Irrawaddy-June 19
She may be in prison, but the birthdays of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s imprisoned democracy leader, are never marked in silence.
On June 19 every year, well-wishers at home and around the world commemorate the occasion with renewed expressions of solidarity with “The Lady”, whom many see as a symbol of hope and resilience for a beleaguered nation. This year, as she turns 79, pro-democracy activists and revolutionary forces are holding a flower strike under the theme of “Roses That Never Bow Down” to honor her unwavering defiance of the successive military regimes that have repeatedly held her captive, first in the period following the 1988 uprising, and most recently since the 2021 coup. Many people, from rural areas to big cities, both inside Myanmar and among the Myanmar diaspora, as well as international friends around the world, continue to celebrate her birthday and shower her with birthday wishes calling for freedom and wishing good health for the detained leader, who on Wednesday spent her fourth birthday in solitude under detention since the 2021 coup. This is the 19th birthday she has spent in detention all together, including those she spent during almost 15 years under house arrest under previous regimes until late 2010. Prominent protest leader Dr. Tayzar San said that for more than three decades, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has steadfastly upheld her belief in democracy, human rights and resistance against military dictatorship. “I see her as a national leader who resists without bowing down, which is also why she is honored worldwide as the ‘Steel Rose’ for her resilience and is deeply respected and loved by the people [of Myanmar],” he said. Ko Nan Lin from the Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon (AJAY) echoed the sentiment, saying that while there are people who like and dislike her, it is a fact that she remains an icon of Myanmar’s struggle for democracy. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/specials/as-she-turns-79-in-prison-the-lady-remains-a-symbol-of-hope-and-resilience-in-myanmar.html
