Freedom from Fear

Aung San Suu Kyi, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, has lived under house arrest since 1989. Nonetheless, despite her incarceration, Burma's "woman of destiny" has steadfastly refused to renounce her non-violent opposition of the country oppressive military junta. She is one of the world's greatest living defenders of freedom and democracy, and an inspiration to millions worldwide.

Freedom from Fear brings together the remarkable Buddhist leader's most powerful speeches, letters, and interviews. She passionately voices sentiments that capture not only her own struggle and that of her fellow citizens, but also the hopes and fears of all people who yearn to be free.

"A Classic."

“Aung San Suu Kyi’s extraordinary achievement has been to confront the regime peacefully, reasonably, and persuasively…[in] one of the most laudable continuing acts of political courage.”

“Such is the depth of passion and learning that she brings to her wri

Aung San Suu Kyi’s collected writings—edited by her late husband, who the ruling military junta prevented from visiting Burma as he was dying of cancer—reflects her greatest hopes and fears for her fellow Burmese people, and her concern about the need for international cooperation in the continuing fight for Burma’s freedom. Bringing together her most powerful speeches, letters and interviews, this remarkable collection gives a voice to Burma’s “woman of destiny,” whose fate remained in the hands of her enemies for fifteen years, before her release from house arrest in 2010.

Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader if the struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma. Born in 1945 as the daughter of Burma's national hero Aung San she was two years old when he was assasinated, just before Burma gained the independence to which he has dedicated his life. After receiving her education in Rangoon, Delhi, and at Oxford University, Aung San Suu Kyi then worked for the United Nations in New York and Bhutan. For most of the following twenty years, she was occupied raising a familty in England (her husband is British), before returning to Burma in 1988 to care for her dying mother. Her return coincided with the outbreak of a spontaneous revolt against 26 years of political repression and economic decline. Aung San Suu Kyi quickly emerged as the most effective and articulate leader of the movement, and the party she founded went on to win a collossal electoral victory in May 1990. In July 1989 she was put under house arrest and the military junta that now rules Burma refused for six years either to free her or to transfer power to a civilian government as it had promised. Upon her release in July 1995, she immediately resumed the struggle for political freedom in her country.

Aung San Suu Kyi is an honorary fellow at St. Hugh's College, Oxford. In 1990 she was awarded the Thorolf Rafto Prize for Human Rights in Norway and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. In its citation, the Norwegian Nobel Committee atated that in awarding the prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, it wished to honor this woman for 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.