The Might of Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi

When I was growing up in Bangladesh, Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi never ceased to amaze me. Burma is right next door to us geographically, but as a little girl all I understood about the military junta in Burma was primarily through pictures. I couldn't wrap my head around what kind of threat this tiny woman with bright and colorful flowers always tucked behind her ear posed to these big men with guns. Clearly the military's worries went beyond what Suu Kyi represented to them physically. This woman embodies the heart and the spirit of the much oppressed movement for democracy in Burma.

In my adult years, it has been increasingly difficult to keep track of Suu Kyi's imprisonment which has been constant, continuous, and lasted well over a decade. Forced to be a prisoner in her own home, Suu Kyi was well known to be a fighter, and being imprisoned had done little to crush that spirit. But in the past few years, Suu Kyi has become increasingly silent which many have credited to her ailing health.

We were actually just weeks away from what was meant to be her release. However, recent developments not only mean that Suu Kyi will not be released, but moved out of her home and into one of Burma's notorious federal prisons.

Take the time to read a piece by one of my favorite Guardian (the UK' s version of the NY Times) colomnists who articulates this complex issue much better than I ever could. Read for yourself how the spirit of one woman singlehandedly poses the greatest threat to Burma's military junta. Be informed and be inspired. We must maintain pressure on the US Government to not let Suu Kyi disappear from the world's consciousness. She is the only hope the people of Burma have to be a nation of democracy.