (sarongs) ran out of our house and piled into the car waiting outside. After five minutes driving through the village, we arrived in front of the compound where celebrations were underway for Aung San SuuKyi’s 65th birthday.
When we got out of the car and walk through the gates, we can see a house made of black wood. The surrounding area is hilly and green, and over to our left we can see the roof of the monastery above the trees.
In front of the house there were two tables. One table displayed a statement issued by Women’s League of Burma for Daw Suu’s birthday, a sign-in book and posters of Daw Suu. On the other table was a ballot box and postcards with an image of a voting ballot on the front with the options of “Daw Suu’s Real Election” or “Than Shwe’s Military Selection”. On the back of the cards were calls from the organizations of Burma’s democracy movement to international governments. I asked the woman behind the table about the cards and the ballot box. She explained that people can mark the cards and send them to Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of ASEAN. A member of the ceremony committee said that, “The objective of the postcards is to communicate our refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the 2010 election or to acknowledge the results. The people of Burma want to draw the attention of the international community in the hopes it will pressure the SPDC into entering discussions with the ethnic minority groups.” I asked a Mon medical nurse about how she marked her card. She said, “I support Daw Suu because she is trying to bring about democracy in Burma and she is a representative of ethnic communities. That is why I voted for her.”
The 2010 election will be neither free or fair. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) refuses to release over 2100 political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, launches frequent attacks against the ethnic communities, and attempts to force ethnic armies to join the new “Border Guard Force”. The regime has not reviewed the 2008 constitution, widely recognized to be undemocratic, and it has not engaged in a dialogue with the organizations of the democracy movement or the ethnic minorities. Rather than providing an opportunity for the Burma’s citizens to make their voice heard, the 2010 elections will merely perpetuate and consolidate the military’s stranglehold on the nation and ensure the continued repression of its people.
On March 8 this year, the military government passed new election laws. The groups who want to establish and register as a party must endorse the 2008 constitution. The constitution ensures that the armed forces will automatically hold 25% of the seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and guarantees 33% of the seats in all state or division parliaments for the armed forces. As such, many ethnic groups refuse to endorse the constitution and are barred from establishing or registering as a party in the 2010 elections, thus leaving many ethnic minorities without a chance for representation.
Standing on the stage beneath the banner, the committee member spoke to the more than seventy people from New Mon State Party and other border organizations:
Despite the obstacles Daw Suu must overcome as a woman in a conservative society, she never gives up fighting for freedom for the Burmese people under military rule. She has given up her own freedom for all the people of Burma. She does not share our ethnicity, but she still represents ethnic minorities in the struggle for democracy for our country. That is why we honor her and celebrate her birthday.
Committee members gave every person a candle and then a communal prayer was said for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s long life and health. The official celebrations ended with students who are about to graduate from high school cutting the birthday cake. As is traditional in Mon society, the celebration committee provided lunch for everyone who attended. As I opened my lunch box, the smell of delicious chicken curry and rice came wafting out. Sitting and eating this meal with my friends, I was reminded of many times spent eating spicy Mon Curry in the rice paddy with my family in Burma.
During lunch, I chatted with some students about the celebration. One young man said that he was inspired by Daw Aung San Su Kyi: “I have learnt a lot today. I didn’t know so much about Daw Suu before, but now I do and I’m so happy and proud of her work for the people of Burma.” A Mon girl chimed in agreeing, “She is a brave woman. We should try to be more like her, and to encourage others to be like her.”
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s 65th birthday was celebrated not just along the border, but in other towns and cities in Thailand and all around the world. While all these people celebrated her birthday with parties and celebrations, Daw Suu herself spent her 65th birthday under house arrest. The most recent term of her house arrest was supposed to end on May 27, 2009. Despite this, however, her sentence was unlawfully extended after more false charges were brought regarding the American man who swam across Lake Inya to arrive at her compound uninvited. After a short period of detention at the notorious Insein prison, she was once again placed under house arrest and there she remains for an indefinite period, until the military regime sees fit to grant her freedom.
The chairman of the celebration committee praised Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her commitment to the goals of freedom and democracy: “Daw Suu and the National League for Democracy decided to boycott the 2010 elections, because they will not be free or fair. We support Daw Suu’s decision and we have hope and faith that she will continue to fight for the people of Burma and against our military oppressors.”
At the end of the day, after the celebrations were over, I got to thinking about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the example she sets. I think that Mon women should try to be more like Daw Suu, to bring about freedom for the Mon people through bravery and sacrifice. I hope that Daw Suu can spend her 66th birthday among friends and relatives. I hope she can spend it free.
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