Free from fear, she spoke and stood
Up to Burma’s military junta,
But failed in her efforts for democracy and peace,
Thwarted by corruption and military hatred.
If Peace could be brought there, one would
Have to compromise and also release
This woman – whose crimes were, well, to bate
Greedy fascists, sit silent, watching
Destruction, death and decay embrace
A once democratic, proud east Asian nation:
Her trumped-up ‘case’ and ‘house arrest’
A badge of honour, and her crest.
She accepted the Prize for her countrymen, battered,
Driven from their lands, imprisoned and tortured.
June Edvenson 