Freed democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi tells of her years under house arrest in Burma

Newly freed democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi gave an insight Wednesday into the daily routine and inner strength that enabled her to endure years under house arrest in Burma.

“It wasn’t all that difficult,” she told London’s The Times.

“I was in my own home. What was I going through? I was simply sitting in my house. I’ve never been one for going out a lot. I listened to music. I like sketching a bit and so on. I’m a very indoors sort of person, if you like, so it was no great hardship.”

She expressed surprise at any perception that she had gone through great hardship, comparing her treatment with those of the estimated 2100 other political prisoners in Burma.

“What do you think it would be like for those who have been imprisoned for years and years and years?” she asked.

“I had regular meditation sessions. I had a lot to do. Really. People seem to be surprised. You want to keep your house clean and tidy – you have to spend some time doing that. And then, of course, reading takes up time and listening to the radio took up a lot of hours every day because I didn’t want to miss any of the news about Burma.

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