Activists Calling, Women Speak
Ma Su Su Nway, is 40 years old (1971) and comes from Htan Ma
Naing Village, Kawhmu Township in Yangon Division. She is a well-known
activist in Burma and has been actively involved in issues relating to
labour rights, child soldiers and forced labour. She was arrested after
she put up a banner at an international hotel, protesting against
government policy. In 2007 she was sentenced to eight years in prison
for treason. She was released early on a government amnesty in October
2011. We spoke with her a few days after her release.Ma Su Su Nway, ne kaun de la? (how are you?) And how have you been doing since your release on Wednesday 12 October 2011?
“Generally, I am doing fine. My health is ok. I was checked by doctor Tin Myo Win and received an ECG (electrocardiogram). But I have not had a blood test, yet.”
Where are you staying now, are you living with your family or friends?
“My parents passed away and my brother and sister are living with
their own families. I am alone. So I am currently living in Yangon with
some NLD members.”
Do you need support in any way?
“At the moment, I am fine and do not need help.”
Did you know that you were going to be released from prison? When did the authorities inform you?
“Yes, I knew I would be freed. I was told by the jail authorities
that I would be released first before some others, before October. They
had been telling me since August that I would be released and so I
should take care of my health. But this was not an order from
above, they were just guessing.”
How long did you stay in prison for?
“I stayed in prison for almost four years. I would have completed four years on 13 November of this year.”
Were you mistreated or tortured by the authorities?
“I was not tortured physically but mentally: my human rights were not respected and I was treated inhumanely.”
Where there many other political prisoners in your prison?
“Yes, there were. There were seventeen political prisoners staying
there, including myself. Six of them have been released now, so eleven
are still kept there. Among them is one Buddhist monk from Mandalay. He
was sentenced to 80 years in prison. I do notknow his name, however, and no one ever visits him. So I shared things with him and supported him. I was a supporter of that monk in prison…”
Did you receive family visits in prison?
“My family used to visit me every two or three months. My
brother-in-law was not allowed to see me by the authorities, only my
sister was allowed to visit me there.”
Can you describe a normal day in prison? What did you do during the day?
“When I was in prison, I used to get up at 3:30 or at 4:00 a.m. to
pray. At 6 o’clock in the morning, I would pray and wish for all to
acquire the benefit from my meritorious deeds. After that, I would do
some exercise until 7 o’clock. At 7:00 a.m. I would eat breakfast and
when I had finished I would clean my plate. I would then apply thanaka (traditional Burmese make-up). From 8 o’clock I would recite traditional Pali
stanzas and read newspapers. At 9 o ‘clock I would take my bath. After
10:00 a.m. I would eat lunch and walk a bit and read. From 11:30 until
about 13:00, I usually took a nap, before meditating until 14:00. I
would then recite Pali verses again and read from 14:30 until
16:00. I would eat dinner and take a stroll until about 17:40. At 18:10
one should be back in one’s cell, so before that time I used to pray for
the well-being of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and for other political
prisoners acrossthe country to be free. After 18:00 I had to be back in my place. This is the way, I spent my days in prison.”
How did you cope with your time in prison, what gave you courage to go on?
“I want the students, farmers and everyone in Burma to have justice
and human rights. I stand and work for justice and human rights. When I
was in the hands of the authorities, I struggled for human rights and
democracy with fear.”
Different (human rights)
organisations have campaigned for your release. Did you know that people
in the West were active for your release? And did you notice anything
of these actions?
“I did not know anything and did not hear anything, and did not
receive any information about the outside world when I was in prison. My
sister is an innocent village girl. She was told by the jail
authorities not to talk about things happening outside of prisonwhenever she visited me. I knew and heard about it only after my release from prison. I really would like to thank all those people who support us and struggle for us. I really want to thank them on behalf of all other political prisoners as well. I appreciate their
support hugely.”
What do you think of people writing letters for political prisoners? Do you think it helps?
“I believe it is really helpful. I was released now because of
international support and pressure like this and because of the
international media.”
Do you have a message for all those people who were active for your release?
“I really want to say to all these people and organizations: thank
you so much for your support , for your warm help for my release while I
was in prison without any information. And I want to ask you again to
help and encourage the authorities to release the rest of political
prisoners…”
How do you think people here (in the West) can help promote human rights in your country?
“To promote human rights in our country, I would like people in the
West to keep an eye on what is happening. What we need is awareness of
what is going on in Burma. If you (in the west) want to help my country,
you need to know what is happening here in Burma. And I want you to
address the government and put pressure on them to change.A few days ago, for example, I was interviewed for a journal. I just told them about my experience in prison. But my interview was not allowed to be published. So I want you to encourage the Burmese government to allow free press and media.”
What are your plans for the future?
“Aung San, the father of Burma’s independence, sacrificed his life
for democracy. In order to have human rights which is the essence of
democracy in Burma, as long as I live, I am not afraid of being arrested
again. I will be ready to stand in front of the people or behind
them, anywhere I am needed for human rights and democracy. I promise the
people in Burma and outside that I will continue my struggle to achieve
democracy and full human rights in Burma.”
How do you think freedom and democracy can come to Burma?
“To achieve democracy and freedom in Burma, struggling politically
and by political parties alone is not enough. Everyone must get involve
in this struggle to achieve our goal. Only when we fight in unity, will
we gain democracy and freedom and human rights. Only then will we get
what Bogyoke Aung San sacrificed his life for. If we are afraid of
punishment, we will not gain genuine democracy and human rights. We are
struggling for human rights within the law, according to the law, we do
not break the law. But the authorities break the law which they
themselves made. They, for example, confiscate land from the farmers, to
work on it with forced labour. And they also claim that there are no
child soldiers in Burma, but there are still many child soldiers. I want
to encourage you all again, to please struggle for your own rights.”
You are a woman. Many women are active in NGO’s and do social work. Do you have a special message for women?
“I want to tell all of you who are struggling for women’s rights that
we women in Burma lost women’s rights. I have seen many women, young
girls in prison. I am very sad about this. I don’t want these things to
happen to women. I want to urge womenwho are struggling to promote women’s rights to please keep struggling for women’s rights. I want to promise that I will also keep fighting for women’s rights.”
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