Myanmar: Suu Kyi is free at last

She has been in prison for 15 years in the past 21 years, but now she is free at last. Burmese pro-democracy icon and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from detention by the military-backed government of Myanmar Saturday afternoon, a week after the holding of a nationwide election which was dominated by pro-administration candidates.

The Democratic Voice of Burma was able to document the first few minutes of her release. This video shows Suu Kyi waving to supporters in front of her lakeside house.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI RELEASED from DVBTV English on Vimeo.

News spread out last Thursday that Suu Kyi will be freed this weekend on the date of expiration of her house arrest sentence. It was reported that she has signed the paper for her release around 12pm on that day. Even members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Suu Kyi's party, started cleaning the headquarter's secretariat office in anticipation of her release.  On Friday, there was a crowd of 500 or more people gathering in front of the NLD office in Yangon, all waiting for “Aunty Su's” release. A banner in front of the headquarters reads “Today's the Day of Her Release“.

More than 100 NLD members and supporters also donated blood at a local hospital to draw attention to her release.

Suu Kyi's impending freedom was later doubted when the Burmese top court rejected her final appeal against her house arrest this Friday, making the people anxious whether she will be released or not.

Meanwhile, Kim Aris, Aung San Su Kyi's son reportedly has gotten his visa approved to visit Myanmar.

Now that Suu Kyi is free at last, independent media site The Irrawaddy urges its readers to submit suggestions and other ideas to Suu Kyi

The world rejoiced when Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was freed from house arrest. Twitter users used the hashtag #aungsansuukyi as they joined the global conversation in celebrating Suu Kyi's freedom.

14 comments

  • BK

    This is truly great news!

  • […] “Myanmar: Suu Kyi is free at last” (Global Voices Online) […]

  • Denys Goldthorpe

    Brothers and Sisters of Burma the velvet glove approach in dealing with Thitsaphout Than Shwe is not possible. The Burmese people have been butchered raped and tortured by this illegal regime for many years Brother and Sisters march with Daw Su Kyi into the light of freedom. Everyone in every part of Burma yield not to this butcher anymore. Burma has been ruled by a dictatorship since the 2nd of march 1962 when Thitsaphout Ney Win illegally seized power. Members of the military and the police it is your duty to defend the Burmese people against this traitor Than Shwe, join your brothers and Sisters and defend Burma’s right to be free, free from tyranny and injustice.

  • Keith Brumley

    I am so heartened to hear of Suu Kyi’s released but even more so for her courage and will to call for a non-violent revolution only two days after her release. Burma has been a stage for oppression and brutality since the 1960’s and it’s well past time for a new beginning.

  • […] release from detention of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and the Red Shirt protests in Thailand were probably […]

  • […] ミャンマーのアウンサンスーチーの拘束解除やタイの赤シャツデモ活動は、東南アジアの中で、おそらく2010年のトップ政治ニュースであった。しかしグローバスボイスで特集された重要なニュースは他にもある。2010年を振り返った: […]

  • […] Burmese people in Myanmar and the whole world rejoiced after Aung San Suu Kyi's release last year on November 13, 2010. Now it has almost been a year since she had been […]

  • […] Burmese people in Myanmar and the whole world rejoiced after Aung San Suu Kyi’s release last year on November 13, 2010. Now it has almost been a year since she had been […]

  • […] Mianmara, Burmani, radovali su se, zajedno sa celim svetom kad je Aung San Suu Kyi puštena na slobodu 13. novembra prošle godine. Prošla je gotovo godina dana otkako je na slobodi. Maydarwii je […]

  • […] 昨年2010年,11月13日、アウンサンスーチー が(訳者注:自宅軟禁状態から)解放され、ミャンマー国内のみならず世界中のミャンマー人が喜んだ。そして今、解放から1年が経とうとしている。 Maydarwiiはスーチーが解放されるや否や、自身のブログに書き込んだ。 試験が済むまではもうブログを書くのはやめておこうと思っていましたが、今日うれしいことがあったのでブログを書きます。私が聞いた曖昧なニュースのせいで、昨日から心が不安定でした。というのも、この種のニュースはいつも聞いていますが、間違いであったということが度々あったからです。このニュースが真実であってほしいと思う一方で前向きに感じることができないでいました。今朝、外出前に朝食をとっていると、私の叔父が昨日聞いたニュースはまだ未確認なものだというのを聞き、私は少しがっかりしました。1時に帰宅後、空腹だったのでランチを作っていると叔父がキッチンに入ってきて喜んで知らせてくれました。「彼女は解放されたよ!」私たちはテーブルに置いたランチをほったらかしにして、テレビの前に行き、長い間ニュースを見ていました。自分たちが空腹であることなんて忘れていました。結局、私たちはこのニュースを聞くことを何年も待っていたのです。  私は大喜びするあまり、マザーSuu(訳者注:アウンサンスーチーのことを親しみを込めてこう呼ぶ人もいる)の家の前で歓喜する大勢の人たちを見て、鳥肌がたち、涙がだんだん溢れ出てきました。テレビにぼやっと映されたマザーSuuの顔から目をそらすことができませんでした。私は幸せを感じると同時に悲しみも感じました。私の心は何とも言えない気持ちで圧倒されました。 […]

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