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Tuesday, 26 May 2009 17:02 |
Author: Alan Clements
Reviewed by: David Calleja
 The political, social and economic tragedy that exists in present day Burma is a permanent stain on humanity. In the words of Tin Oo, Deputy Leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), “Burma is a prison within a prison.” The thoughts, movements and actions of 50 million civilians are under constant surveillance by a government obsessed with maintaining control. Yet the thoughts and words of Aung San Suu Kyi provide a beacon of hope that a democratic and unified Burma will someday prevail.
Author Alan Clements traveled to Rangoon in December 1995 to meet secretly with Suu Kyi and recorded a series of dialogues with the leader of the NLD. Clements’ involvement with Burma goes back 30 years. He is the first American to be ordained a Buddhist monk in modern Burma and like many foreign journalists entering the country has also encountered the wrath of the military junta by being deported. Between his extensive knowledge of the domestic situation and Suu Kyi’s wisdom and elegance in answering every question put before her, readers will understand just how Buddhism is closely connected with politics in Burma, and why the concepts of faith and metta (loving kindness) are among the building blocks of any genuine democracy.
Each chapter is named after a sentence that typifies the beliefs, sacrifices and struggles that best summarize key points in Suu Kyi’s existence. It also demonstrates the enormous love that she shares for every person who has risked their life to hear speeches delivered from her compound. She also speaks repeatedly of compassion towards members of the ruling junta and declares that they too can show love for the people of Burma. Though this may surprise readers, but it perfectly encompasses everything she stands for. One cannot help but show admiration for any individual willing to risk their life to hear a political icon outline the real situation in Burma, and be prepared to listen to how and why civilians are suffering.
In the process of unraveling Suu Kyi’s deepest thoughts, Clements uncovers a defiant individual that will not be intimidated by weaponry in the hands of authority, while uncovering the keys to life – love for humanity, education and an open heart. Suu Kyi speaks modestly and candidly in describing her upbringing, the role of her parents in shaping her values, her frenetic daily routine while under house arrest, life abroad, eventual homecoming to Burma and unrelenting commitment to non-violence. The appeal of the dialogue is that Suu Kyi’s answers some of Clements’ lengthy questions and plainly and with fervor, as if addressing a crowd of tens of thousands of her supporters. There is no place for political spin within these pages, which enhances the readability.
One theme that resonates through the entire book is the tenacity of the people of Burma and their ability to adopt a sense of humor in spite of the horrific conditions that they face. It takes a special human being to constantly laugh throughout years of suffering. Clements has clearly done his background research to prompt thought-provoking answers from Suu Kyi and in doing so, delivers possibly the greatest insight into the world’s most famous female political icon. It is impossible to conceive of the danger that faced Clements and Suu Kyi, making the discussions and writing of this publication all the more plausible.
Throughout the course of the book the reader becomes acutely aware of the volatile situation that Burma has faced in recent decades, a scenario sadly prevalent to this day. The facts itself relating to Burma’s political, social and economic demise are not new, but Clements aims to provide shock therapy and reveal to the world the extent and frequency of abuse. He succeeds in deeply piercing the heart and soul and warning us that if we do not regard Burma as our highest priority then it is not just the people that face the harshest consequences of tyranny; as a society we will all carry the burden of watching humans slowly die in the absence of intervention.
Aung San Suu Kyi: The Voice of Hope reminds us all that the forgotten people of Burma are not just the dead forced onto their knees for so much of their lives, but the living voiceless too. Alan Clements has presented us with a manual for life that crudely tells the developed and most powerful leaders on the planet to stop waiting idly by for a miracle to occur. This book is the catapult that will launch individuals into taking immediate action. With the international community locked out of the ongoing criminal proceedings relating to Aung San Suu Kyi's alleged breach of detention law, we are getting just a small taste of what life would be like without her presence. The message here is loud and clear; use your rights and privileges to help the long-suffering civilians of Burma gain their freedom.
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Aung San Suu Kyi: The Voice of Hope
