Profile in Peace: Aung San Suu Kyi

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Since the Arab Spring first lit up the Middle East, stories of countries torn apart by cruel dictators and wrought with strife have been fresh off the lips of politicians and media alike. Foreign lands that have been enveloped in terror are now struggling to gain true autonomy.

Whether in Egypt or in post-Qaddafi Libya, the Americans have become conscious of the struggles of those suffering in the darker corners of the world. It is important not to lose sight of the millions throughout the world who remain oppressed, and who continue to fight for the most basic human rights.

For years now, the borders of Thailand have been flooded by thousands of refugees whose villages have been burned to ashes and whose livelihood has been violently threatened. Since its liberation from the British in 1948, the tiny Southeast Asian nation of Burma has been defined by one of the longest and most oppressive civil wars of modern times. Despite a wealth of natural resources, such as natural gas and timber, the Burmese standard of living remains one of the lowest in the world.

Since 1962, the already struggling democracy of Burma was further sabotaged by a military coup led by General Ne Win, who has set into effect a violent racial politic legitimized under the guise of Socialism. As the country’s living conditions deteriorated and public upheaval grew, martial law was strictly enforced. The ruling military class used little discretion in dealing with protesters, killing over 1,000 on August 8, 1988 alone. In Burma, fighting for basic human rights can seem almost impossible; perhaps that's why over 2 million of its residence have fled to the safety of neighboring Malaysia.

In the midst of this terror, one cradle of hope remains - one guardian who has lost almost everything in her mission to bring peace. A modern day recapitulation of peaceful warriors like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Aung San Suu Kyi has continued to remain strong in the face of one of the world's most brutish regimes. The daughter of general Aung San, who liberated the Burmese from imperial British rule, Suu Kyi is a throwback to the same fervor for freedom that enveloped the nation in 1948, creating the only genuine constitution the nation has seen. Since he rfather’s murder, ethnic wars (common to many once colonized regions) have become increasingly exacerbated by the liberal use of military fear mongering.

Suu Kyi, an Oxford Graduate, initially returned to her homeland in 1988 to help care for her mother, but ended up staying in order to bolster the burgeoning pro-Democracy movement. Her commitment to her countrymen has come at a great personal loss; she was placed under house arrest for over 20 years, before being released in November of 2010. The ordeal caused her to lose almost all contact with her family. Her husband Aris, who was fighting cancer, was denied visitation and passed away in 1999, having only seen his wife five times since she was placed under house arrest. She also remained separated from her two children throughout her time under house arrest.

Perhaps what is most striking about Suu Kyi's movement is the fact that she remains steadfastly in support of non-violence despite the continued threats to her life. From Che Guevarra in the jungles of Cuba to General George Washington on horseback, it is common to conceptualize great liberators in the heat of war, winning freedom with weaponry. Suu Kyi demands a strikingly different kind of support. Rather than the ski masks made popular by the EZLN, Kyi's supporters wield roses. This physically delicate woman is a shinning example of the power that peace can bring.

Recognized from Venezuela to America for her work in peace, Suu Kyi's integrity is undeniable. She has garnered support from all corners of the globe, and deservedly so. In a world anxious for change, Aung San Suu Kyi reminds us that you don't have to fight fire with fire, that love for fellow man/womankind can prevail.

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