20.05.2007
Aung San Suu Kyi: The Jasmine or the Moon
_ review of Thierry Falise’s book, by Raluca Enescu
“Aung San Suu Kyi - the Jasmine or the Moon”, by the Belgian writer Thierry Falise is one of the newest –and also, I would say, one of the most comprehensive biographies of Aung San Suu Kyi that have been published lately.
It is a premiere among campaigners for Burma in French-speaking countries, as it is the first biography of Aung San Suu Kyi written in French.
The
author, Thierry Falise, whom I have interviewed in a previous edition of the
Burma Digest (see here) is a Belgian
journalist currently living in Thailand and a collaborator of projects led by
organizations such as SOS International or CARE. He has, so far, published both
articles and photos in prestigious international publications such as Le Figaro,
Die Welt, Suday Times or Newsweek USA.
He has covered South-East Asia and beyond since the mid-eighties, both features and news reporting, as a correspondent for Gamma photo agency and, later, for Bangkok-based Onasia photography agency. In 2003, TV colleague Vincent Reynaud and Falise were arrested in Laos after completing a forbidden story on a Hmong minority waiting for the return of its former American ally. Sentenced to 15 years of prison, the two reporters were released after five weeks in jail thanks to an international solidarity campaign.
“The jasmine or the moon”, his biography of Aung San Suu Kyi is mostly based on a large number of interviews with people who knew her, but as well on news and reports. It is a book made up out of details and memories, pointing out the important moments of Suu Kyi’s life –as well as of Burma’s recent history- through anecdotes, conversations often unedited and short fragments of stories_ Thierry Falise shows, in the book, a great talent of choosing significant details and remarking the moment. “The jasmine or the moon” does not remain only a book about Aung San Suu Kyi_ it is a book about the people of Burma, about their hopes, their dreams, their everyday life. Actually, the book is dedicated “to all the people of Burma, in hope they’d be eventually able to choose their own destiny”.
For example, this little story has been mentioned by Thierry Falise in the last chapter of the book:
“In 2005, a publicity panel advertising an energizing drink is displayed on the streets of Rangoon. It shows four men pulling a rope from one side, while the other side is held by one woman, remaining firm on her position despite the men’s efforts. In a few days, the original message of the advertising has been forgotten and replaced with a lot less commercial interpretation . “It represents Aung San Suu Kyi and the generals”, people have murmured. Very soon, the panels in question have been removed by military authorities.”
Nothing escapes the attentive observation of Thierry Falise; from stories and memories of Aung San Suu Kyi’s childhood to people’s adoration of her father; from the tense diplomatic relationships between her, the junta and UN rapporteurs such as Ismail Razali, to ordinary people putting their hopes in her actions; from the obstacles that foreign journalists wanting to talk to her had to face, to her friendship with a young Swiss rock singer.
The book is a homage to Aung San Suu Kyi, which Falise considers to be “one of the most powerful symbols of the fight against oppression everywhere”, nevertheless remaining impressively objective. It does not forget to mention, as well, not only notable figures such as Min Ko Naing or U Tin Oo, but also the “great forgotten”, anonymous 8888 martyrs and political prisoners. In a way, I would say that “The jasmine or the moon” is about everything: each chapter takes up a different issue and a new point of view.
There are two major plans, which intersect in each chapter: one is the actual biography-the other-one consists of a few lines before each chapter, describing a moment that would occur during a normal day in Suu Kyi’s life under house arrest. Images and details described with sensitivity, bringing back memories. “The jasmine or the moon” is a book written with sincerity, with understanding, empathy and with a great deal of sense of humor.
It also features an impressive foreword by actress and singer Jane Birkin, herself an activist for democracy and human rights in Burma and a participator to Thierry Falise’s campaign “90 days to free Aung San Suu Kyi”
“The jasmine or the moon” is a book I strongly recommend to anyone attempting to understand the struggle for democracy in Burma.
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