Aung San Suu Kyi Learn English through story level 3

story five

prisoner for peace

every day was a lonely dangerous fight

for freedom sue could not move freely

even in her own home

was born in 1945 to a rich and important

family in burma

now myanmar

her father was killed when she was only

two years old

but her young life was happy and

comfortable

when she was 15 the family moved to

india

sue became very interested in her

mother’s political work there

she understood the power of politics

from an early age

while studying in oxford sue met michael

aris a handsome young englishman

michael soon fell in love with sue’s

asian good looks and her bright

intelligence they married and then

traveled and worked in asia for a few

years together

finally they returned to england to live

a simple happy life with their two

sons but sue could not forget her

history her family and her people in

burma

she understood now that her father was

killed during his fight for burma’s

freedom

during the 1970s and 1980s too

there were many problems in burmese

politics

as she read the newspapers

sue remembered her father’s courage

in 1988

sue visited her sick mother in burma

it was a very difficult time for the

country

because the army wanted to form a new

government

many people were afraid of the future

thousands of people young and old came

into the streets to make their opinions

known

but the army wanted power

they did not want to listen

they were ready to fight

later that year the army killed

thousands of ordinary people

sue knew that she had to choose between

her comfortable happy life with her

family in oxford

and a difficult and dangerous life in

burma

her mother was dying

sue decided that she must continue her

father’s good work

sue understood a lot about international

history and politics

she wanted to use the ideas of people

like martin luther king and mahatma

gandhi

in the united states and in india these

two men fought peacefully for the

freedom of their people

she knew that the burmese people wanted

to choose their own government

they did not want the army to choose for

them

she traveled around the country and

thousands of people listened to her

speeches

the army watched sue closely

she knew that her life was always in

danger

but she believed that her country’s

freedom was more important

sue was ready to fight

with intelligent words and ideas

not with guns

in september 1988 the army took power

sue and other politicians immediately

started planning a way to return the

government to the people

then one morning early in 1989

a large group of soldiers came to sue’s

home

you must go back to england and stop

your work in burma they told her

but sue refused to leave

if you don’t go you can’t leave this

house it continued you are now a

prisoner in your own home

sue continued to organize her political

group from her prison home

the army watched her almost every minute

of the day

but she carefully wrote secret letters

and made secret phone calls

every day was a lonely dangerous fight

for freedom

she could not move freely even in her

own home

and her family could not visit her

but the terrible loneliness

made sue stronger and braver

in 1990 the people of myanmar voted for

their country’s government

sue’s political group the nld won 82

percent of the votes

but the army refused to listen

they kept sue in her home as a prisoner

and they refused to give power to the

nld

myanmar’s hopes for a better future

were destroyed

but sue continued to work for her

country

her call for peace and understanding

became famous around the world

in 1991 she won the nobel prize for

peace

her two proud sons traveled to norway

and received the prize for her

she did not see them until a year later

when she was finally given permission

for visits from her family

but her life as a prisoner continued

prison life made sue stronger the army

thought

so they decided to let her go

in 1995 sue finally left her house

she traveled around the country calling

for change

the army watched her very closely

every new speech and every new trip was

dangerous

but sue did not lose her courage

early in 1999 sue’s husband became very

sick

go and see him in england the army

suggested

but sue did not trust them

if i go home she thought the government

will tell me not to return

she knew that her husband loved her

she knew that he understood

when he died in march that year

her heart broke

television radio and newspapers in

myanmar are not free

reporters must always agree with the

army’s ideas

but sue’s speeches were full of

different opinions

the army was nervous and they asked her

to stop traveling

she refused

in 2000 sue became a prisoner of the

army again

after her husband’s death she felt even

lonelier than before

but she kept busy with political work

study

exercise and piano playing

for more than 15 years

most of them as a prisoner

sue has not stopped fighting

in 2002 she was freed again

but in 2003

the army attacked the nld

and many people were killed

is the army beginning to listen more

closely to sue’s ideas

some people think so

after many years

sue’s courage still gives hope to her

country’s people

a hope for a future of peace

and freedom

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