2010 June 18 « Rev. Danny Fisher

June 18, 2010

A Gift of Dharma for 6.18.10

Today’s quote is from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s democratically-elected Prime Minister, Nobel Peace laureate, and socially-engaged Buddhist icon who has spent fourteen of the last twenty years under house arrest. (She celebrates her 65th birthday this weekend.) This is it:

…People often ask me how it feels to have been imprisoned in my home… How could I stand the separation from family and friends? It is ironic, I say, that in an authoritarian state it is only the prisoner of conscience who is genuinely free. Yes, we have given up our right to a normal life. But we have stayed true to that most precious part of our humanity — our conscience.

June 18, 2010

Freedom from Fear: Aung San Suu Kyi

June 18, 2010

Statement by U.S. President Barack Obama on the Occasion of the 65th Birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi

Photo by Dominique Aubert for Sygma / Corbis.

This from The White House:

I wish to convey my best wishes to Aung San Suu Kyi, the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate, on the occasion of her 65th birthday on June 19. Her determination, courage, and personal sacrifice in working for human rights and democratic change in Burma inspire all of us who stand for freedom and justice. I once again call on the Burmese government to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally and to allow them to build a more stable, prosperous Burma that respects the rights of all its citizens. Towards this end, I encourage all stakeholders in Burma to engage in genuine dialogue towards national reconciliation, a vital step to set Burma on a more positive course for the future.

June 18, 2010

Never-Before-Seen Photographs of Aung San Suu Kyi at The Guardian

Aung San Suu Kyi: Pictures from Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi riding a mule up a mountain in Bhutan, 1971. Photo via the private Aris family collection.

Ahead of her 65th birthday (which will be celebrated under house arrest), The Guardian publishes some never-before-seen photographs of Burma’s democratically-elected Prime Minister and imprisoned Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Take a look here.

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