Aung San Suu Kyi received a rock star welcome in Ireland Monday, with U2 singer Bono among those performing at a concert to honour the Myanmar democracy icon after flying in with her on his private jet.
Myanmar's Suu Kyi takes to stage in Dublin with Bono
Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi took to the stage with Bono to receive a prize from Amesty International at the rights group's "Electric Burma" concert in a packed Dublin theatre. She was met with cheers and a standing ovation.
Bono thanked her for being there, saying: "We know there are many many other places you could be and we understand the signal your presence here sends out and we are humbled, we are grateful."
"It is one of the great ironies that by your confinement, the world has become your home. Dublin is your world this evening."
Suu Kyi sat alongside Bono -- who has long supported Suu Kyi's freedom struggle and dedicated the song "Walk On" to her -- after the pair travelled from Oslo, Norway, where they had co-hosted a peace forum.
"To receive this award is to remind me that 24 years ago I took on duties from which I shall never be relieved but you have given me the strength to carry out," Suu Kyi said in reply.
"I have discovered how much more people care. I had not expected this. I had not known how much they cared. This has come as a surprise to me and a very moving one."
The concert opened with Ireland's Riverdance troupe performing against an atmospheric set designed to look like a nocturnal beach scene.
Bono's fellow rock star-activist Bob Geldof then took to the stage, saying: "You actually honour us by being finally here with us."
Suu Kyi received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, the rights group's most prestigious prize, after performances from world artists including Benin singer Angelique Kidjo and US rapper Lupe Fiasco.
She won the award in 2009 but was under house arrest in Myanmar at the time so could not collect it.
The concert also featured a recorded message from Dave Lee Travis, the British DJ nicknamed the "Hairy Cornflake", who Suu Kyi has said kept her spirits up during her time under house arrest.
Myanmar comedian-activist Zarganar, another of the performers, said he spent almost 11 years in prison in his country "because of making jokes".
Bono, wearing his trademark black glasses, wrapped up the event with a performance of "Walk On", followed by U2's "One".
In Dublin, Suu Kyi also met with Irish President Michael D. Higgins.
After the concert at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, thousands of people were expected at an open-air event where Suu Kyi will be given the Freedom of the City of Dublin, some 12 years after she was named for the honour.
She is expected to address the crowds, who will sing "happy birthday" to her a day before she turns 67.
An emotional Suu Kyi delivered her Nobel lecture at Oslo City Hall on Saturday, more than two decades after receiving the peace prize awarded to her in 1991 for her "non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights".
She was also unable to accept it at the time.
After visiting Ireland, Suu Kyi's 17-day European tour takes her to Britain on Tuesday.
She will celebrate her birthday in the southern English town of Oxford, where she studied at the prestigious university and lived for several years with her late English husband, Michael Aris.
Oxford University, where she studied politics, philosophy and economics and met Tibet expert Aris, will award her with an honorary degree on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Suu Kyi is to address both houses of parliament in London in a rare honour for a foreign dignitary, as well as meet Prime Minister David Cameron and heir to the throne Prince Charles.
Suu Kyi's tour, which also takes in Switzerland and France, is her first trip to Europe for 24 years.
It has been clouded by continued violence in western Myanmar where dozens of people have been killed and more than 30,000 people displaced by clashes between Buddhist Rakhines and stateless Muslim Rohingya.
Ref:MSN News
ElCTRIC BURMA
18 JUNE/LIVE IN DUBLIN
AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Nearly a quarter century of house arrest, imprisonment and attempts to silence her have failed. Hers is the voice of conscience and nonviolence for the world.
On June 18, she will fly to Dublin where, for the first time in history, she will attend a concert in her honor outside Burma.
THE CONCERT
The concert will commence at 4:45 pm on June 18th, at the Bord Gais Energy Theater. Actors, musicians and dancers will travel to Dublin from across the globe to celebrate this inspiring woman. We want to share this moment in an intimate opera-house setting with the whole world.
The star of the concert will be sitting in the stalls. By the end of the night, she will have received Amnesty International’s highest accolade, the Ambassador of Conscience Award. We want the world to know that when Daw Suu comes to the stage, the high point of the concert will have been reached – everyone else who performs, no matter how celebrated or famous, are a support act.
This concert is a celebration, but it is also an opportunity to echo Daw Suu’s message, which is also Amnesty International’s message, that human rights matter. That global solidarity really means something. And that we as individuals can change the world and make it a better place. We want, through this concert, to help secure the release of the remaining hundreds of political prisoners in Burma – all profits from the night will go to Amnesty and the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Trust for Health and Education.
Finally, we want you to be there with us in welcoming Daw Suu to Dublin. We are very happy to announce that more €75 tickets have gone on sale today! Head over to
Ticketmaster to pick them up [
Buy tickets].
If you enter your email below, we’ll keep you updated as things develop and this special evening approaches.
THE LINE-UP
BONO
LUPE FIASCO
VANESSA REDGRAVE
BOB GELDOF
ANGELIQUE KIDJO
DAMIEN RICE
RIVERDANCE
JACK GLEESON
YUNGCHEN LHAMO
SARAH NEMTANU
VYVIENNE LONG
ROMAIN DESCHARMES
DECLAN O'ROURKE
NAZANIN AFSHIN-JAM
DONAL LUNNY
MARTIN HAYES
WU'ER KAIXI
DUBLIN GOSPEL CHOIR
KHIN THANT HAN
THE CAUSES
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights to be respected and protected.
From humble beginning, Amnesty celebrated it’s fiftieth anniversary last year and today has over three million members and supporters. It is a self-governing movement, independent of any political or social interest groups, and is funded almost entirely by its worldwide membership and public donations. Please visit
www.amnesty.org to find out how you can help Amnesty realize it’s vision of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .
DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI TRUST FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi always believed that the many accolades she has received were a recognition not so much of her own commitment to democracy and human rights, but of the struggle of the Burmese people as a whole. She was determined that she would not profit personally, and set up The Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Trust for Health and Education to receive any money that she was given, notably by the Nobel Peace Prize committee.
Even during her 15 years under house arrest the trust was able to continue its work, mainly via Prospect Burma, to many Burmese around the world. This was to help ensure that future leaders of Burma would come to continue the fight Daw Suu has dedicated her life to.
THE AWARD
The Ambassador of Conscience Award is Amnesty International’s most prestigious human rights honour. It is conferred on individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership in the fight to protect and promote human rights. The award was inspired by a poem written for Amnesty International by Nobel Literature Laureate Seamus Heaney – “From The Republic of Conscience.”
Past recipients of the Award have included Vaclav Havel, Mary Robinson and Nelson Mandela.The award seeks to promote Amnesty International by association with the life, work and example of its “Ambassadors.”
Aung San Suu Kyi was announced as an Ambassador of Conscience by U2 lead singer Bono in July 2009, at a U2 concert in Dublin.
Ref:ElectricBurma
