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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