Lesson 24:Seeking Freedom

Level: Y
DRA: 60
Genre:
Narrative Nonfiction
Strategy:
Question
Skill:
Author’s Purpose
Word Count: 2,207
6.5.24
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books
1032848
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
by Joann Mulvaney Messier
ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: 4 Joe Lemonnier / Melissa Turk
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover © Christophe Loviny / CORBIS; 1 © ISSEI KATO/Reuters / Corbis; 3 © Christophe Loviny
/ CORBIS; 5 © PhotoDisc: Flags of the World; 7 © Getty Images; 8 © Bettmann / CORBIS; 10 © 1996 Steve Cole; 12 ©
Clive Streeter c/o Dorling Kindersley, Courtesy of The Science Museum, London; 14 © David Van Der Veen/epa / Corbis;
16 © AUBERT DOMINIQUE/CORBIS SYGMA / Corbis; 18 © ISSEI KATO/Reuters / Corbis
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Address inquiries to School Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116.
Printed in China
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02777-7
ISBN-10: 0-547-02777-X
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Table of Contents
About Burma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Family Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Outside of Burma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Return to Burma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Message of Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Nobel Prize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Suu Kyi’s Sacrifices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Burma Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Aung San Suu Kyi works for freedom in Burma.
“The only real prison
is fear, and the only
real freedom is freedom
from fear.”
—Aung San Suu Kyi
In 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi (ong sahn soo chee) became
a voice for freedom in her country. Suu Kyi is from Burma, also
called Myanmar. Burma is ruled by harsh leaders. They control
people through fear and violence. Suu Kyi wants the people
of Burma to be free from fear. Suu Kyi works for change in
Burma. She uses peaceful ways to make the government better.
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About Burma
Many years ago, kings ruled Burma. The kings set up
ruling families called dynasties. One dynasty ruled for almost
250 years. This dynasty fell from power when people from
outside Burma destroyed their city. Two later dynasties also fell.
Two things caused the dynasties to fall. One cause was problems
inside Burma. The other cause was war with people from
other countries.
Great Britain took control of Burma in 1824. They ruled
Burma for more than 100 years. Then in 1948, Burma became
an independent, or free, country.
Burma is a small country
in Southeast Asia.
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The flag of Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma’s rulers changed Burma’s name to Myanmar
in 1989. Many people in Burma did not like this
change. Some countries still use the name Burma.
The rulers also changed Burma’s capital. It used to be
Rangoon. In 2006, the leaders made Naypyidaw the
capital. This city is closer to the center of the country.
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After 1948, Burma was like a new country. It created
a new government and wrote new laws. The people elected
new leaders. But the people in Burma still fought each other all
the time.
Then in 1962, Burma’s military took control of the
country. A strict general became the new ruler. This ruler
ignored Burma’s laws. The military also took charge of
Burma’s economy. Burma’s people suffered under these rulers.
The people protested, but nothing changed. A group of military
rulers has been in charge of Burma since 1988. The people of
Burma have very few rights.
Family Life
Aung San Suu Kyi was born in Rangoon, Burma. Her
birthday is June 19, 1945. Suu Kyi’s father was a distinguished
leader in Burma. He died when Suu Kyi was just two years old.
Suu Kyi’s mother was a nurse.
Outside of Burma
Later, Suu Kyi’s mother started a new kind of work.
She became a diplomat for Burma. Diplomats work with leaders
in other countries. Suu Kyi’s mother worked with the leaders
of India. Suu Kyi moved to India with her mother. In India,
Suu Kyi learned about a man named Gandhi. Gandhi was
an Indian leader who helped free India from Britain. He did
this peacefully.
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Gandhi’s ideas inspired Suu Kyi. When she was older,
Suu Kyi looked for peaceful ways to change Burma.
Suu Kyi finished high school in India. Then she went
to college in Britain. After college, Suu Kyi worked for the
United Nations. In 1972, she married Michael Aris. The couple
had two sons.
For the next few years, Suu Kyi lived in Britain. She
worked at home and raised her sons. Suu Kyi also continued
to write and study. She learned more about her father. In 1984,
Suu Kyi published a book about her father’s life.
Gandhi’s ideas about
nonviolence inspired Suu Kyi.
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General Aung San was Suu Kyi’s father.
Aung San
Aung San — Suu Kyi’s father — was a great
leader. People think of him as the founder of modern
Burma. Aung San worked hard to end Britain’s rule in
Burma. Burma wanted to be an independent country.
The people wanted to control their own government.
Aung San helped Burma become a free country. Then a
political enemy killed Aung San. Enemies killed other
people who worked with Aung San. But in 1948, Burma
was free at last.
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When her children were older, Suu Kyi traveled the world.
Suu Kyi started to understand the significance of her father’s
life and work. She learned that her father was an important part
of Burma’s history.
In 1988, Suu Kyi wrote more about her father. She
admired the things he did in his life. He did a lot for the people
of Burma. She realized that she shared many of the same
qualities her father had. Suu Kyi felt a strong bond with him.
This led her to conceive a deep loyalty for her country.
Suu Kyi lived away from Burma for more than 25 years.
But she still worried about Burma’s problems.
Return to Burma
Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988. She came back to
take care of her mother, who was very sick. At that time, many
people protested against Burma’s rulers. Sometimes there
was violence. One of Burma’s leaders quit. But there was still
controversy about his rule. Many people believed he was still in
control. The people still feared him.
Many people took action against Burma’s government.
They complained about the rulers. The rulers responded
by shooting at the people who complained. In just six days,
about 3,000 people were killed. Suu Kyi knew that she had to
do something.
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Suu Kyi made her first major speech in 1988. Almost
half a million people listened to her. People wanted to see
the daughter of Aung San. Few of these people knew about
Suu Kyi’s ideas. In her speech, Suu Kyi called for democracy.
She talked about peaceful ways to bring change to Burma.
Listeners liked Suu Kyi and her message. Some people said that
she looked and talked like her father.
More people in Burma started to protest. Burma’s rulers
passed a new law. They made it illegal, or against the law,
for more than four people to gather and talk about politics.
The rulers punished people who spoke badly about them.
Yet the rulers let the people form political parties. The rulers
also promised to hold elections. Most people were not inclined
to believe the rulers’ promises. The people kept protesting.
The rulers kept responding with force, or violence.
Message of Freedom
In 1988, Suu Kyi and other people formed a political party.
They called this new party the National League for Democracy,
or NLD. Suu Kyi was the leader of the NLD. She and other
NLD members toured Burma to spread their ideas. But the
rulers arrested people who came to hear Suu Kyi speak. Suu Kyi
did not give up. She still gave speeches.
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People in a democracy have the right to vote.
Democracy
A democracy is a government in which the people
hold the power. Ancient Greece came up with this
idea. The ancient Romans wrote the first constitution.
It protected the rights of its citizens. Today, countries
with a democracy elect their leaders. These leaders
represent the people in the government.
In a democracy, the people have certain rights.
For example, they can vote. They can speak freely.
They can practice the religion of their choice. Most
democracies have more than one political party. The
people can choose which party to support.
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The rulers had soldiers follow Suu Kyi and her supporters.
One day, Suu Kyi was near Rangoon. She bravely faced
six soldiers who had orders to kill her. Suu Kyi asked her
supporters to step aside. Then she walked toward the soldiers.
The soldiers aimed their guns at her. Suu Kyi remained calm
and serene. At the last minute, the soldiers did not shoot. Suu
Kyi’s calmness impressed many people.
Three months later, Burma’s rulers placed Suu Kyi under
house arrest. She could not leave her home. Burma’s rulers
hoped to silence Suu Kyi. But the arrest made Suu Kyi more
famous. Even more people started to listen to her.
Many people were surprised when Burma held elections in
1990. The NLD won most of the seats, or government offices,
by a large number of votes. The people who voted for the NLD
felt ecstasy about the election.
Their happiness did not last long, though. Burma’s rulers
refused to let the winners take their seats. In fact, the rulers
arrested some of the winners. Burma’s rulers did not let go of
their power. Still, supporters of the NLD refused to give up.
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The Nobel Prize
In 1991, Suu Kyi received the
Nobel Peace Prize. This prize
recognized Suu Kyi for trying to
bring democracy to Burma. It
also honored her work for human
rights. Suu Kyi was not able to
attend the award ceremony. She
was still under house arrest in
The Nobel Peace Prize
Burma. Suu Kyi’s sons, who did not
is a great honor.
live in Burma, accepted the award for
her. One son talked about Suu Kyi’s message of peace. Many
people were moved by his words.
People around the world learned about Suu Kyi’s work
because of the Nobel Prize. The world also learned about
Burma’s problems. Other countries disapproved of Burma’s
rulers for two reasons. One was that the rulers did not honor
the results of the 1990 election. The second was how the rulers
acted with prejudice against certain people in Burma.
People in Burma were angry about how the rulers acted.
In response, Burma’s rulers made some changes. They wanted
to change what people in other countries thought about them.
Some political prisoners were set free. Suu Kyi was not one of
them. She stayed under house arrest.
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Suu Kyi gives a speech to
a group of supporters.
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Suu Kyi’s Sacrifices
Suu Kyi has made many hard choices
in her personal life. While under house
arrest, she did not have much contact
with the outside world. At first, her sons
and husband could visit her. But Burma’s
rulers soon stopped these visits. They also
put limits on Suu Kyi’s writing. Suu Kyi
accepted her fate in a regal manner, like
a king or queen would. She faced these
hardships with grace and courage.
People around the world tried to free
Suu Kyi. They failed. Burma’s rulers gave
Suu Kyi a choice. She could be free — but
only if she left Burma. Suu Kyi refused.
She did not want to leave Burma. Suu
Kyi sacrificed, or gave up, a lot for others.
Her actions inspired many people.
In July 1995, Suu Kyi was released
from house arrest. She had been under
arrest for almost six years. Burma’s rulers
watched Suu Kyi carefully after her
release. At first, Suu Kyi made speeches
outside her home. But the rulers soon
stopped this. They did not want her to
cause trouble again.
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Her Husband’s Death
Suu Kyi’s husband died in London on
March 27, 1999. Before he died, he wanted
to see Suu Kyi. The couple had been apart
for a long time. Burma’s rulers refused
to let him visit his wife in Burma. Suu Kyi
wanted to visit her husband in Britain.
But if she left Burma,
she could not return.
Suu Kyi and her
husband, Michael Aris
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Suu Kyi still tried to bring democracy to Burma.
The rulers still tried to stop her. In 1998, the NLD
formed a new group. This group declared that it was
Burma’s true government. Once again, the rulers
arrested NLD supporters. Still, the NLD did not
give up.
In 2000, Burma’s rulers placed Suu Kyi
under house arrest again. Suu Kyi talked with
the rulers. As a result, the rulers set free some
political prisoners. They set free Suu Kyi two years
later. Once again, Suu Kyi could travel in Burma.
She shared her message of peace and freedom.
In 2003, Suu Kyi talked to a group of listeners
about freedom. Another group, who supported
Burma’s rulers, listened, too. Then they began to
bother Suu Kyi and her group. This agitation, or
conflict, quickly turned into a fight. Many people
with Suu Kyi were hurt or killed. Suu Kyi was placed
under house arrest yet again. Then Burma’s rulers
closed the NLD’s offices for good.
Burma Today
Burma’s rulers are still in power today.
Many people remain in jail for speaking out
against them. The rulers still ignore human rights.
They control the news on Burma’s radio and TV
stations. They also control the Internet in Burma.
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Suu Kyi’s supporters show
her picture on posters.
Some people decided to leave Burma. They hope to find
work in other places. Others wonder if peace will ever come to
Burma. In 2003, Suu Kyi wrote about the problems in Burma.
She wrote, “I ask people why they want democracy. Very often
the answer is, ‘We just want to be free.’”
In May 2007, Suu Kyi was still under house arrest. Suu Kyi
remains a symbol of hope to Burma’s people. Burma’s rulers
still try to stop her. Yet, Suu Kyi keeps working for freedom and
democracy in Burma.
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Responding
TARGET SKILL Author’s Purpose What
was the author’s purpose, or reason, in writing
Seeking Freedom? Copy and complete the chart
below. Write the author’s purpose. Then list
details that support that purpose.
Burma has a
strict military
government.
Suu Kyi gave
speeches
about freedom.
Author’s Purpose:
?
?
Write About It
Text to Text Using this book as a source, write
the introduction to a report on Suu Kyi. Include
the most important ideas about Suu Kyi’s life in
your introduction.
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TARGET VOCABULARY
agitation
inclined
conceive
prejudice
controversy
regal
distinguished
serene
ecstasy
significance
TARGET SKILL
Author’s Purpose Use text
details to figure out the author’s viewpoint and
reasons for writing.
TARGET STRATEGY Question Ask questions
about a selection before you read, as you read, and
after you read.
GENRE Narrative Nonfiction gives factual
information by telling a true story.
Write About It
In a famous quotation, Aung San Suu Kyi said,
“Please use your freedom to promote ours.”
What freedoms do you value most? Why? Write
a letter to the editor of a Burmese newspaper
explaining the freedoms you have and why they
are important to you.
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Level: Y
DRA: 60
Genre:
Narrative Nonfiction
Strategy:
Question
Skill:
Author’s Purpose
Word Count: 2,207
6.5.24
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books
1032848
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN