One visit has generated a lot of press ...

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'We Must Help the Most Needy'
Hsat Lin
Irrawaddy    
Thursday, November 18, 2010

RANGOON — A crowd of several thousand people waited in front of a house for HIV/AIDS patients in Ward 18 of South Dagon Township in Rangoon on Wednesday afternoon. Aung San Suu Kyi was scheduled to arrive soon, to visit the 120 patients, in one of her first stops after her release from house arrest.

HIV/AIDS activist Phyu Phyu Thin, who coordinates the HIV/AIDS house as a National League for Democracy project, told the people that Suu Kyi would speak to the people on the street. A ripple of comments ran through the crowd—people in trees, on  roof tops and even on perched on lampposts.

The HIV/AIDS patients in the house were waiting anxiously. Shortly after 2 p.m., the crowd began to stir and people started shouting, “Be well, Aung San Suu Kyi!”

A white sedan had stopped, and she was getting out of the car.  She wore a traditional Burmese dress— a white blouse and a red sarong, with a spray of white roses in her hair. She was jostled among security guards as the crowd pressed in to see her, but she never stopped smiling.

“Stop it! Or she will fall down,” warned a concerned voice in the crowd. “The reporters are out of control too,” said an NLD youth member, referring to 40 to 50 domestic reporters who vied for her attention.

Inside the house, HIV/AIDS patients presented flowers to Suu Kyi and her close, senior colleagues Tin Oo and Win Tin. It looked like some of the patients seemed to forget about their suffering while looking at Suu Kyi, who talked with and encouraged each patient individually.

She asked about the conditions in the house. At one point, she went over to talk to patients who were too sick to stand or sit up.

As she passed out flowers, Suu Kyi said they were the flowers given to her upon her release.

After visiting with the patients, she went outside and launched into a speech to thousands of people waiting for her words.

She talked about exchanging flowers with the patients inside and pointed out how everyone should help each other.

“When I was freed, people gave me flowers,” she said. “I received many more flowers than what I have given out today. I thought that today I could get much in turn by giving back. Try to give others a little but not with any expectation for a return! Try to give with empathy! You may not get anything back, but you will gain much satisfaction.”

Speaking about giving, she said, “I want you to help others who are poorer than you. Many people only  focus on self-interest. But I want you to have the desire to help and work for others. Such desire has to be built up. This is called altruism. I want you to build it up.”

Suu Kyi talked about how she will work to provide more food and medicine donations for the HIV/AIDS patients living in the house.

“First, we will try our best to get as much medicine as we can for the patients here,” she said. “Everybody should give a hand as much as possible.”

A woman next to me said, “She is very smart. She didn't say a word about politics. She only talked about love and altruism. I was about to cry while listening to her.”

Talking directly to the patients, Suu Kyi looked at them and said, “You should be mentally strong. Morale matters. There are many people who want to take care of you. You have to bear in mind that there are many people who value you.”

“Human beings have basic dignity and values. Those are recognized by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. So, don't loose heart! Remember that everybody has value,” said Suu Kyi.

A man in his 30s said, “I have never heard a Suu Kyi speech in my life. It's so good to hear her. We now know what we should be doing.”

Suu Kyi concluded by telling the people why she had come to visit the HIV/AIDS patients on one of her first stops after her release.

“Because they are the people needing the most help,” she said. “We must help the most needy people first. It doesn't mean that I have forgotten others or I don't value them. Those who need more help should be given more. This is a moral value everybody should keep.”

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=20119