Ma Thida (Burmese: မသီတာ; MLCTS: ma. si ta; born c. 1966) is a Burmese surgeon, writer, human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience.[1] She has published under the pseudonym Suragamika which means "brave traveler". In Myanmar, Thida is best known as a leading intellectual, whose books deal with the country's political situation.[1] She has worked as an editor at a Burmese monthly youth magazine and a weekly newspaper.[1] She has been a surgeon at Muslim Free Hospital, which provides free services to the poor.[2]
Ma Thida studied medicine in the early 1980s earning a degree in surgery, and also took up writing at a young age.[1] She said, "I wanted to become a writer because I want to share what I observe around me, like poverty."[1] Her interest in health care developed after falling ill as a child.[1]
In October 1993, she was sentenced to 20 years in Insein Prison for "endangering public peace, having contact with illegal organisations, and distributing unlawful literature."[2] In fact, she was actively supporting Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate and founder of the main opposition party in Burma.[3] She served nearly six years in unhealthy, mostly solitary conditions. She contracted tuberculosis without adequate access to medical care.[4] During this time she was awarded several international human rights awards, including the Reebok Human Rights Award (1996) and the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award (1996).[1] Ma Thida said, "Were it not for vipassana (Buddhist meditation), I would not have overcome the untold hardships I faced in prison."[1] In 1999, she was released on "humanitarian grounds" after serving five years, six months and six days.[2] She was released due to declining health, increasing political pressure and the efforts of human rights organizations like Amnesty International and PEN International.[3] Later she chaired the Pen Myanmar.[5] In 1996 she received the award of year's PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write but she was still in prison until 1999.[6]
From 2008 to 2010, she lived in the US as an International Writers Project Fellow at Brown University and a Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University.[1]
Her first book was The Sunflower, which was only released in Burma in 1999, as it was banned upon international release in the early 1990s.[1] The book argues that the Burmese people have high expectations of democracy icon Suu Kyi that made her "a prisoner of applause."[1]The Roadmap (2012) is a fictional story based on events in Burmese politics from 1988 to 2009.[1] The Myanmar-language book Sanchaung, Insein, Harvard is a memoir, as the title suggests, about her early life in Sanchaung, imprisonment in Insein, and time in the United States.[4]
In the month of July 2016, the English translation of her prison memoir "Sanchaung, Insein, Harvard" was published worldwide with the title of "Prisoner of Conscience: My Steps through Insein" by Silkworm, publishing house in Thailand.[7]
She was honored with the 2016 'Disturbing the Peace' award given by the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation, for her humanitarian values and for having suffered unjust persecution for her beliefs.[8] In 2016, she was elected to the board of PEN International at 82nd PEN International Congress held in Galician, Spain.[9]
Worksedit
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2013)
The Sunflower (1999)
In the Shade of an Indian Almond Tree (1999)
Sweet and spicy honey mud (1999)
Insight of colorful lights and beyond esthetic border (1999)
One, Zero and Ten for Teens (2003)
Message to Teen (2011)
Translation of Japanese Women's Poems (2011)
The Roadmap (2011)
Sanchaung, Insein, Harvard (2012)
A Letter for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (2013)
The imperishable dictum (2014)
Brown to Crimson, a personal memoir of experience of Brown University and Radcliff fellowship of Harvard University (2014)[10]
What is independent citizen's spirit?, editorials from the Myanmar Independent news journals (2014)
Youths who dare to live and compete, articles about youths all over the words who have some difficulties or disabilities but be capable of extraordinary works (2014)
Nothing to lose but your life (Translation Work @ 2015)
From Selfishness to Leaving from Fear, compilation of short stories, collection of 53 short stories (2015)
Sunflower second edition (2015)
Prisoner of Conscience: My Steps through Insein (Prison Memoir @ 2016)
Writing of Ma Thida (2016)
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghijklKyaw Phyo Tha (January 5, 2013). "I Write Just to Be 'A Good Citizen,' Says Ma Thida". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
^ abcMita Kapur (February 27, 2010). "I write from my heart". The Hindu. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
^ abChristopher Baker (September 26, 2008). "Thida: Imprisonment a temporary death". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
^ abZon Pann Pwint (November 19, 2012). "Author tells of health problems, inhumane prison conditions". The Myanmar Times. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
^"Dr. Ma Thida". International Festival of Authors. 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
^"'Prisoner of Conscience : My steps Through Insein' launches in English". The Myanmar Times. August 25, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
^"VACLAV HAVEL LIBRARY FOUNDATION NAMES BURMESE WRITER MA THIDA WINNER OF 'DISTURBING THE PEACE' AWARD – The Vaclav Havel Library Foundation". Retrieved July 29, 2019.
^Rocca, A. della (October 5, 2016). "PEN Club Trieste: 82° CONGRESSO DEL PEN INTERNATIONAL A OURENSE - SPAGNA". PEN Club Trieste. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
^"Ma Thida | Integrity 20". Retrieved July 29, 2019.
thida, this, burmese, name, given, name, there, family, name, burmese, မသ, mlcts, born, 1966, burmese, surgeon, writer, human, rights, activist, former, prisoner, conscience, published, under, pseudonym, suragamika, which, means, brave, traveler, myanmar, thid. In this Burmese name the given name is Ma Thida There is no family name Ma Thida Burmese မသ တ MLCTS ma si ta born c 1966 is a Burmese surgeon writer human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience 1 She has published under the pseudonym Suragamika which means brave traveler In Myanmar Thida is best known as a leading intellectual whose books deal with the country s political situation 1 She has worked as an editor at a Burmese monthly youth magazine and a weekly newspaper 1 She has been a surgeon at Muslim Free Hospital which provides free services to the poor 2 Ma Thidaမသ တ Ma Thida in 2018Bornc 1966 1966 age 58 MyanmarNationalityBurmeseOccupationsSurgeonwriterhuman rights activistKnown forHuman rights works former Political prisoner Contents 1 Life and works 2 Works 3 References 4 External linksLife and works editMa Thida studied medicine in the early 1980s earning a degree in surgery and also took up writing at a young age 1 She said I wanted to become a writer because I want to share what I observe around me like poverty 1 Her interest in health care developed after falling ill as a child 1 In October 1993 she was sentenced to 20 years in Insein Prison for endangering public peace having contact with illegal organisations and distributing unlawful literature 2 In fact she was actively supporting Aung San Suu Kyi a Nobel laureate and founder of the main opposition party in Burma 3 She served nearly six years in unhealthy mostly solitary conditions She contracted tuberculosis without adequate access to medical care 4 During this time she was awarded several international human rights awards including the Reebok Human Rights Award 1996 and the PEN Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award 1996 1 Ma Thida said Were it not for vipassana Buddhist meditation I would not have overcome the untold hardships I faced in prison 1 In 1999 she was released on humanitarian grounds after serving five years six months and six days 2 She was released due to declining health increasing political pressure and the efforts of human rights organizations like Amnesty International and PEN International 3 Later she chaired the Pen Myanmar 5 In 1996 she received the award of year s PEN Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write but she was still in prison until 1999 6 From 2008 to 2010 she lived in the US as an International Writers Project Fellow at Brown University and a Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University 1 Her first book was The Sunflower which was only released in Burma in 1999 as it was banned upon international release in the early 1990s 1 The book argues that the Burmese people have high expectations of democracy icon Suu Kyi that made her a prisoner of applause 1 The Roadmap 2012 is a fictional story based on events in Burmese politics from 1988 to 2009 1 The Myanmar language book Sanchaung Insein Harvard is a memoir as the title suggests about her early life in Sanchaung imprisonment in Insein and time in the United States 4 In the month of July 2016 the English translation of her prison memoir Sanchaung Insein Harvard was published worldwide with the title of Prisoner of Conscience My Steps through Insein by Silkworm publishing house in Thailand 7 She was honored with the 2016 Disturbing the Peace award given by the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation for her humanitarian values and for having suffered unjust persecution for her beliefs 8 In 2016 she was elected to the board of PEN International at 82nd PEN International Congress held in Galician Spain 9 Works editThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items January 2013 The Sunflower 1999 In the Shade of an Indian Almond Tree 1999 Sweet and spicy honey mud 1999 Insight of colorful lights and beyond esthetic border 1999 One Zero and Ten for Teens 2003 Message to Teen 2011 Translation of Japanese Women s Poems 2011 The Roadmap 2011 Sanchaung Insein Harvard 2012 A Letter for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 2013 The imperishable dictum 2014 Brown to Crimson a personal memoir of experience of Brown University and Radcliff fellowship of Harvard University 2014 10 What is independent citizen s spirit editorials from the Myanmar Independent news journals 2014 Youths who dare to live and compete articles about youths all over the words who have some difficulties or disabilities but be capable of extraordinary works 2014 Nothing to lose but your life Translation Work 2015 From Selfishness to Leaving from Fear compilation of short stories collection of 53 short stories 2015 Sunflower second edition 2015 Prisoner of Conscience My Steps through Insein Prison Memoir 2016 Writing of Ma Thida 2016 References edit a b c d e f g h i j k l Kyaw Phyo Tha January 5 2013 I Write Just to Be A Good Citizen Says Ma Thida The Irrawaddy Retrieved January 8 2013 a b c Mita Kapur February 27 2010 I write from my heart The Hindu Archived from the original on February 16 2013 Retrieved January 10 2013 a b Christopher Baker September 26 2008 Thida Imprisonment a temporary death Brown Daily Herald Retrieved January 9 2013 a b Zon Pann Pwint November 19 2012 Author tells of health problems inhumane prison conditions The Myanmar Times Retrieved January 9 2013 Dr Ma Thida International Festival of Authors 2015 Retrieved August 13 2015 STATUS RELEASED Prisoner of Conscience My steps Through Insein launches in English The Myanmar Times August 25 2016 Retrieved July 29 2019 VACLAV HAVEL LIBRARY FOUNDATION NAMES BURMESE WRITER MA THIDA WINNER OF DISTURBING THE PEACE AWARD The Vaclav Havel Library Foundation Retrieved July 29 2019 Rocca A della October 5 2016 PEN Club Trieste 82 CONGRESSO DEL PEN INTERNATIONAL A OURENSE SPAGNA PEN Club Trieste Retrieved July 29 2019 Ma Thida Integrity 20 Retrieved July 29 2019 External links editMa Thida at Amnesty International Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ma Thida amp oldid 1210448008, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
