A gun pointed straight at her. Yet another, a third, a fourth, and five or six more. Those hands, those human hands which held so formidable an object, were unalterable and resolved. And so was her determination. She walked past the armed soldiers, with great tranquility. The applaudable courage might have been traced back to her father, who was a national hero killed by his political rivals in advocating democracy in her early days, and her experience of numerous unimaginable events in life which may appear startling to many of us - Twenty-one years, spent under house arrest; A most beloved husband, passed away on his very own birthday without a final kiss of farewell; Two adorable sons, grown up with very few encounters of a loving mother; A Nobel Peace Prize speech, delivered more than two decades after it was first issued...
To Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a revered leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, the aforementioned events should not be considered as sacrifices. Rather than 'sacrificing family' for her country, she was merely making personal choices. More than two decades of house arrest signified spending a large portion of a young woman's life with the uncaring soldiers she loved not, and in absence of those she missed most intensely and affectionately. She tried to stay connected to the world by listening to her radio to follow the latest news, and to broaden her scope of knowledge and sources of inspiration on top of her original stock of verity and her education at University of Oxford by reading books and important documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Furthermore, instead of considering herself as the centre of the spotlight in her political movements, Daw Suu highlighted that every individual's effort contributes greatly: individuals from different ethnic backgrounds ought to take part in securing their own ideas in order to reach a state democracy, which is not only necessary but also possible.
"It is not power that corrupts, but fear." Pronounced the lady with certainty. So many of her personal and political events trigger her thoughts and inspire others: the art of compromise, the open-mindedness that helped her through adversities, the simple desire to free her fellow people and to build an Oxonian Shangri-la... No wonder Aung San Suu Kyi is is often saluted as the symbol of courage, both nationally and internationally.
Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade - they have their seasons and so do we. However, Aung San Suu Kyi's trademark flower head-wears along with her leis seem to symbolically suggest the continuing efforts she makes to bring about democracy to a wider community.
Suu Kyi is such a conscience of humanity, such a symbol of courage, and such a heroine to lead Myanmar in achieving greater glories. Let the petals of oppression wither, and let the flowers of democracy blossom. This moment, is the perfect time. Now, is the season, for bearing fruits to freedom without fear.