By now, you've likely heard of Aung Sung Suu Kyi's long overdue release from detention imposed by the military junta in Burma. Her beautiful serene face has been all over the news; the same face that invokes a deep seeded hatred and fear from her oppressors. Her quest: to gain freedom for her people through democracy. Starting from this pure intention, she has become an inspirational leader loved by the Burmese and revered by world leaders.
Her propensity to lead goes back to her roots. In the 1940s, her father was a general in the Communist Party who played a leading role in the movement to free Burma from British colonial rule. Six months before he could witness the fruits of his labor, he was assassinated. He is considered a hero by the Burmese. The period following his death was filled with instability. Suu Kyi returned in the late 80s and became of the face of the National League Democracy (NLD). A democratic election was held where her party won. Shortly after, she was detained along with the majority of the party members.
In 2006, I was fortunate to visit Burma. My first impression is from the Rangoon airport which was empty, dated, and stuck in a time warp from a colonial era. There was a line of cab drivers waiting in the blistering sun for a fare and us, the two lone foreigners looking for a ride. Usually, catching a ride from the airport stresses me out in Asia because there always seems to be commotion , lively shouting matches for business, and a general feeling that we will get ripped off . To our pleasant surprise, we were politely approached by a driver who ushered us into his cab. There were no arguments amongst the drivers for our business. All of this was a far cry from its next door neighbor Thailand.
I distinctly remember the cab ride. Our driver spoke perfect English so we started exchanging some small talk. I commented on his English and learnt that it was common for Burmese over the age of 30 to be fluent. They had been very well educated by the British but the state of education declined post-colonialism. Today's Burmese youth have been brought up on old textbooks and are not permitted to learn English. At this point, we thought it would be wise not to go much deeper into politics. We had been warned in our guide books that Burmese could be detained and punished if they spoke negatively about the military junta so we just let the conversation flow at his rate. He peered in his rear view mirror and then from side to side, as though to check if the coast was clear to go on about the political state. He shared his disdain for the military; how the few with military connections prospered while the rest of the country suffered from poverty and lack of progress. He expressed his hopes that Suu Kyi would be freed soon and capped off our ride with a warm smile. This was my first glimpse at the Burmese spirit.
During my trip, I saw more of the same: old decaying infrastructure, trains that rocked from side to side like boats, cars from another era peppered with the rare luxury SUV with government plates, generators powering buildings during mandated power outages, pick-up trucks acting as transit packed with up to 20 people including 10 on the roof. Whereas Suu Kyi was detained in her 'lakeside mansion', the Burmese are trapped in their country. They cannot leave unless they escape illegally to become second rate citizens in neighboring countries. They can't even move freely in their own country. During an overnight bus ride, our bus was stopped two or three times at checkpoints where everyone had to exit the bus with bleary and weary eyes.
They have coped with this with the most admirable strength. They are proud people who do not show vulnerability in the face of adversity. One day in Mandalay, we wanted to visit a historical site that was only accessible by boat. To get to the dock, we had to take a tri-shaw which is a rickshaw with two seats motored by pedal power. Our driver Jo Suu was a skinny wiry man. We felt horrible that he had to pedal 300+ pounds of our body weight in the blazing sun for what turned out to be quite far but he wouldn't accept our offer to get off and walk. We rolled along on our journey. Suddenly, we were being pulled over by a traffic cop. He had apparently crossed the intersection illegally even though it felt like we had crossed quite safely through an unmarked intersection. As a result, he was given a fine. We found the situation totally unjust but Jo Suu just brushed it off with a dignified air. It wasn't the first time that he had been treated like this. His story is tragic. Previously, he had been a supervisor at the docks where his family lived in an idyllic lakeside community. One day, the rug was pulled out from under him. The government decreed that all residents living around the docks would have to relocate their homes to a location that was only accessible by boat with no facilities. To make matters worse, he arrived at work where he was told that he was no longer needed as his post which had now been given to the son of a military official. He told this story to us without emotion. Whatever anger he had was probably buried under the weight of a junta that would never make things right for him. Later on in the day, Jo Suu looked tired. We asked him if anything was wrong and he finally told us that he had been suffering from diarrhea all day. We couldn't bare to go on any further but we were stuck in the middle of nowhere. Rather than abandoning us as he really could have, he went out of his way to find another driver to take us home. We parted ways with the understanding that we would see him the next day where we could pay him extra for his efforts. Unfortunately, he didn't show up. We suspect that he was actually very sick. That day, I felt completely unworthy compared to the selfless way that he had carried himself.
Her propensity to lead goes back to her roots. In the 1940s, her father was a general in the Communist Party who played a leading role in the movement to free Burma from British colonial rule. Six months before he could witness the fruits of his labor, he was assassinated. He is considered a hero by the Burmese. The period following his death was filled with instability. Suu Kyi returned in the late 80s and became of the face of the National League Democracy (NLD). A democratic election was held where her party won. Shortly after, she was detained along with the majority of the party members.
In 2006, I was fortunate to visit Burma. My first impression is from the Rangoon airport which was empty, dated, and stuck in a time warp from a colonial era. There was a line of cab drivers waiting in the blistering sun for a fare and us, the two lone foreigners looking for a ride. Usually, catching a ride from the airport stresses me out in Asia because there always seems to be commotion , lively shouting matches for business, and a general feeling that we will get ripped off . To our pleasant surprise, we were politely approached by a driver who ushered us into his cab. There were no arguments amongst the drivers for our business. All of this was a far cry from its next door neighbor Thailand.
I distinctly remember the cab ride. Our driver spoke perfect English so we started exchanging some small talk. I commented on his English and learnt that it was common for Burmese over the age of 30 to be fluent. They had been very well educated by the British but the state of education declined post-colonialism. Today's Burmese youth have been brought up on old textbooks and are not permitted to learn English. At this point, we thought it would be wise not to go much deeper into politics. We had been warned in our guide books that Burmese could be detained and punished if they spoke negatively about the military junta so we just let the conversation flow at his rate. He peered in his rear view mirror and then from side to side, as though to check if the coast was clear to go on about the political state. He shared his disdain for the military; how the few with military connections prospered while the rest of the country suffered from poverty and lack of progress. He expressed his hopes that Suu Kyi would be freed soon and capped off our ride with a warm smile. This was my first glimpse at the Burmese spirit.
During my trip, I saw more of the same: old decaying infrastructure, trains that rocked from side to side like boats, cars from another era peppered with the rare luxury SUV with government plates, generators powering buildings during mandated power outages, pick-up trucks acting as transit packed with up to 20 people including 10 on the roof. Whereas Suu Kyi was detained in her 'lakeside mansion', the Burmese are trapped in their country. They cannot leave unless they escape illegally to become second rate citizens in neighboring countries. They can't even move freely in their own country. During an overnight bus ride, our bus was stopped two or three times at checkpoints where everyone had to exit the bus with bleary and weary eyes.
They have coped with this with the most admirable strength. They are proud people who do not show vulnerability in the face of adversity. One day in Mandalay, we wanted to visit a historical site that was only accessible by boat. To get to the dock, we had to take a tri-shaw which is a rickshaw with two seats motored by pedal power. Our driver Jo Suu was a skinny wiry man. We felt horrible that he had to pedal 300+ pounds of our body weight in the blazing sun for what turned out to be quite far but he wouldn't accept our offer to get off and walk. We rolled along on our journey. Suddenly, we were being pulled over by a traffic cop. He had apparently crossed the intersection illegally even though it felt like we had crossed quite safely through an unmarked intersection. As a result, he was given a fine. We found the situation totally unjust but Jo Suu just brushed it off with a dignified air. It wasn't the first time that he had been treated like this. His story is tragic. Previously, he had been a supervisor at the docks where his family lived in an idyllic lakeside community. One day, the rug was pulled out from under him. The government decreed that all residents living around the docks would have to relocate their homes to a location that was only accessible by boat with no facilities. To make matters worse, he arrived at work where he was told that he was no longer needed as his post which had now been given to the son of a military official. He told this story to us without emotion. Whatever anger he had was probably buried under the weight of a junta that would never make things right for him. Later on in the day, Jo Suu looked tired. We asked him if anything was wrong and he finally told us that he had been suffering from diarrhea all day. We couldn't bare to go on any further but we were stuck in the middle of nowhere. Rather than abandoning us as he really could have, he went out of his way to find another driver to take us home. We parted ways with the understanding that we would see him the next day where we could pay him extra for his efforts. Unfortunately, he didn't show up. We suspect that he was actually very sick. That day, I felt completely unworthy compared to the selfless way that he had carried himself.
Keep a close watch on Suu Kyi in the months to come and send your positive energy to her. She will need it in the turbulent environment that she is and will be skillfully navigating.
