Nu Nu Yi: The Writer, the Role Model, and the Bird by Khet Mar

“Long ago, I was surprised and overwhelmed to learn that a well-known writer who I admired also happened to be my neighbor. At that time, I was a teenager who dreamed of becoming a writer, and my early attempts to test my ability were inspired by this writer’s short story, “A Little Sarong,” which I liked very much. This writer’s name is Nu Nu Yi.

In mid-1989 a friend of mine told me, “Nu Nu Yi is your neighbor.” As soon as I heard, I asked him if I could visit her. When I met Nu Nu Yi she was friendly and welcomed me into her home. Of course, I didn’t forget to bring my early attempts at short stories, which she read, giving me her advice and comments in return. Over time, the encouragement that Nu Nu Yi and her husband gave me as a young writer provided the strength and confidence I needed to submit my stories to magazines.

One day Nu Nu Yi asked me to visit her home, so I went there with my friends. I remember that day well. She looked at me seriously and said, “In this country, it is not strange to have any piece of writing censored.” She paused for a few seconds. “If one of your short stories is censored, don’t be upset.””

I Write Just to Be ‘A Good Citizen,’ Says Ma Thida

“During an interrogation session at Rangoon’s Insein Prison in 1995, a military intelligence officer asked a 29-year-old woman sitting in front of him what her political aspirations were.

“To be a good citizen,” a weakened and pale-looking Ma Thida answered without hesitation. She had just fallen seriously ill in the infamous prison, where she was being held for her political activism.

Nearly two decades later, the Burmese writer and former prisoner of conscience said she remains concerned about politics for the same reason: because she wants to be a responsible and active citizen. For Ma Thida this means that one should be aware of what is happening in Burma and help tackle its numerous problems.

“I want to prove I have the ability to work for my country as a citizen. There are many things to do,” she said during an interview with The Irrawaddy. “It may not fit into other people’s definition of politics. But in Burma, everything is politics—environment, education, health, and so on.””

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