Aung San Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize Speech: Al Jazeera's Point of View

Aljazeera.com dedicates a long article to Suu Kyi and her impassioned speech.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/06/201261610252337322.html

The Burmese political leader describes her feelings during her long imprisonment and says that winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 encouraged her to keep up the struggle for democracy in Myanmar.

The ceremony, which was held on June, in Oslo's City Hall, has been a very important political and social event, and Suu Kyi's speech has been listened and recorded by thousands of people.

Her oration received two standing ovations and a huge relevance all around the world.

Aung San Suu Kyi vicissitudes have been analyzed deeply in an article dated 30 May 2012 :

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2009/05/2009514339158749.html

Here, Al Jazeera journalist reports a sort of biography of the Burmese leader. It's a detailed article, and there are narrowly described all the events that have led to the imprisonment and, then, to the winning of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Going back to the first article, we can see that the journalist reports a lot of Suu Kyi's quotes.

This helps us analyze her speech and focuses readers' attention on determined issues. For example it says :

"Often during my days of house arrest, it felt as though I were no longer a part of the real world. ;

and : "What the Nobel Peace Prize did was to draw me once again into the world of other human beings, outside the isolated area in which I lived, to restore a sense of reality to me ".

In my opinion, these quotes are really significant. They show us the humanity, the personal feeelings and fears of this unique woman.
Al Jazeera's article, and the speech itself, want to involve the people in this touching story.
Suu Kyi's aim is to be remembered, not as a woman who sacrificed her life, but as a symbol of political and social resistance against violence and abuses.

G.

Aung San Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize Speech: BBC's point of view

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJxhcQzGl6A)

-What happened/ The facts:

On last 16^th of June the Burmese pro-democracy campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi, has finally given her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize, 21 years after it was awarded¹.

In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but she couldn't go to receive the prize because she was under house arrest (imprisonment lasted almost 24 years). She was freed in late 2010.

-What BBC points out from the speech:

BBC highlights different parts of her speech in two reports about Aung San Suu Kyi's Nobel Speech .

In the first, entitled Suu Kyi says Nobel award meant Burma was not forgotten², there is reproduced the part of speech in which she talks about the importance of Universal Declaration of Human Rights; in particular she appoints two highlights of Declaration:

“[...]disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspirations of the common people [...]”

“[...] it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law[...]”.

In these she has found her strength. She believes that democratic institutions and practices are necessary for the guarantee of human rights.

Now we can see the fruit of the endeavours of those who believe in democracy and in the human rights.

She continues the speech telling that we have to have faith in the future but she warns against blind faith and she urges the unconditional release of all political prisoners, saying "one prisoner of conscience is one too many".

The article also underlines the importance that San Suu Kyi has and has had for Universal peace. The Thorbjorn Jagland (Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee) opening ceremony words are very significant:

“In your isolation you have become a moral voice for the whole world”

“a precious gift to the world community”.

One of the most important thing that the article points out is what had meant for San Suu Kyi receiving Nobel prize.

The prize it is like“a door in her heart”

“Winning the Nobel Peace Prize made her real once again. It had drawn her back into the wider human community”.

“The Nobel Peace Prize has drew the attention of the world to the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma”.

“Burma was not going to be forgotten”

“The Nobel Peace Prize drew her once again into the world of other beings outside her isolation" ³

We find this part of speech in the second BBC's service “Suu Kyi in Oslo for Nobel speech” reported by Fergal Keane. He talks about Burma's transition and about violence in the north of the country. Here we find also an interview with Suu Kyi where she confirms her optimism about Burma's political future but not a blind optimism. We have to be aware of the challenges that still lie ahead.

For the journalist this is the day of her celebration.

BBC gives much importance to San Suu Kyi. We can understand it through various articles dedicated to her.

On BBC site we have also a specific page about her profile and her history (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977).

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977)

V.

1  Fergal Keane, Suu Kyi in Oslo for Nobel speech in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18471439

2 Suu Kyi says Nobel award meant Burma was not forgotten in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18464946

3 A part of Suu Kyi Nobel speech in Suu Kyi says Nobel award meant Burma was not forgotten in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18464946

Aung San Suu Kyi's Speech: Euronews point of view

Aung San Suu Kyi is an important lady from Burma that 20 years ago(in 1991) won the Nobel  Prize by fighting in her own Country for more democracy. The Myanmar's pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi couldn’t receive her Nobel Prize until this June.  She has been under house arrest until  2010 when she has been released; then this year, in April, she was elected to the national parliament: she was finally able to make her speech of thanking.

Euronews reported some essential points of her speech as for example that many people in Burma are not been freed yet, and their only fault was (and is) to ask for more democracy. http://www.euronews.com/2012/06/16/aung-san-suu-kyi-finally-makes-nobel-acceptance-speech/



Unfortunately, Euronews is very brief in reporting news, that's why I wanted to post a video that I found on YouTube to give to her speech the importance that it deserves.
This video contains the first 6 minutes of her speech, I hope you will enjoy it....


L.

Aung San Suu Kyi's speech (France 24 point of view)

Aung San Suu Kyi, the son of the Burmese national hero Aung San and also the famous Burmese opposition politician, was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. At the time, she was detained under house arrest. She was released on November 2010 and, in the last April, she was elected to the national parliament.

Due to her situation, she couldn't receive her Nobel Prize until this spring. Obviously, she couldn't make her speech in front of the Norwegian assembly. She finally did it in the last June.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120616-burma-pro-democracy-leader-suu-kyi-deliver-nobel-speech-norway-oslo-21-years-late

France 24 didn't focused on the event particularly and the reporter decided to cite some interesting quotes from the Burmese MP.
The sentences range from the Burmese situation ("There still remain such - political prisoners - in Burma. It is to be feared that because the best known detainees have been released, the remainder, the unknown ones, will be forgotten") to global aspects ("Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal").

http://www.france24.com/en/20120615--en-week-asia-aung-san-suu-kyi-nobel-prize-burma-afghanistan-australia%2C%20

This page contains the video of a small TV program aired weekly, "The week in Asia", where some Asian aspects are scanned. I strongly recommend you to watch this emission.

Here is the complete video of the speech. Enjoy it.

A.