Burma opposition leader and now a member of that nation's fledgling

parliament, Aung San Suu Kyi, accepts the Congressional Gold Medal,

one of America's highest civilian awards, at the Capitol Rotunda, Sept.

19. A heroine by any definition, is criticism also due 'The Lady'?

Aung San Suu Kyi: 'The Lady is No Saint' (Financial Times Deutschland, Germany)

"Abroad she is received as a heroine of superhuman stature on a par with Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi. Although she has expressed strong objections, the world treats her like a saint. ... And even if it almost sounds like blasphemy: this she is not. The reverence that Suu Kyi is regarded with obscures her weaknesses. It hampers the analysis of her political mistakes and shortcomings."

By Georg Fahrion

Translated By Stephanie Martin

September 21, 2012

Germany - Financial Times Deutschland - Original Article (German)

Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at Queens Colege in New York to a hero's welcome: Is the time for unmitigated reverence over? BBC VIDEO NEWS, U.K.: Burmese parliament speaker says 'reform process irreversible', Sept. 27, 00:02:09

We need not wait for the pictures of this trip to visualize them: Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama listening reverently. An emotional first lady Michelle. The representatives bursting into applause as the speaker presents the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award of the U.S. Congress. At the center of it all stands a woman whose 67 years have done nothing to diminish her charm and beauty, with flowers in her hair and a quick-witted humor formed by her university years at Oxford: Burmese Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is traveling across America on a kind of victory tour.

"Mother Suu," as the people of her homeland affectionately call her, endured a long period of suffering. She stubbornly defied the generals who subjugated Myanmar for five decades. For fifteen years, Suu Kyi waited under house arrest. Even when her beloved husband was dying of cancer in Britain, she didn't leave Myanmar to be at his side - so great was her fear that the military would deny her reentry, separating her from her people.

In Spring 2011, the military government gave way to an outwardly civilian one that began opening up the country. Since then, "The Lady" is reaping the reward for her suffering. The people of Myanmar show her their gratitude with a tempestuous love for someone who was their light during years of darkness. Abroad she is received as a heroine of superhuman stature on a par with Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi. Although she has expressed strong objections, the world treats her like a saint.

Although it sounds almost like blasphemy: this she is not. The reverence that Suu Kyi is regarded with obscures her weaknesses. It hampers the analysis of her political mistakes and shortcomings, and it makes it almost impossible to admit that even The Lady can - and should - be subjected to criticism. To start with, she is stubborn, and others would say that she holds a grudge. "She begrudges the government anything," says a diplomat stationed in Rangoon. That may be understandable since the cabinet remains full of ex-military personnel. But an unsuccessful government is hardly in the interest of the country. For instance, Suu Kyi long resisted the suspension of Western sanctions, although they cause suffering among the people. This was her trump card against the generals.