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In Pictures: Cashing in on ‘The Lady’

In Myanmar, a thriving cottage industry has sprung up around the image of pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese opposition politician and chairperson of the National League for Democracy. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1991 for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights, she has become an icon of Myanmar(***)s struggle for democracy.

By Dave Tacon

Published On 20 Dec 2012

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Yangon, Myanmar – Shut out from her people and the world for more than 21 years by the military rulers, Myarnmar’s pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has staged a remarkable comeback.

Since being freed from custody in 2010, Suu Kyi has become omnipresent in a country swept by reforms.

With the military loosening its grip, there is renewed hope in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. And as stifling political restrictions are eased, Suu Kyi has come to embody her countrymen’s collective dreams.

Today, her face greets people from graffiti, posters, tea cups and T-shirts. Suu Kyi merchandise is fast-moving from store shelves.

Stepping out of isolation, “The Lady”, as she is reverentially called by many, finds herself a subject of mass adoration.

Kept under house arrest or in jail for most of the past 21 years, she was released from custody in 2010 and stood as a candidate for parliament the following year. A cottage industry has sprung up around her image.
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Outside the National League of Democracy (NLD) headquarters, vendors earn between 250,000-300,000 kyats ($290-$350) a day selling their merchandise, with profits split between vendors and the NLD.
Keyrings featuring portraits of Suu Kyi and her father, independence hero Bogyoke Aung San, are much in demand outside the NLD headquarters.
Pictures of the woman many refer to simply as "The Lady" are kept and maintained with almost spiritual reverence. Prior to last year(***)s by-elections, displays of the popular Burmese democracy leader(***)s image were banned.
Aung San Suu Kyi visited the US in September, and President Barack Obama became the first serving US president to visit Myanamar in November 2012, trying to strike a balance between praising the government(***)s progress in shaking off military rule and pressing for more reform.
Suu Kyi(***)s presence is felt all over the country, and graffiti of her image is ubiquitous.
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"The Lady," an eloquent speaker, holds an important place in the minds and hearts of her supporters.
Above, a pirated copy of the motion picture "The Lady" for sale on Bogyoke Aung San Road, named after Suu Kyi(***)s father.
Aung San Suu Kyi merchandise is widely available on the streets of Yangon.