Time Magazine Offers Portraits of Burmese Political Prisoners Advocating for Others

Time Magazine has just posted a really interesting set of pictures taken by James Mackay. The series, entitled “Even Though I’m Free I Am Not,” is the result of three years of work taking portraits of “Burmese dissidents and democracy activists,” like the one above. Time writes:

In each photo, the subject lifts his or her hand in the classic Buddhist gesture of the ‘abhaya mudra,’ a sign representing protection, peace and the dispelling of fear. Inscribed on their raised hands are the names of allies, friends, kindred spirits who were still in detention at the time the photo was taken.

Take a look at the whole series here.

UPDATE: You can see many more of Mackay’s photos of Burmese political prisoners in his recent book Abhaya: Burma’s Fearlessness, from River Books. (Hat-tip to our friend Rod Meade Sperry for the reminder.)