Aung San Suu Kyi’s Path to Victory by James Nachtwey
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Path to Victory by James Nachtwey
2 minute read
March 22, 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi departs from a campaign rally in Kawhmu, the district from which she ran for a seat in Parliament. She emerges from the sun roof to shake hands with thousands of well-wishers who lined the road. A staff member holds a parasol to protect her from the sun.James Nachtwey for TIME
Aung San Suu Kyi, once a prisoner, is now a parliamentarian. On April 1, the Nobel Laureate led the National League for Democracy to victory in by-elections hailed as a landmark for Burma. For five decades, the former British colony has languished under military rule, caught in the clutch of a small group of cadres. This was just the third poll since they seized power in 1962 and the first that might plausibly be called free or fair. Suu Kyi’s party swept it, claiming 43 of 44 seats.
For Suu Kyi, who spent much of the last 20 years under house arrest, the win was a stunning reversal. For her followers, it was a revelation. On the streets of Rangoon last week, the joy and relief were palpable. Supporters piled into pickup trucks, honked horns and cheered. A year ago, you could be arrested for clutching a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi. Now, people wave her picture proudly.
James Nachtwey’s photographs from the campaign trail capture this rapturous moment, but hint, too, at challenges to come. Though voters handed a clear victory to the opposition NLD, just a small portion of parliamentary seats were at stake and reports of electoral infractions abound. The military maintains its grip on power. Poverty persists. After 50 years of authoritarian rule, it no doubt will take time for the country to find its footing. For Suu Kyi, and for Burma, there is a long road ahead.
James Nachtwey is a TIME contract photographer. Keep up with his work on his Facebook page.
Emily Rauhala is an Associate Editor at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @emilyrauhala.
March 21, 2012. During the election campaign Aung San Suu Kyi addresses a crowd of supporters at Yuzana Garden City in Dagon South Township.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. Waiting expectantly for the vote count at NLD headquarters, a supporter
holds a party flag, emblazoned with the party symbol of the "Fighting Peacock." James Nachtwey for TIMEMarch 22, 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi departs from a campaign rally in Kawhmu, the district from which she ran for a seat in Parliament. She emerges from the sun roof to shake hands with thousands of well-wishers who lined the road. A staff member holds a parasol to protect her from the sun.James Nachtwey for TIMEMarch 22, 2012. During a campaign speech by Aung San Suu Kyi, children in the audience cheer her words, as a young Buddhist monk stands by.James Nachtwey for TIMEMarch 22, 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi addresses a crowd of supporters from a stage set up in a field in Kawhmu, the district from which she ran for a seat in Parliament. The stage is decorated with a picture of her father, the founder of modern Burma, as well as the party symbol of the "Fighting Peacock."James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. While waiting for the vote count at party headquarters, an NLD supporter holds a poster of The Lady dressed in ethnic tribal clothing. James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. Citizens line up inside a polling station at a school in Myan Kuong district to register for their ballots.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. Citizens fill out their ballots and cast their votes in a school in Myan Kuong district.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. An election official at a polling station in a school in Yuzana Garden City in Dagon South Township decorates her hair with a leaf-filled twig.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. Elderly and handicapped people are assisted by officials at a polling station in a school in Yuzana Garden City, in Dagon South Township.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. Voters look for their names on lists posted outside a polling station in Hlegu.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. Election officials at a polling station in Myan Kuong District are confronted by an angry voter.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. National League for Democracy (NLD) supporters gather at party headquarters after the polls closed on election day to await the results. The vote count is broadcast on a large tv screen above the entrance to the party headquarters. People cheer as each new count is made public.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. During the celebration, an NLD supporter holds up his mobile phone with a picture of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is respectfully and affectionately known as "The Lady" to the Burmese population.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. NLD supporters stay at party headquarters into the night, sometimes awaiting the vote count with suspense.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 1, 2012. A Buddhist monk joins the celebration during the election results broadcast in front of NLD headquarters.James Nachtwey for TIMEApril 2, 2012. The day after the election, Aung San Suu Kyi goes to NLD headquarters for meetings with her staff. Standing on a platform behind the office gates, she addresses the hundreds of foreign and local journalists who had been waiting for her.James Nachtwey for TIME
