Aung San and Suu Kyi

Warm and dry coffee shop at Mile 25 camp after walking 10 miles in the rain from the village of Tikon (see Faces of Tikon). Hot tea and cookies were delicious. I gave my rain pants to the policeman (U Htee Zard) who had steadied me down all of the slippery clay slopes along the way in this coffee shop. I was particularly pleased to see the nice portrait of Bogyoke Aung San and daughter Suu Kyi displayed in such a prominent position.

Aung San Suu Kyi Visits U.S.

Yes, that's Aug San Suu Kyi and Barak Obama petting Bo, the Obama family dog in the Oval Office of the White House. During her 17-day visit she has already received the Congressional Gold Medal, met President Obama, spoke to a gathering of Burmese people in Queens, and answered questions from lines of students at the World Leaders Forum at Columbia University. In response to the frequently-asked question of "How did you do it?, Suu Kyi said "Principles are not an old-fashioned idea. Principles matter. You have to build your life on a sense of duty." Amen. [NOTE: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza].

Looks Like She Won

After almost two decades under house arrest (see Aung San Suu Kyi and Clinton and Suu Kyi), the leader of Myanmar's democracy movement and Nobel-laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has apparently won a seat in Parliament, i.e. the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. Although this ruling council is still overwhelmingly under the control of the military, Suu Kyi's election is a meaningful and exciting step in the right direction for this country. [NOTE: I certainly would never have predicted that things would be moving so fast in Myanmar. She was still under house arrest when I was last there. Photo by Nyein Chan Naing/European Pressphoto Agency].

Clinton and Suu Kyi

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, Myanmar. Wow. Didn't think this would ever happen. Details here. Hopefully a step in the right direction for getting community forestry started back up in the Hukaung Valley (see Shinlonga and Naw Aung and his Sagawa). [NOTE: Photo credit Saul Loeb/Agence France Presse - Getty Images].

Aung San Suu Kyi

No words for this. Only bows of gratitude.  And a glimmer of hope. [NOTE: Go here for details].