Irrawaddy-June 20
From jungle camps to the countryside and major cities, the Myanmar people united yesterday to celebrate the 77th birthday of their detained leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, calling for her release from junta detention. The ousted civilian leader has been held at an undisclosed location in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw since last year’s February 1 coup that plunged the country into crisis. Young resistance fighters who have taken up arms to bring down the military regime held ceremonies in their jungle camps to honor their cherished leader, including in areas controlled by ethnic armed organizations, cutting cakes, making offerings or wearing and holding flowers to show solidarity with their leader, who is known for wearing flowers. Columns of protesters around the country also marched to mark Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s June 19 birthday, calling for the release of her and all political prisoners unjustly detained by the junta since the coup. The protesters and anti-regime activists also called on people to continue to fight to topple the regime, highlighting Suu Kyi’s well-known saying “Freedom from Fear” to mark the anniversary. Buddhist monks chanted and wished for her speedy release and planted trees to mark her birthday. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s supporters abroad also gathered and held events in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Norway and Sweden. This is the 16th birthday Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has marked in custody since she was first detained in July 1989. Since then, she has spent 15 years under arrest at her lakeside house in Yangon and now in Naypyitaw. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/suu-kyi-enjoys-unwavering-popular-support-as-myanmar-celebrates-her-birthday.html
