Freedom from Fear and Other Writings

by Aung San Suu Kyi

A new collection of writings by the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner includes her acceptance speech as delivered by her son during her six-year incarceration and numerous reminiscences on her role in politics and her fear for her people.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Biography, Essays, Memoir, Asia

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Prize of 1991 for peace for her work, promoting democracy in her country.

Khin Kyi, a prominent diplomat, bore this opposition daughter of Myanmar to Aung San, a martyred national hero of independence.

Someone assassinated Aung San, her father, then the shortly independent prime minister de facto and father of Aung San Suu Kyi, his daughter of two years. She attended schools until 1960, when people appointed her mother as ambassador to India. After further study in India, she attended the University of Oxford, where she met her future husband.

With two children, she lived a rather quiet life until 1988 and then returned to nurse her dying mother. The brutal military strongman Ne Win ruled and slaughtered masses of protesters; she spoke and began a nonviolent struggle for human rights. In July 1989, the military government of the newly named Union of Myanmar placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest and held her incommunicado. If she agreed to leave Myanmar, then the military offered to free her, but she refused until civilian government returned and freed prisoners. The newly formed group, the national league, affiliated her and won more than four-fifths of the contested parliamentary seats in 1990, but the military government ignored the results of that election.

From house arrest, people freed Aung San Suu Kyi in July 1995. In the following year, she attended the party congress of the national league, but the military government continued to harass her. In 1998, she announced the formation of a representative committee and declared it as the legitimate ruling parliament.

From September 2000, the military junta once again placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest to May 2002. Following clashes between the national league and demonstrators in 2003, the government returned her to house arrest.

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having just come back from a visit to Burma I was really interested to pick up this book. I had tried to find it before I left and was unsuccessful but read up a reasonable amount on the country before I arrived.

Frankly, my feelings were mixed. Part 1 ,which actually takes up about half the book, is a series of essays on Burma published by Suu Kyi before she became politically active. Although there was some interesting information on the history of Burma and her father I felt as if these were a little out of place for an average reader and tended to all discuss similar issues repeatedly (background on her father and the Thakin's) or provide large amounts of information that was hard to digest (going through all the provinces of the country and talking about their key characteristics). They didn't really convey any sense of who the author was to me or give me much understanding of her.

I understand that due to her lengthy incarceration there are not a huge volume of speeches and other materials to draw on but reading through part 1 I rapidly found myself losing interest. I feel bad saying that but it is just my honest feelings - it was almost as if they were put in as fluff to add some length to the text (not saying that was the reason but how I felt). In particular I felt the essay titled "Intelectual Life in Burma and India Under Colonialism" was a gruelling read and just not relevant enough or set at a reasonable level for someone who does not have an indepth knowledge of Burmese or Indian history to understand. It seemed to be a very indepth, analytical dissertation style piece that is very hard for a casual reader such as myself to take much from.

Once Part 2 begins we move onto her political works and this is where I really found myself enjoying the book. Some of her speeches and writings really are truly inspiring. There is no question she is an incredible person but for the first 167 pages of the book I found it hard to connect with her. The background on her father (who is clearly a vital influence on her politics) was appreciated at first but became tired as I felt after essay number 1 no new ground was really covered. It's a real shame for me that I felt Part 1 was such a struggle as it really restricted my overall enjoyment of the book. They could easily have cut out 2/3 or even 3/4 of this section, left enough to provide some background history on her father and Burma, suggested some other readings for those interested, and moved on.

I dont want my overall review to seem harsh but after struggling through over 1/2 the book I feel like it would be just as productive to do a little background reading on Burma before picking up this book, read the introduction and then skip straight to Part 2.

Hopefully in the next few years we will see an another piece of literature from Suu Kyi where she can speak freely on her experiences these last 20+ years. That is something I cant wait to read.

[Raj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays by and about the Burmese pro-democracy activist. It's split into three sections, the first being essays that she wrote before becoming politically active. This contains a biography of her father, the man regarded as the father of the modern Burma; a history of the country written for a younger audience; a comparison of colonialism in Burma and India; and a review of Burmese literature and nationalism. This section shows that she's an intelligent and intelligible writer with a wide range, but it's the second section where she comes into her own. This is a collection of speeches and essays after her political activism began. Apart from one very dry and difficult piece about economics, peace and development, they're all very clearly written and her passion and drive come through clearly. The final section is a series of appreciations of Aung San Suu Kyi written by other people.

The most heartbreaking thing about this book is that it was published in the mid 90s, and more than a decade later nothing has changed. Aung San Suu Kyi is still under house arrest, the military are still in control and it doesn't look like they're going to give up any time soon. Reading her words, her optimism and hope shine through: she really believed that the military would talk to her and accept the mandate of the people where her party won over 80% of the seats contested.

This book shows that Aung San Suu Kyi is an intelligent, strong and incredibly capable woman. She's been called Burma's Gandhi and I hope that she lives to see her dream of Burma's transition to a democratic state.

[Andrew]

I suppose this is what your high school guidance counselor called "inspirational writing." Ignore him/her and his/her fuzzy cardigans. He/she probably has a way of ruining things you like, ranging from hot cocoa to Cinema Paradiso.

Aung San Suu Kyi manages to pair an astonishingly courageous democratic strategy with graceful political writing. These aren't dense, theoretical cogitations, but commonsense illustrations of the present conditions in Burma and how they can be rectified.

This collection though, was best when she was speaking with her own voice. The commentaries on her were at points charming, but I don't especially care what Aung San Suu Kyi was like in her Oxford days. We all know she's a remarkable person-- we don't need the adulations of her acquaintances to reinforce this.

[Sai Kishore Kanagiri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Re-rating this.
Who deserves the Nobel peace prize?
A spectator who see 123,000 people fled across the border with horrific stories to carry with them?
Is this not a text book example of ethnic cleansing ?

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short-term objectives — such as mass demonstrations, the formation of political parties and elections — are worthless if human rights are not consistently observed.

Upon finishing this book, I completed my set goal for the Year of Reading Woman of Color 2016 challenge sponsored by the 500 Great Books By Women group. While I will not do what I did a number of times in the past year and extend the finish line by another ten books or so, I will continue the balanced diet of reading I've apportioned for my four books at once reading policy, thus ensuring that I will extend my YoRWoC2016 count by 2-3 books, if not more. In terms of this being a learning experience, my drop in the top reviewer rankings more than attests to that. I've also become aware of what it really means when I find it easier to confine my reading to 20% of the world's population than to 40%, give or take a few percentage points. Part of it is availability, part of it is marketing, and a huge chunk is the brainwashing the concept of "universal" has done to anyone who's come close to standardized education. I was able to access a great number of the severely underread works in my goal count through UCLA libraries, but the difference between those and what I'll be studying for my upcoming GRE and English subject tests is vast indeed.

There is nothing new in Third World governments seeking to justify and perpetuate authoritarian rule by denouncing liberal democratic principles as alien. By implication they claim for themselves the official and sole right to decide what does or does not conform to indigenous cultural norms.

Aung San Suu Kyi was confined to house arrest before I was born and was released during my second year of college. I first got a notion of her existence when I watched 'Beyond Rangoon' in freshman year of high school, a movie whose quality of being out of touch with the actual issues at hand only increases with every passing year, the change in the city name only being one of the more ironic death knells. The times being what they are, I don't see the point in reading books at the moment that aren't in some way politically motivated, whether they are records of nonviolent resistance, memoirs of genocides, and seemingly innocuous works that, for all their incorporation into the mainstream, would not survive on the premise of white patriarchal supremacy. Even I will need a break from that from time to time, but seeing as how for years I've preferred to devote my reading to realms beyond my comfort zone and save the indulgences for movies and video games, I don't see any reason to change that now.

[Nehru] denounces as a 'kind of art for art's sake' the study of the past which is not linked to the present and which does not derive from it the urge to action. For him the ideal was action which was not divorced from thought but which flowed from it in a continuous sequence.

It's interesting how my haphazard autodidacicism prepared me rather well for tackling this work, as the title 'Freedom from Fear and Other Writings' is both technically true and wildly misleading. Contrary to what the summary states, around half to three quarters of the writing is by Aung San Suu Kyi, if that. Of what she herself authored, 'Freedom From Fear' is one of perhaps two or three essays that touch directly upon events initiated by Aung San Suu Kyi returning to Myanmar (Burma) to nurse her sick mother. To get more of a glimpse of the place in history the author is most famous for, one must turn to the pieces in the last portion of the book written by others ranging from professors to scholars to a retired UN employee whom Aung San Suu Kyi referred to as her 'emergency aunt'. The situation here is that, during the time of this book's creation, Aung San Suu Kyi was far out of reach, and the efforts to combine her scholarship with contemporary concerns means including a sizable portion of writing requires drawing on what pieces she has done on her father as national hero, her country, and highly academic articles such as 'Intellectual Life in Burma and India under Colonialism' and 'Literature and Nationalism in Burma'. If you've read anything along the lines The Discovery of India and are already inclined towards thinking concretely about the relationship between literature and life, you won't have that much trouble connecting the dots. If you're thinking of picking up this book as your first introduction to Myanmar in the late 1980's, I highly suggest you look at Letters from Burma instead. Saying that you'll be lost and likely frustrated by the mounds of new and highly contextualized information that manages through many viewpoints to border on repetitive is putting it lightly.

A revolution which aims merely at changing official policies and institutions with a view to an improvement in material conditions has little chance of genuine success. Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration.

The last essay had some reservations on Aung San Suu Kyi's leadership based on a prioritizing of a Bamar (Burmese) construction of parliament over incorporation of all minorities prior to making any decisions of the larger government. In light of the situation nearly two decades later with the Rohingya people and other Muslim populations living in Myanmar, the author was right to be concerned over something as deceptively simple as the semantics of a proposed constitution. My situation is removed from this one, but when considering the US has had some kind of hand in every military dictatorship even before Neo-Nazis started calling themselves in the alt-right in 2016, what escalating Islamophobia there is over here will most definitely carry over there. For all that, I can't say what the future holds. However, if someone was willing to spend two decades under house arrest for said future, I can only try to match that in my own way.

[s15o · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aung San Suu Kyi Vs Aung San’s Burman army Vs ethnic minorities of Myanmar

[Alfonso D'agostino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ne rendo conto: per noi italiani, e per gli occidentali in generale, un nome come quello di Aung San Suu Kyi non è semplicissimo da ricordare. Sono altrettanto sicuro di un fatto, però: nella nostra vita, in un momento o in un altro tutti abbiamo avuto l’occasione di sentir parlare di questa donna dall’aspetto minuto e di coraggio gigantesco.

Figlia di un eroe dell’indipendenza birmana, Aung San Suu Kyi ha avvertito il grido di dolore di una patria ferita da una feroce dittatura militare dopo un viaggio a casa per assistere la madre morente. Rapidamente divenuta simbolo dell’opposizione non violenza al regime, ha subito sulla sua pelle le prove più terribili: dal totale isolamento alla lontananza dai figli e dal marito, fino all’orribile insensibilità di chi non le garantì che sarebbe potuta rientrare in Birmania quando si ebbe notizia della malattia terminale del coniuge.

Per superare momenti del genere ci vuole, non è in dubbio, un enorme ideale. E ci vuole dell’Amore, scritto con la A maiuscola, verso un popolo e una terra da cui ci si sente ricoperti di responsabilità. Ecco, “Liberi dalla paura”, raccolta di saggi di Aung San Suu Kyi, è un enorme lettera d’Amore.
In “Mio padre”, che apre la raccolta, l’autrice affronta da un punto di vista assolutamente storiografico la figura del genitore. E’ letterariamente intenso ed emotivamente coinvolgente: sorprende la capacità di mantenere distinte la storia familiare (quasi del tutto assente) ed il percorso politico di un uomo che prese anche delle decisioni sbagliate, che non vengono risparmiate. Tra le righe, un affetto e una riconoscenza profonda, lo stesso Amore che ne “Il mio paese e il mio popolo” porta Aung San Suu Kyi a raccontare la Birmania a un pubblico di giovani e adolescenti: le bellezze naturali e il carattere di un intera popolazione vengono come sussurrati, senza nascondere, ancora una volta, tutte le difficoltà.

Se avete amato “The Lady”, film tratto dalla biografia di Aung San Suu Kyi che abbiamo raccontato qui, rimarrete incantati dalla voce cristallina e ferma di questa eroina dei nostri giorni. Se non lo avete visto, procuratevi entrambi: ne vale la pena.

--- link: http://www.masedomani.com/2015/08/18/... ---

[Greg Collver · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of her essays, speeches and other works. I enjoyed the speeches most, especially "Freedom from Fear" and "Empowerment for a Culture of Peace and Development". "Suu Burmese", a biography of Suu by her friend Ann Slater was also enjoyable.

[Ponenya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the inspiration she provide all of us (our country) who share the values of democracy, human rights, and justice. We stand by "mother suu" now and always.

[Bagus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this volume mainly as a supplement for my work, but I came to like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s philosophy embodies in her writings that stands against the political turbulence of her time. In the titular essay Freedom from Fear, Daw Suu (as she is commonly addressed in Myanmar) writes a bold statement that “It’s not power that corrupts but fear”. Fear is something that often drives people throughout human history. Fear of losing power drives those wielding it to use every possible means to retain it. Fear of missing out nowadays culminates in a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing. She identifies fear or bhaya-gati as one of the four corruptions that destroy the barriers between right and wrong, a philosophy deeply rooted in Buddhism which is familiar to many Burmese. She joined Gandhi, one of her inspirations in the non-violence resistance movement, in describing the need to counter fear with abhaya – fearlessness, which is a grace to remain in shape under pressure and refuse to let fear dictates one’s actions.

As of this review is written, Daw Suu remains under house arrest while legal proceedings against her continue, a situation quite similar to the one she experienced in late 1989 when she was put under house arrest by the military following her human rights activism and political endeavours to ask the military to respect human rights and hold a fair election according to the will of the Burmese people. She came to symbolise unity against the ruling military after the 8 August 1988 demonstration which largely put pressure on the ruling authorities, culminating in what she called the Second Struggle for Independence to bring multi-party elections and democracy to Burma. Her struggles to honour the legacy of her father, Bogyoke Aung San, who was regarded as the father of modern Burma, came to be regarded as a historical momentum to stand with those with political integrity in Burma, something deeply asserted in the writings in this volume.

Besides the titular essay, this volume also contains other writings which come from both Daw Suu and other people who recorded her integrity throughout her life even outside the political sphere. Daw Suu’s writings in the first part of the volume contain pieces with academic nuances, such as the biography of her father, Aung San, whom she hardly knew in person since he was assassinated when she was just two years old. Despite the personal relations to General Aung San, Daw Suu could analyse the life and the struggles of her father for an Independent Burma through an objective lens, describing both his positive and negative aspects. She also brings multiple perspectives in chronicling Burmese independence movements, citing perspectives from Burmese, British and Japanese sources alike to come to a better understanding of her struggles. Edited by her late husband, the British Tibetologist Michael Aris, this volume is a concise introduction to the history of modern Burma, her people and values, as well as the philosophy of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi which is deeply rooted in Burmese traditions and Buddhism.

[Sriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating doesn’t really reflect how I felt about this book, with three stars being more of a critique of solely the writing across the many essays rather than a reflection of the content. If you can parse through the fluff, the perspective Sun Kyi offers is absolutely unique to her experiences and a fascinating study of someone I just knew through history texts. This is the kind of literature I live for, the window into the mind of a character (it is base to boil her down to just a character, but in this book a character she is) that I find fascinating. 5 stars for that experience.

[Fadillah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Burma is one of those countries which seem to have been favoured by nature. Its soil is rich, producing rice and other food crops in abundance. There are vast forests containing a large variety of trees from which valuable timber is extracted. The ground yields petroleum and many minerals and precious stones including rubies, sapphires and jade. The rivers and streams are full of fish; and from the sea along Burma's coastline come not just seafood but some of the world's loveliest pearls. It is therefore not surprising that Burma has been described as a golden land, an eastern paradise of untold riches. But of course no country on earth is a real paradise and, for all its natural wealth, Burma is not among the rich nations of the world today. It is nevertheless an extremely beautiful country peopled by many different races. It is from the Burmese people, who form the biggest racial group, that the name of the country is derived.
- My Country and My People: Freedom from fear by Aung San Suu Kyi
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Before I proceeded with my review, I have to disclose that I already lost trust and respect for Aung San Suu Kyi in 2017. She has the power but the way she handled the Rohingya crisis just did not sit well with me. BUT, I did not know much about Burma/Myanmar at that time hence picking up this book seems like a good start to at least understand her and her perception that she has towards her country.
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The book consisted of three sections. The first section provided us, the readers - background information on Burma. I learned about Burma/Myanmar’s society, religion, and ethnic groups. Not gonna lie, the description of Burma with its colourful nature and warm climate is so poetic. I can almost imagine I was there witnessing everything. Afterwards, the first section shifted towards how venerable Aung San is in Burma/Myanmar. I knew that Aung San is a prominent figure in Burma and Myanmar but in this section, I learned WHY and reasons for it. This is the excerpt from page 24 : “The years 1945-7 saw the emergence of Aung San as a strong leader and an able statesman who had the confidence as well as the love of the people, disproving beyond doubt the criticisms of those who had wanted him to remain in the army. In May 1945 the British government had declared its future policy towards Burma in the form of a White Paper. This provided for a period of three years' direct rule by the Governor and, in due course, elections and the restoration of a Burmese Council and Legis-lature, which were no more than what had been established under the 1935 Burma Act. Only after the Council and Legislature had been restored would there be a step forward: the drafting of a constitution by all parties which would eventually provide the basis on which Burma would be granted dominion status. How-ever, the hill and frontier areas would be excluded from this arrangement unless the people of these 'excluded areas specifically expressed the desire to be amalgamated with the rest of Burma. The terms of the White Paper were totally unacceptable to the AFPFL, as Aung San and Than Tun made clear to Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith, the returning Governor of Burma, even before the end of the military administration.”
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Section two delve into what democracy is. Aung San Suu Kyi tried to educate us, the readers on how it is compatible with the Buddhist beliefs. As someone who only have a basic knowledge about Buddhism, this analysis is very much needed. Majority of Burmese people is Buddhist and Aung San Suu Kyi knew how to attract masses by highlighting these beliefs into the aspect of good governance of the country. In the page 170, this is what she highlighted under the article ‘Quest of Democracy’ - The Buddhist view of kingship does not invest the ruler with the divine right to govern the realm as he pleases. He is expected to observe the Ten Duties of Kings, the Seven Safeguards against Decline, the Four Assistances to the People, and to be guided by numerous other codes of conduct such as the Twelve Practices of Rulers, the Six Attributes of Leaders, the Eight Virtues of Kings and the Four Ways to Overcome Peril. There is logic to a tradition which includes the king among the five enemies or perils and which subscribes to many sets of moral instructions for the edification of those in positions of authority. The people of Burma have had much experience of despotic rule and possess a great awareness of the unhappy gap that can exist between the theory and practice of government. The Ten Duties of Kings are widely known and generally accepted as a yardstick which could be applied just as well to modern government as to the first monarch of the world. The duties are: liberality, morality, self-sacrifice, integrity, kindness, austerity, non-anger, non-violence, forbearance and non-opposi-tion (to the will of the people).

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The third and final section of the book is about Aung San Suu Kyi herself. These essays were written by those who knew, admired and respected here. It was supposed to give us the glimpses of herself – her characters/attitudes and even her habits. Her convictions are inspiring to say the least. Page 290 described her best at least thats what i felt
When Aung San Suu Kyi started on her round of campaign tours all over Burma as the general secretary of her newly founded political party, the National League for Democracy, it was not only to set up centres for the party but to arouse the Burmese from the habit of fear into which they had fallen over the years of Ne Win's repressive military rule, which in the latter years had worn a deceptive civilian cloak. She has a perfect command of the English language more than matched by her brilliant and inspired use of Burmese. With Burmese she reaches the hearts and minds of her people, like her father before her. With English she interprets her ideas and actions to the world. The first is of more immediate importance in her effort to awake a people sunk in the apathy of years and only recently roused to protest. This has involved the most strenuous physical and mental exertion attended by obvious as well as hidden and incalculable risks and dangers, more especially since the military government's decree that an assembly of more than four people was illegal and could be dispersed by force.
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Overall, this book is not a complete guide of Burma/Myanmar’s Political History. Its just a personal insight of Aung San Suu Kyi and others in reviewing a particular period of Burma/Myanmar. I wanted to warn future readers that if you wanted to read this book, some of the essays is repetitive and I almost DNF in the middle of the book because of this issue.

[Josie Crimp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I finished it (it was a long slog) full of admiration for Suu Kyi, but feeling that its publisher made some poor decisions. I don't think the average reader needed the amount of in-depth Burmese history that is presented here, and that you ostensibly have to wade through before you get to hearing about Suu Kyi herself. I know she was the author of these essays but I think it's a mistake to see the purpose of a book like this as presenting the history of Burma, when the reader is wanting to find out about Suu Kyi herself and her approaches to non-violent resistance. If it hadn't been that I was determined to have less books on my Kindle that I still hadn't read, I doubt I would have got through the first 50%. Once I was there, I got onto the more personal section, and found it a much more interesting read henceforth.

[Chris Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but as you'd expect from a collection of previously written essays, there's a certain amount of repetition.

The first half of the book might not of interest to everyone (containing a biography of Aung San and histories of Burmese culture and literature) but they are useful as background to the second half.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, Aung San Suu Kyi has captured my heart as well as Burma.

[Jessie Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who doesn't have much background on the situation it was a good starting point. She's incredible.

[Estelle Champlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aung San Suu Kyi. Freedom From Fear and Other Writings, 2nd ed. Edited by Michael Aris. Penguin Books Ltd, London & New York: 1995.
Review by Estelle Champlain

This book is a compilation of essays describing the ongoing Burmese struggle for national sovereignty. The lives of modern Burma's two most prominent revolutionary leaders, Aung San and his daughter Aung San Suu Kyi (hereafter Suu), are the vehicles by which Burma's revolutionary story is told. Suu wrote most of the essays contained in the book, but a few were contributed by other distinguished experts. The most stirring essay by a contributor is the introduction written by Michael Aris, the husband of Suu; the man from whom she was taken as a requirement for her serving a leader of her people.

The book is comprised of three sections. The first gives readers requisite background information on Burma, including it's society, religion, ethnic groups, and colonial experience. The culmination of this first section is an understanding of Aung San's motives for leading Burma to resist all foreign governments. Suu is the exclusive author of these essays. Her presentation of the facts is clear. In her essay entitled “My Father”, she gives a detailed account of Burma's history as a British Colony beginning at the turn of the 20th century, after the third Anglo-Burmese war, all the way up to the time of her father's assassination in 1948, after World War II. The strength of this essay is her penetrating exploration of sociopolitical undercurrents which motivated Aung San and his followers. For readers who prefer a more succinct version, see her essay “My Country and People”, subsection “Building an Independent Nation.”

After completing the first third of the book, readers will likely find themselves ethically allied with the Burmese as they sought recognition of their right to self-rule. Moreover, readers will come to understand why Aung San is so highly venerated by his people. He was a simple man with a deep sense of duty to his people; he selflessly devoted his life to their service. Suu's description of her father as a hero is convincing, yet some readers may find one particular point of praise difficult to reconcile with evidence. Suu repeatedly asserts that honesty was among her father's most endearing virtues. Incidentally, she also chronicles his intention to use first the Japanese military against the British, then the British might against the Japanese, all in an effort to reach Burmese goals.(1) While this behavior certainly demonstrates Aung San's clever mind and courage against formidable adversaries, and is behavior praiseworthy of a patriot, it does remain inconsistent with her declaration that Aung San was impeccably “honest.” Regardless of the question of honesty, Aung San is convincingly represented to be a hero; readers who might be troubled by the complications of his character will likely put the matter to rest when they encounter the following words of wisdom later in the book, “Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying.”(2)

Section two explores what democracy is and how it is compatible with the Buddhist beliefs held dear by Burmese people.(3) The opening essay for this section is also the title of the book itself, “Freedom from Fear.” The crux of the essay is that fear is the most dangerous threat to good government and peaceful society. Suu attributes the corruption and inhumanity of the Burmese one-party military government to their use fear as a weapon against the people. She references Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations(4) while calling for a “revolution of the spirit” that will lift the Burmese people from oppression by a government run on coercion and fear.(5) This moving essay is suitable for readers interested not only in Burmese history, but for those who wish to explore the ethics in any form of government as it applies to any group of people. The book's title is well chosen.

Remaining insights to be gained from section two include Suu's call for the Burmese crowds to remain united, resiting factions, as they peacefully demonstrate for their rights.(6) Also, Suu articulated the goal of the revolution to be the institution of multi-party democracy with free and fair elections.(7) She directly appeals to the crowds to maintain peace. While she did not have the means to arm the people, she certainly held the upper hand against the government in terms of numbers of supporters. She had it within her power to incite the masses to violently oppose their rulers, but through it all she held to peace and discourse. It is for this as much as for her personal sacrifice(8) that she has become a world wide icon for human rights.(9)

The first section of the book detailed Aung Sun's life and set the stage for Burma's struggle for independence. The second section examined Suu's leadership of the Burmese while explaining how multi-party democracy is the appropriate expression of human rights. The third and final section of the book is a collection of writing that delves further into Suu's personal character.(10) It is intended for those readers who are interested in what sort of woman she is, those readers who wish to understand what sort of person is capable of such dignity, self-sacrifice, and wisdom.

In sum, Freedom From Fear is an excellent read for a variety of audiences. Historians of Southeast Asia will find valuable insights into the culture of the region and how it was affected by colonialism. Religious scholars will find examples of how Buddhism was applied with practicality to upheavals in peoples' lives. Biographers will gain personal insights into the lives of both Aung San and Suu. Students of revolution will receive a detailed account of many facets of the Burmese struggle. Above all though, every reader will come away from Freedom from Fear with a deeper understanding and respect for the basic human right to self-determination and will be inspired by the dignity of Suu as she served her nation and her father in leading Burma toward peaceful independence.


Footnotes:

(1) When some Burmese revolutionaries were “divided over whether or not they should accept Japanese help...Aung San, however, took the pragmatic view that they should accept help from any quarter that offered it and see how the situation developed.”, pg. 14. “Burmese found certain Japanese attitudes highly objectionable, and friction began to develop between the two races even before the invasion of Burma at the end of 1941.”, pg. 15. Then, in 1945 after the Allies gained an upper hand in World War II and factions within Burma had been united behind Aung San, “it only remained to see what kind of terms could be arranged with Allied forces before finalizing plans for the resistance (against Japan).”, pg. 21. “By 15 June a victory parade was held in Rangoon at which the Burmese army participated alongside the units representing British Empire and Allied forces.”, pg. 22. “...he would allow no ideology to come before the cause of Burmese freedom and unity.” , pg. 31.

(2)pg. 183.

(3)Buddhist's strive to “make traditional knowledge relevant to contemporary need”, pg. 168. Suu affirms that the Ten Duties of Kings, described on pgs 170-173 are “just as well suited to modern government as to the first monarch of the world.” pg. 170. The successful harmony of Buddhism with modern democracy is of crucial importance in Burma since “Theravada Buddhism...was to be a major factor in forming the character of Burmese society.” pg. 47. The importance of Buddhism in relation to politics is further seen in that the first nationalists body formed to address political aspirations had the coequal goal of preserving Burmese Buddhist culture, Young Men's Buddhist Association, est. 1906, pg. 6.

(4)pg. 182.

(5)pg. 183.

(6)She urges unity and restraint among all groups. Her appeals to students, the army, and different generations of citizens displays her understanding of the Burmese people, proving that she is not another outsider attempting to impose control. See essay entitled “Speech at the Shwedagon Pagoda”, pgs, 194-198.

(7)pg. 197, 198, or for more complete details, read “The Objective” pgs. 199-202.

(8)Suu was separated from her husband and sons for nearly two decades while she endured house arrest in Burma. During this time her sons came of age and he husband passed away. See the introduction for more details as related by her husband; for her point of view see pgs. 205-207.

(9)She as awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while still detained under house arrest. See 228-238 for speeches regarding her Nobel Prize.

(10)Suu's teenage appearance, early education, and activities are described pgs 280-282. For her young adult life including marriage, motherhood, and higher education, see pgs 287-289. Personal vignette of Suu the mother pgs. 296, 297.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aung San Suu Kyi appears to have stumbled upon her calling and purpose in life by following the strong currents of fate. As the youngest daughter of Aung San, who was cruelly assassinated just before Burma's declared independence in 1948, she lived a large part of her life outside of Burma. However, she maintained a strong connection with her country through her visits and writings. In 1988, she was to assume the leadership role of Burma's second independence movement, demonstrating bold leadership and fortitude. In the process giving up her husband, career and children for the people of Burma.

Aung San Suu Kyi is articulate in her depictions of Burmese history and the Buddhist culture. The Buddhist version of government by social contract is called the Mahasammata, a monarchy chosen by popular consent to govern in accordance with just laws. The ten duties of the king consist of: liberality, morality, self-sacrifice, integrity, kindness, austerity, non-anger, non-violence, forbearance and non-opposition (to the will of the people). Buddhism places strong value in the sanctity of human life, "easier is it for a needle dropped from the abode of Brahma to meet a needle struck in the earth than to be born as a human being."

Aung San Suu Kyi is articulate and passionate in her pleas for democracy in Burma. "...democracy, like liberty, justice and other social and political rights, is not 'given', it is earned through courage, resolution and sacrifice." "The true measure of the justice of a system is the amount of protection it guarantees to the weakest." "It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it." Burma not only needs a revolution of institutions and governance, but also of spirit. Captured in this quoted poem is the idea that people need to be stronger to impose their will and not be crushed by the hands of government:

Emerald cool we may be
As water in cupped hands
But oh that we might be
As splinters of glass
In cupped hands

[Nicholas Whyte]

http://nhw.livejournal.com/1008238.html[return][return]The first half of Freedom From Fear begins with two lengthy pieces by Aung San Suu Kyi on her father and on the country as a whole, and also includes two of her essays on Burmese literature. The next quarter of the book is taken up with her political statements from the brief period when she was free to make them at the end of the 1980s, and then the last section has some personal reminiscences by her friends, including to my surprise and to the editor's credit a mildly critical piece by Josef Silverstein. It falls however to a fellow student from her days at St Hugh's in Oxford to make a point in writing that is obvious when you look at the cover of the book: Aung San Suu Kyi is beautiful.[return][return]And also very brave. The editor of the book, published in 1990, was her late husband, Michael Aris, who writes with love and gratitude of the sixteen or so years they had together before she answered the call of destiny that they had both always known might some day come. She will be 63 this year; her father was 32 when he was killed (and she was only two). Her harassment and imprisonment by the Burmese state has lasted almost twenty years; her sons are now in their thirties. Politics is not an especially easy life anywhere; but this is something else. Freedom From Fear ends with Suu Kyi being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. It is an international disgrace that we seem no closer to resolving the situation in 2008.

[Michael Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I returned to this book recently, after watching the group of ignorant thugs calling itself the "government" of Burma block the efforts of the international community to get aid to its own people after a tragic disaster. This has happened before. The military junta does not want people to see how much of a mess they have made of their country.

With this as a background, it is comforting to read the words of Daw Ang San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest in Burma (those who sympathize with her message don't use the illegally changed name, "Myanmar") for nearly 20 years for standing up to this collection of bumbling criminals. Her writings here are uneven and episodic, but they could hardly be otherwise, given the circumstances under which they were written. Particularly inspiring to me is the essay "In Quest of Democracy," where she dismantles the argument that democracy is a "Western" concept and cites precedent from early Buddhist scripture for participatory government.

I am extremely biased here. I think that Daw Ang San Suu Kyi is one of the few genuine heroes left in the world--a courageous, non-violent revolutionary in the mold of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Freedom from Fear and Other Writings is as good an introduction to this remarkable woman's political thought as we are likely to get until there is an actual free election in Burma and she emerges (as she undoubtedly will) its first freely elected Prime Minister in recent history.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of Aung San Suu Kyi's writings: about culture, history, current events of Burma.

My favorite article in the collection, "My Father," is her account of the revolutionary leader Aung San, her father, and his involvement with the movement for independence in the 1930's and 1940's. She compellingly links the independence movement with the deep-seated Theravada Buddhist beliefs of Burma and Aung San himself. From reading I felt like the independence movement was a culturally organic process consistent with the desires of a great majority of people, across a number of diverse cultural groups, pretty cool.

Aung San, according to his daughter, seemed to be a great unifier who could bring so many different cultures together for a nationally Burmese cause.

In particular I was struck by her descriptions of a people's military, of young men marching in the streets of their communities with pride, and that the community looks on the military with pride because their existence has been mandated by the people.

I admire the consistency of her political positions based on the teachings of Theravada Buddhism.

If you read all the selections, you can begin to gain some insight on the author, but this is more about Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi's political stances and rationale than about Aung San Suu Kyi herself.

I'd recommend this collection as an introduction to Burmese culture, history, and current events.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

An essential read for anyone who is interested in the political figure of Aung San Suu Kyi and the history, culture and politics of Burma. Probably due to the nature of its compilation, I didn't find the book an easy read. The first part is comprised of essays written by Aung San Suu Kyi before she became involved in the political situation in Burma and I have a feeling she would have wanted to refine these before they were published. The essays are very descriptive and with the exception of the brilliant essay "Intellectual Life in Burma and India under Colonialism", there wasn't much to get your teeth into. The second part of the book is made up of speeches, which are interesting to note, but again nothing really indepth. The final part of the book was probably the most interesting - it is a collection of essays about/recollections of Aung San Suu Kyi. I particularly liked the contribution by Ann Pasternak Slater "Suu Burmese" of Aung San Suu Kyi's days at Oxford. The contribution by Josef Silversteen also brought a balance to the book, by questioning whether Aung San Suu Kyi really is the right person to lead Burma and the essay by Philip Kreager brilliantly sums up some of the themes running through the book and includes a timeline.

[Eastern Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Pro-democracy campaigner, Burmese politician, and mother, is an incredibly inspirational woman. Her fight for democracy in Burma resulted in her being put under house arrest twice.

Freedom from Fear is a collection of essays written by Aung San Suu Kyi. In the first edition her husband, academic Michael Aris, wrote an introduction and in the second edition Archbishop Desmond Tutu also wrote an introduction. These introductions are valuable essays in themselves and make the reader become completely absorbed before the book even truly begins.


The essays depict a number of subjects: from the Burmese people,
modern Burmese history, to democracy and the importance of rescuing the Burmese people from tyranny. The book teaches the reader the importance of freedom and how to fight for it peacefully.


Her passion shines through and the reader is able to completely understand her reasonings. The book defines who Aung San Suuu Kyi is, it explains to the world exactly what she is doing and why.

For a slightly longer review please visit: http://easternlit.wordpress.com/2013/...

[Tianpei · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is in a totally different perspective from her other book "Letters from Burma". I like "Letters from Burma" much more but this is still a very interesting read.

It mainly consists of her research essays on Burmese history and culture, some public speeches and other people's articles about her. They are less "personal" than letters. And sometimes, reading many speeches on the same topic can be a bit boring. But it does show a lot about the personalities of these great woman. She is so confident and persistent. Now she's freed after all many years of house arrest and Myanmar is changing so fast. It's so good to see she and the people in Myanmar made it through.

The third part of the book, which includes other people's articles about her, gave some really informative background which I didn't know. It seemed really natural that she had this great achievement.

It's a book I would highly recommend, even though it gets a bit boring in the middle.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative, but I only made it through in less than a year because of meditation! I really needed the concentration because it is not usually material I have an intense interest in. I do hope to cultivate that interest with similar books.

The main point of frustration is many of the articles mention her Burmese speaking as very simple and easily relate able, but I don't feel that is how her English comes across at all. Her English is very sophisticated, but not clear cut and well-shaped for my personal digestion. The winding prose frustrated my journey through this collection quite often. I loved all the stories from personal friends near the end. I also enjoyed ASSK's speeches to her people, those were some of the cleaner bits to read. I feel like most of her published material is a bit bulky, sadly. I may have to look for an edited version.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sicuramente il mio giudizio è influenzato dall'amore per la terra birmana, splendido paese che ho avuto la fortuna di visitare. Parlando con le persone del luogo ho avuto modo di conoscere Aung San Suu Kyi attraverso i racconti che ne fanno i birmani, loro la chiamano "la nostra signora" e nutrono una reale venerazione per lei. Donna di grande coraggio e totale devozione al suo popolo e alla sua patria, al punto di accettare la lontananza da suo marito e dai suoi figli per anni. In questo libro, raccolta di suoi scritti risalenti a diversi periodi, racconta la vita del padre, eroe nazionale morto a soli 32 anni, racconta la tradizione del suo paese narrandone usi e costumi, racconta la sua lotta per una Birmania libera.
Non è un libro facilissimo, in alcuni punti ho rallentato parecchio, non si può certo definire avvincente, ma da uno spaccato molto realistico della nazione Birmana.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those of you that know me will know that Ma Suu (if I may use the familiar title in Burmese) is a hero of mine. If you read this this you may begin to understand why I hold her in such esteem. For she has spent so many years in isolation and gained strength from her desire to change the life of the people of her country. Her philosophy and belief in Human rights are examples that no one can ignore. I have been critical of her in essays with regard to her insistance on a government based purely on Bhuddist beliefs which do not accept the faith and history of minority communities, however, it is the peaceful and non violent pragmatic stance; in the way of Ghandi and the Dalai Lama that commands respect from all humanity.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Myanmar (Burma)

"The shade of a tree is cool indeed. The shade of parents is cooler.
The shade of teachers is cooler still. The shade of a ruler is yet more cool.
But coolest of all is the shade of the Buddha's teachings."

"The quest for democracy in Burma is the struggle of a people to live whole, meaningful lives as free and equal members of the world community. It is part of the unceasing human endeavor to prove that the spirit of man can transcend the flaws of his own nature."

"Fearlessness may be a gift but perhaps more precious is the courage acquired through endeavor, courage that comes from cultivating the habit of refusing to let fear dictate one's actions."

"History is important. You chose who you are by choosing which tradition you belong to."

[Zen Cho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult for me to comment on the political/literary commentary considering how little I know about Burmese politics or literature. Still, the essay on Indian and Burmese literature felt a bit dated. But this was worth reading. I probably liked the personal bits best -- kind of identified with Aung San Suu Kyi in parts!

I was interested by how her political philosophy is so deeply grounded in Buddhism -- not a strand of thinking I'd seen explored properly before, and definitely something I'd like to find out more about.

[Natasja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt compelled to read more about Aung San Suu Kyi's story, to understand what motivates her and allows her to continue her struggle. This is a very readable book, that gives a very personal insight into the life of Aung San Suu Kyi and the ongoing struggle in Burma, of which I had limited knowledge before I read the book. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to understand more about the current turmoil in Burma.