Marking Daw Suu’s Imprisonment on her Birthday

Aung San Suu Kyi turned sixty-five today.

The last freely elected prime minister of Burma, she has spent fifteen of her past twenty birthdays either in prison or under house arrest. It could be worse. She resides in the countryside in a crumbling mansion in a decaying compound surrounded by troops.

But it isn’t good. In the ensuing years her exiled husband has died, her children have grown and given birth to their children. All with her imprisoned. And her country continues to groan under the yoke of the dictators…

Both President Obama and General Secretary Ban Ki-moon have written letters calling upon the Burmese authorities to release her.

Danny Fisher writes about how the Elders, a band of fellow Nobel lauriats and other world political elders, keep a chair waiting for her.

It would be good if she could take that seat soon…