Aung San Suu Kyi: Born To Myanmar Democracy

JAKARTA - Aung San Suu Kyi is a symbol of resistance in Myanmar. The DNA of warriors has been in his blood since childhood. Suu Kyi is the daughter of Myanmar's founder, General Aung San. Thanks to the memory of her father's heroism, Suu Kyi emerged as an icon of the main opposition against the military regime. Interestingly, the resistance was carried out without violence.

For his services, Suu Kyi received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. However, this is a paradox. Suu Kyi's humanity was questioned because she was silent when there was a genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group.

Suu Kyi was born to Aung San and Khin Kyi. Born in Hmway Saung, June 19, 1945, Su Kyi is the second of four children. His father struggled to free Myanmar from British colonialism. Meanwhile, his mother, Khin Kyi, comes from a well-respected and educated family. Nationalism in Suu Kyi has been formed since childhood.

“In fact, since childhood, Suu was chased by questions: what can I do for my country. Suu never forgets for a second, that she is the daughter of Burma's national hero, Aung San, "written by Bunga Surawijaya, quoting the words of Suu Kyi's husband, Michael Aris in an article entitled Aung San Suu Kyi: Voices of the Burmese People's Conscience (1991) published in Tempo Magazine.

"His father was the leader of the independence struggle who proclaimed the independence of Burma from the British colonial government and the Japanese occupation. Aung San and his comrades from the legendary '30 Sekawan 'group entered Burma in the invasion of Japanese troops into the country," the article concludes.

Even though in the future her father died as a victim of power, Suu Kyi's life was still sufficient. This is because the mother is holding a strategic position as ambassador. Because of that, Suu Kyi was able to study abroad. At the University of Oxford, England, to be precise.

It was during this period of study that Suu Kyi, who initially had only a vague memory of her father, began to find out about Aung San's character. In her struggle with various literacies, Suu Kyi is looking for the truth about her father.

Suu Kyi immediately discovered the values that the Myanmar national hero stands for. Suu kyi assessed that his father was never selfish in his struggles. For that, Suu Kyi made the same struggle her life guide.

In addition, Suu Kyi also shared the views related to an independent and democratic Burma. Slowly, Suu Kyi cultivated a desire to restore Muruah Burma - independent and democratic - after completing her studies at Oxford.

Suu Kyi returned to Myanmar in 1988. At that time, his return was only to visit his mother who happened to be seriously ill. Long story short, fate said otherwise. A political crisis then occurred in Myanmar, after 26 years of dictator General Ne Win resigned.

Instantly, demonstrations appeared everywhere. The demonstrators - students and political activists - demanded a democratic system and were against the return of the military regime (military junta). The demonstrators branded Suu Kyi as a symbol of national resistance.

Suu Kyi's residence also became the headquarters for political activists gathered and the center of the movement. Day and night, Suu Kyi's house is always crowded with many political activists, even though a curfew is in place. Suu Kyi acts as a leader who is able to unite activists from different generations. Activists, by Suu Kyi, are taught human rights (HAM) which almost has no place in Myanmar.

"They (the activists) are well aware that in the midst of inter-ethnic conflict and militarist repression, there must be one figure who can be presented to the public as a unifying figure. That choice fell on Suu Kyi, who happened to be home to see her mother who was very sick. Suu Kyi's first political stage before the Burmese people took place at the Shwedagon Pagoda, after the bloody protests that took place August 8-12, 1988. It is estimated that nearly three thousand people died in the long series of demonstrations known today as the 8888 Revolution, "wrote Andre Barahamin in the book. Communist Grasshopper (2019).

[/ read_more]

The military junta also glanced at Suu Kyi's movement. It is believed that Suu Kyi's activities will endanger the military junta if they are not immediately suppressed. In 1989, Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest by the military junta. Not for a moment. Because Suu Kyi's status as house arrest lasted quite a long time.

However, Suu Kyi was allowed to leave Myanmar on the condition that she did not return. But Suu Kyi chose the opposite. He remains in Myanmar. Suu Ki wanted to be closer to the people, even though she had to be separated from her husband and two sons.

"As a mother, the greatest sacrifice is to let go of my children, but I am always aware of the fact that other people have sacrificed more than me," wrote Suu Kyi in the book The Voice of Hope: Conversations with Alan Clements (2009).

After a long wait, Suu Kyi was released in 2010. Suu Kyi's release was greeted with great fanfare by the people of Myanmar. On the other hand, Suu Kyi's freedom actually weakened the military junta and was forced to make concessions to her political opponents. One of the concessions given was free and secret elections.

Ultimately, Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won the general election two years later. The NLD also controls the majority of seats in parliament. However, Suu Kyi cannot become President of Myanmar. The constitutional reason forbids Suu Kyi because she has married a British man, not a Burmese man. At best, Suu Kyi will then be appointed as a state counselor or state advisor.

Even so, Suu Kyi's character was unbeatable. He's too strong. For the people of Myanmar, Suu Kyi's popularity exceeds that of the president. Due to Suu Kyi's victory, historian Ong Hok Ham discussed the matter long ago in 1990. For him, there are at least two factors that make Suu Kyi so strong. First, Suu Kyi is the son of a Myanmar national hero. Second, Suu Kyi was born a woman.

[/ read_more]

“What's most interesting about this fact, the leader of the NLD is Aung San Suu Kyi, a 45 year old woman. he was the second son of General Aung San, the national hero of Burma. This NLD victory reminds us of historians' slightly chauvinistic theory.

"That is, if in a country there are many political factions that are in conflict with one another, a woman - who is considered weak and easily manipulated or influenced - can easily be elected as a leader," said Ong Hok Ham in the book Wahyu Yang Hilang, The Land of Shakes. (2018).

Over time, what Ong Hok Ham said became a reality in 2012. Although Suu Kyi was adamant about fighting the military regime at the beginning of the struggle, after joining the government she became familiar with the military junta.

Therefore, the Myanmar military appears to hold great power by carrying out the persecution and massacres of the Rohingya ethnic minority. As a result of this incident, thousands of Rohingya people were killed and millions more were forced to flee. As a result, Suu Kyi's leadership as a Nobel Peace Prize holder was questioned because she was silent.

Instead of condemning the genocide, Suu Kyi has instead defended those involved and is being tried by an international court in The Hague, Netherlands. With that, Suu Kyi seemed to be on the military side, not towards her Rohingya ethnicity.

As a form of dissatisfaction, the world's citizens are calling for the revocation of the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to Suu Kyi. Moreover, Canada, which had made Suu Kyi an honorary citizen, hastily withdrew her decision.

[/ read_more]