Opening Keynote Address
Read on video to the NGO Forum on Women,
Beijing, China, August 31, 1995
by Aung San Suu Kyi
It
is a wonderful but daunting task that has fallen on me to say a few
words by way of opening this Forum, the greatest concourse of women
(joined by a few brave men!) that has ever gathered on our planet. I
want to try and voice some of the common hopes which firmly unite us in
all our splendid diversity.
But
first I would like to explain why I cannot be with you in person today.
Last month I was released from almost six years of house arrest. The
regaining of my freedom has in turn imposed a duty on me to work for
the freedom of other women and men in my country who have suffered far
more - and who continue to suffer far more - than I have. It is this
duty which prevents me from joining you today. Even sending this
message to you has not been without difficulties. But the help of those
who believe in international cooperation and freedom of expression has
enabled me to overcome the obstacles. They made it possible for me to
make a small contribution to this great celebration of the struggle of
women to mould their own destiny and to influence the fate of our
global village.
The
opening plenary of this Forum will be presenting an overview of the
global forces affecting the quality of life of the human community and
the challenges they pose for the global community as a whole and for
women in particular as we approach the twenty-first century. However,
with true womanly understanding the Convener of this Forum suggested
that among these global forces and challenges, I might wish to
concentrate on those matters which occupy all my waking thoughts these
days: peace, security, human rights and democracy. I would like to
discuss these issues particularly in the context of the participation
of women in politics and governance.
For
millenia women have dedicated themselves almost exclusively to the task
of nurturing, protecting and caring for the young and the old, striving
for the conditions of peace that favour life as a whole. To this can be
added the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, no war was ever
started by women. But it is women and children who have always suffered
most in situations of conflict. Now that we are gaining control of the
primary historical role imposed on us of sustaining life in the context
of the home and family, it is time to apply in the arena of the world
the wisdom and experience thus gained in activities of peace over so
many thousands or years. The education and empowerment of women
throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant,
just and peaceful life for all.
If
to these universal benefits of the growing emancipation of women can be
added the "peace dividend" for human development offered by the end of
the Cold War, spending less on the war toys of grown men and much more
on the urgent needs of humanity as a whole, then truly the next
millenia will be an age the like to which has never been seen in human
history. But there still remain many obstacles to be overcome before we
can achieve this goal. And not least among these obstacles are
intolerance and insecurity.
This
year is the International Year for Tolerance. The United Nations has
recognised that "tolerance, human rights, democracy and peace are
closely related. Without tolerance, the foundations for democracy and
respect for human rights cannot be strenghened, and the achievements of
peace will remain elusive." My own experience during the years I have
been engaged in the democracy movement in Burma has convinced me of the
need to emphasize the positive aspects of tolerance. It is not enough
simply to "live and let live": genuine tolerance requires an active
effort to try to understand the point of view of others; it implies
broadmindedness and vision, as well as confidence in one's own ability
to meet new challenges without resorting to intransigence or violence.
In societies where men are truly confident of their own worth women are
not merely "tolerated," they are valued. Their opinions are listened to
with respect, they are given their rightful place in shaping the
society in which they live.
There
is an outmoded Burmese proverb still recited by men, who wish to deny
that women too can play a part in bringing necessary change and
progress to their society: "The dawn rises only when the rooster
crows." But Burmese people today are well aware of the scientific
reason behind the rising of dawn and the falling of dusk. And the
intelligent rooster surely realizes that it is because dawn comes that
it crows and not the other way round. It crows to welcome the light
that has come to relieve the darkness of night. It is not the
prerogative of men alone to bring light to this world: women with their
capacity for compassion and self-sacrifice, their courage and
perseverence, have done much to dissipate the darkness of intolerance
and hate, suffering and despair.
Often
the other side of the coin of intolerance is insecurity. Insecure
people tend to be intolerant, and their intolerance unleashes forces
that threaten the security of others. And where there is no security
there can be no lasting peace. In its Human Development Report for last
year, the UNDP noted that human security "is not a concern with weapons
- it is a concern with human life and dignity." The struggle for
democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity.
It is a struggle that encompasses our political, social and economic
aspirations. The people of my country want the two freedoms that spell
security: freedom from want and freedom from war. It is want that has
driven so many of our young girls across our borders to a life of
sexual slavery where they are subject to constant humiliation and
ill-treatment. It is fear of persecution for their political beliefs
that has made so many of our people feel that even in their own homes
they cannot live in dignity and security.
Traditionally
the home is the domain of the woman. But there has never been a
guarantee that she can live out her life there safe and unmolested.
There are countless women who are subjected to severe cruelty within
the heart of the family which should be their haven. And in times of
crisis when their menfolk are unable to give them protection, women
have to face the harsh challenges of the world outside while continuing
to discharge their duties within the home.
Many
of my male colleagues who have suffered imprisonment for their part in
the democracy movement have spoken of the great debt of gratitude they
owe their womenfolk, particularly their wives, who stood by them
firmly, tender as mothers nursing their newly born, brave as lionesses
defending their young. These magnificent human beings who have done so
much to aid their men in the struggle for justice and peace-how much
more could they not achieve if given the opportunity to work in their
own right for the good of their country and of the world?
Our
endeavours have also been sustained by the activities of strong and
principled women all over the world who have campaigned not only for my
own release but, more importantly, for our cause. I cannot let this
opportunity pass without speaking of the gratitude we feel towards our
sisters everywhere, from heads of governments to busy housewives. Their
efforts have been a triumphant demonstration of female solidarity and
of the power of an ideal to cross all frontiers.
In
my country at present, women have no participation in the higher levels
of government and none whatsoever in the judiciary. Even within the
democratic movement only 14 out of the 485 MPs elected in 1990 were
women-all from my own party, the National League for Democracy. These
14 women represent less than 3 percent of the total number of
successful candidates. They, like their male colleagues, have not been
permitted to take office, since the outcome of those elections has been
totally ignored. Yet the very high performance of women in our
educational system and in the management of commercial enterprises
proves their enormous potential to contribute to the betterment of
society in general. Meanwhile our women have yet to achieve those
fundamental rights of free expression, association and security of life
denied also to their menfolk.
The
adversities that we have had to face together have taught all of us
involved in the struggle to build a truly democratic political system
in Burma that there are no gender barriers that cannot be overcome. The
relationship between men and women should, and can be, characterized
not by patronizing behavior or exploitation, but by metta (that is to
say loving kindness), partnership and trust. We need mutual respect and
understanding between men and women, instead of patriarchal domination
and degradation, which are expressions of violence and engender
counter-violence. We can learn from each other and help one another to
moderate the "gender weaknesses" imposed on us by traditional or
biological factors.
There
is an age old prejudice the world over to the effect that women talk
too much. But is this really a weakness? Could it not in fact be a
strength? Recent scientific research on the human brain has revealed
that women are better at verbal skills while men tend towards physical
action.
Psychological
research has shown on the other hand that disinformation engendered by
men has far more damaging effect on its victims than feminine gossip.
Surely these discoveries indicate that women have a most valuable
contribution to make in situations of conflict, by leading the way to
solutions based on dialogue rather than on viciousness or violence?
The
Buddhist paravana ceremony at the end of the rainy season retreat was
instituted by the Lord Buddha, who did not want human beings to live in
silence [I quote] "like dumb animals." This ceremony, during which
monks ask mutual forgiveness for any offence given during the retreat,
can be said to be a council of truth and reconciliation. It might also
be considered a forerunner of that most democratic of institutions, the
parliament, a meeting of peoples gathered together to talk over their
shared problems. All the world's great religions are dedicated to the
generation of happiness and harmony. This demonstrates the fact that
together with the combative instincts of man there co-exists a
spiritual aspiration for mutual understanding and peace.
This
forum of non-governmental organizations represents the belief in the
ability of intelligent human beings to resolve conflicting interests
through exchange and dialogue. It also represents the conviction that
governments alone cannot resolve all the problems of their countries.
The watchfulness and active cooperation of organizations outside the
spheres of officialdom are necessary to ensure the four essential
components of the human development paradigm as identified by the UNDP:
productivity, equity, sustainability and empowerment. The last is
particularly relevant: it requires that "development must be by people,
not only for them. People must participate fully in the decisions and
processes that shape their lives." In other words people must be
allowed to play a significant role in the governance of the country.
And "people" include women who make up at least half of the world's
population.
The
last six years afforded me much time and food for thought. I came to
the conclusion that the human race is not divided into two opposing
camps of good and evil. It is made up of those who are capable of
learning and those who are incapable of doing so. Here I am not talking
of learning in the narrow sense of acquiring an academic education, but
of learning as the process of absorbing those lessons of life that
enable us to increase peace and happiness in our world. Women in their
roles as mothers have traditionally assumed the responsibility of
teaching children values that will guide them throughout their lives.
It is time we were given the full opportunity to use our natural
teaching skills to contribute towards building a modern world that can
withstand the tremendous challenges of the technological revolution
which has in turn brought revolutionary changes in social values.
As
we strive to teach others we must have the humility to acknowledge that
we too still have much to learn. And we must have the flexibility to
adapt to the changing needs of the world around us. Women who have been
taught that modesty and pliancy are among the prized virtues of our
gender are marvelously equipped for the learning process. But they must
be given the opportunity to turn these often merely passive virtues
into positive assets for the society in which they live.
These,
then, are our common hopes that unite us-that as the shackles of
prejudice and intolerance fall from our own limbs we can together
strive to identify and remove the impediments to human development
everywhere. The mechanisms by which this great task is to be achieved
provide the proper focus of this great Forum. I feel sure that women
throughout the world who, like me, cannot be with you join me now in
sending you all our prayers and good wishes for a joyful and productive
meeting.
I thank you.