Interviews with Wai Wai Nu

But it is sure that we need international support to get real democracy and freedom in Burma.
But that support should be the right support.

Nowadays there are many worries and criticism about international support. Some countries want to do development in Burma. They want to invest in Burma.

I think before doing [any] investment it is very important [that] the people’s rights [to] property are not violated. Other types of support [like] technical or intellectual support are giving us encouragement. Other kinds of support to the people and activists will be very helpful.

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.