Interviews with Wai Wai Nu

For me, my inspirations are Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

[Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968) was an American clergyman and civil rights leader. King used nonviolent civil disobedience to press for civil rights for African-Americans. Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician who served as the first post-apartheid President of South Africa from 1994-1999.]

They were very dedicated and they were passionate and motivated. They never gave up. They never gave up for freedom, liberty, and human dignity. That is really my inspiration. And they were really strong to get freedom and dignity. For me sometimes it is very difficult. The regime is very oppressive. It is very difficult to stand, to continue. But for me, to get freedom and justice is… just not giving up and being strong and believing in yourself.

If you are confident enough, if you have a belief in democracy, human rights or liberty or freedom… I hope we can get it, one day.

Wai Wai Nu is a Burmese freedom activist. She’s a former political prisoner and the co-founder of Justice for Women. She is also the founder and director of the Women Peace Network Arakan.

As a teenager, Wai Wai Nu was arrested and imprisoned by the government because of her father’s political activism. During her seven-year incarceration, she reflected frequently on the injustices she experienced as a political prisoner and the general state of freedom in Burma.

Since her release from prison in 2012, Wai Wai Nu has dedicated herself to working for democracy, human rights, and women’s rights. She has worked on behalf of marginalized women and in support of equality and justice for all women in Burma. Through her two organizations, she leads women’s empowerment trainings, women’s rights trainings, basic legal education, and peace-building activities.

Wai Wai Nu recently earned her law degree and is focusing on justice issues for women. She was also a member of the George W. Bush Institute’s inaugural Liberty and Leadership Forum.