Burma's Rosa Parks

Reading about Rosa Parks, an Afriancan-American civil rights activist who initiated the movement to outlawed racial segregation on public transportation by a simple but brave act: refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in 1955, it reminded me of Su Su Nway from Burma who is currently in jail due to her brave actions against the military government. Su Su Nway is a Burma’s Rosa Parks, the first lady of civil right for Burma.

Rosa Parks was arrested for disobeying the Jimmy Crow Laws in 1955.



During her interview with DVB radio, Su Su Nway said, “ I take my prison uniform with me because I know that I will have to come back to jail until Burma gets democracy”. 

Burma is a country where its citizens were deprived of their own rights by its own government. Human rights violations such as forced labor, forced relocations, rapes, torture and execution are still going on, especially in remote areas of the country.

Su Su Nway was born to a family of farmers in a small village (Htan Ma Naing). Although she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, she suffered from chronic heart disease and she was unable to complete her study. She dropped off school at 9^th grade. Growing up in farms, she became to realize the pain that her fellow villagers were going through as victims of forced labor. (In Burma, the government often ordered its citizens to contribute unpaid labor for road constructions or pay for penalty if someone could not contribute the physical labor. Although all citizens know that it is an unjust order, people from Burma live in fear because they have witnessed the brutality of government if orders are not obeyed) 

On March 23, 2004, Su Su Nway and her fellow villagers were ordered to contribute unpaid labor or pay 2000 kyats. Like Rosa Parks refused to stand up from her seat on the bus, Su Su Nway, refused to contribute to forced labor. Instead, she requested the authority to not impose order on those who were elderly, weak or not in sound health. As she bravely stood up the order, about 50 villagers stood by her. I believed it was the first time that a village girl stood up for the powerful authority’s unjust orders.

As she and her villages have received threats from authority, Su Su Nway went to went to meet with liaison officer from International Labor Organization (ILO) in Yangon. Due to the strict policy in Burma, the ILO could not directly involve in the country’s labor affairs. Su Su Nway was given two choices; (1) to sue the government which has never been a case in Burma’s history where a civilian sued the authority and escaped from threats (2) go back to her village and conveys the message of sorrow from ILO. Knowing the consequences, she decided to follow the justice: suing the authority.  Starting from that time, Su Su Nway has become a threat to the authority.

Being the first to sue the authorities, she has been under threats from the authorities; the authorities ordered boat owners not to carry Su Su Nway to the city for her court dates, her doctor was threatened by the authority not to provide treatments for her chronic heart condition etc. However, the unjust orders and laws failed to threaten Su Su Nway. She was counter-sued for defaming the authorities and obstructing the duty and was sentenced to an 18-month term in Insein Prison. Before her sentencing, she told reporters, “"I have no responsibility, no power and no position. They plot against a common girl, a disease sufferer, and sue her because they are afraid. If they are afraid like that, our side is winning."

Due to the international pressure from the UN,ILO and US government, she was released on June 6,2006. In November 2007, Su Su Nway was arrested again for hanging a banner near the hotel where UN Human Rights Envoy Paulo Pinherio was staying while visiting Burma. She was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison. She is currently in Hkati prison in Sagaing division.  

Until now, her battle for justice is far from over..she is kept behind bars and deprived of medication she needs for her heart condition..however, the brave defender of justice is still fighting for her citizens..for justice and democracy..

She is the first lady of civil right for Burma.