Prague - Supporters and fans of Aung San Suu Kyi around the world marked the Burmese pro-democracy leader´s 63rd birthday on Thursday, while the birthday girl herself spent the day in isolation - something she has by now gotten used to, having spent nearly 13 out of the last 19 years in detention, mostly under house arrest in her residence in Rangoon.
Groups of exiled Burmese tried to make up for it, organizing an impromptu birthday party in front of the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, complete with a birthday cake, while hundreds of other activists marched in cities from Manila to New Delhi, calling for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate to be freed by the ruling Burmese junta.
There were numerous demonstrations dedicated to the icon of struggle for democracy in her unfortunate motherland, which has been ruled by the army generals for nearly half a century now. But one of the events rather stood apart by drawing what was arguably the most impressive line-up of political heavy-weights. The award goes to the city of Prague.
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Soaked in symbolism
Organized jointly by the Prague-based People in Need non-governmental organization and their colleagues from Burma Center Prague, a local NGO run by Burmese living in the Czech Republic and by supporters of Burma, a small demonstration was held in the center of Prague on the eve of Suu Kyi´s birthday.
The symbolically red-clad participants both called for the release of the National League for Democracy´s founder and leader and posed for a snapshot with the unmistakable Prague Castle as the picture-perfect backdrop.
„We will give this photograph to the Burmese opposition groups and the exile media so that the Burmese public gets a chance to learn about this. We want to express our support for them, at least in this symbolic manner," said Marie Peřinová, the chief coordinator of PIN´s Burmese projects.
The symbolism of the meeting´s location wasn´s lost on the participants - the space formerly known as the Red Army square today bears the name of Jan Palach, a student at the nearby Philosophical Faculty whose self-immolation in January 1969, in protest against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia five months earlier, sent shockwaves across Europe and wider world.
Read more: Human torch of 39 years ago strongly remembered
There is perhaps something akin to his ultimate act of sacrifice, in the stubbornness with which Aung San Suu Kyi challenges the Burmese junta, earning the wrath of the generals and the respect of her compatriots.
Birthday wish from Václav Havel
Former Czech president Václav Havel, who knows a thing or two about being a thorn in the side of a repressive regime, was among the very special guests who would not miss the demonstration and he stressed it is necessary to keep the faith.
"Lady Suu is admirable in her perseverance and we can only wish for her on her birthday to further persevere. Her suffering may yet bring fruits, although it will take time," he said.
Mr. Havel´s one-time collaborator from the dissenting days, now Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra recalled with some nostalgia his meeting with Suu Kyi at the beginning of the millennium. He also made a wish "that her struggle is never forgotten and that she is freed and so is Burma one day".
Also present were the former senator and Minister of the Interior Jan Ruml, former member of the parliament and the government´s special envoy for human rights Svatopluk Karásek and last but most definitely not the least, senator Jiří Oberfalzer from the freshly formed parliamentary group for democracy in Burma.
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