Happy 64th Birthday to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

p.s. Her smile reminds me of our benevolent Datin Seri Wan Azizah's, don't you think?

Today marks Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's 64th birthday and looking at her photo, she can easily pass as someone of 40-ish years old. I wonder how she could look serene, composed and remains strong. For the past 20 years, she was put under house arrest under the Junta's martial law (detention without trial..sounds familiar?), away from her beloved husband, Dr. Michael Aris and sons in London, and her people of Myanmar.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Price "for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights - one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades. She has become an important symbol in the struggle against oppression and to honour her unflagging efforts and to show its support for the many people throughout the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means”.

Dear Madam, your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of "YOU" to your people and may your birthday gently breezes into your life, all the choicest of things and all that your heart holds dearly.

Just some of her quotes to enligthen our down-trodden soul: -

"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"

"Human beings the world over need freedom and security that they may be able to realize their full potential"

"I think I should be active politically. Because I look upon myself as a politician. That's not a dirty work you know. Some people think that there are something wrong with politicians. Of course, something wrong with some politicians"

“The value systems of those with access to power and of those far removed from such access cannot be the same. The viewpoint of the privileged is unlike that of the underprivileged”

“The provision of basic material needs is not sufficient to make minority groups and indigenous peoples feel they are truly part of the greater national entity. For that they have to be confident that they too have an active role to play in shaping the destiny of the state that demands their allegiance”