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33 Eris with his Mother Aung San Suu Kyi-Burmese Pro-Democracy leader
(Sent by Danny Ahmed Karim-Pukhet Correspondent)
Icon of Burmese democratic movement, Aung San Suu Kyi met with her 33 years old son, Aris, 33. He looked excited and emotional while he met his mother. Aris took off his jacket to show well-wishers and reporters that he had red tattoos of the fighting peacock, the emblem of Suu Kyi’s opposition party, on both of his biceps. Aris have been in Rangoon for two weeks visit. Not clear it is his own plan or he has got limited visit visa for two weeks. Aung San Suu Kyi who was released from detention last year in November after serving 13 years in the house arrest.
“I feel very happy. I can stay for two weeks,” Aris said before departing with his mother to her home in Rangoon which has served as her prison for the past seven years. Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on November 13 last year. Aris, who is a British citizen, was last allowed to visit his mother 10 years ago, when he was permitted to stay for three weeks. Suu Kyi, the daughter of independence hero Aung San, married the late British professor Michael Aris in 1972, while she was studying at Oxford. They have two sons, Alexander and Kim, whose Burmese names are Myint San Aung and Htein Lin, respectively. Suu Kyi’s husband died of cancer in 1999 in London, while she was under house arrest in Yangon. Aris had been denied a visa to visit her despite his failing health. Her sons have seen little of their mother since she returned in 1988 to Burma and got caught up in the struggle for democracy.
Suu Kyi helped found the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), which won the 1990 general election but was not allowed to form a government by the military. Burma held its first election in two decades on November 7. Despite international calls for her release before the polls, the junta kept Suu Kyi detained and excluded the NLD from participating. She was first placed under house arrest in the family’s Rangoon lakeside home in 1989, and has spent about 16 of the last 21 years under detention.
In July 2009, a court sentenced Suu Kyi to 18 months for breaking the conditions of her house arrest by allowing a US citizen to stay in her house after he swam across the lake uninvited.
Our pukhet correspondent, Danny Ahmed Karim asked views from different Burmese who left Burma couple of yours ago and sought refugee in Thailand. These refugees are living an exile life in Thailand now. Mr. M. H. (name withheld), 44 year old still a Burmese national, who escaped from Burma in 1993 and came to Thailand and has become a thai national now, shares the sufferings of 18 years exile, pain of being a refugee and praise the host Thai nation for their hospitality, who gave them refuge and tolerating them in their country. Tears tickle down his cheeks when M.H. shares his terrible story. Moe Han badly misses his country and wiating for the favorable circumstances to visit his homelnd, however, he is now a thai citizen. In response to question that what does M. H. thinks about Eris, son of pro-democratic leader, Aung Suun Suu Kyi’ son. M. H. is happy on Eris’s Burma visit and beleives that Eris will help her mother and Burmese people in restoration of democracy in Burma. When our correspondent asked him Eris’ potential to be a successful politician and his acceptance within Burmese society as a British citizen. M.H. refused to comment. M.H. is legally a thai citizen now and he wishes the same revolution in Burma which Tunisia and Egyptian societies have brought.
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