The Revolution of Spirit Response

The Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech for Aung San Suu Kyi initially grabbed my attention because she herself could not give the speech because she was under house arrest. Her sons accepted the prize on her behalf and gave the speech for her as well. Aung San Suu Kyi, from Burma, was placed under house arrest because of her actions in her nonviolent party.


I think the central theme of this essay is definitely the wish for the country Kyi and her sons reside in, Burma, to become a free and independent nation. As it is stated in the speech in regards to what Kyi would say if she was not under house arrest,

"She would say that this prize belongs not to her but to all those men, women and children who, even as I speak, continue to sacrifice their well being, their freedom and their lives in pursuit of a democratic Burma. Theirs is the prize and theirs will be the eventual victory in Burma's long struggle for peace, freedom and democracy".

The main reason Kyi has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is because of her constant efforts to make Burma an independent country. Ultimately, it was her “heroic actions” made her an “important symbol in the struggle against oppression”. It is said that the Nobel Prize committee awarded her with the award to “honor her nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights” and show “support for the many people throughout the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights, and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means”. She wanted her country to join together and create a new nation founded on the spirit of peace and humanity.

I definitely agree with the committee in that Aung San Suu Kyi was well deserving of this award. Even though I had never heard of her actions prior to reading her acceptance speech, I believe that what she has done for her country to be most reverent.

When I finished reading this speech I was left with a sense of hope and my ideas for the future were positive. As the last line reads, “The lessons of the past will not be forgotten, but it is our hope for the future that we celebrate today”. The citizens of Burma who fought for their freedom have overcome tremendous struggle. The oppression they pushed through proved to be beneficial and with the help of Aung San Suu Kyi the country gained independence.