When I was in prison, my supporters wanted to publicize my case to build pressure for my release. But in authoritarian regimes they also target the families. They do it until the family says: “Please don’t do this. Our lives would also be in danger if you do.” This is especially true for women who are separated from their children.
For International Women’s Day on March 8, the wochen becomes feminis. While the rights of women, trans, intersex and non-binary people worldwide are attacked and rolled back, the issue asks what can help against powerlessness and bewilderment. Our answer: solidarity. On 52 pages, feminis shows how solidarity is lived both on large and small scales. Also on .de the topic will be covered for four days. You can read the full editorial here.
Also to process experiences in detention or when they have to go into exile, women need a different kind of support. The younger the children are, the less they can accompany them. In programs like “writers in exile” we invite everyone, and many women bring their children. Men usually come alone.
For everyone, legal assistance is needed, help from authorities for visas, and of course money. This also applies to families. For us writers it is especially hard. Writing helps me heal what I experienced. But when we writers must leave our country, we also lose our audience. Therefore translating our works is so important.
I could and can clearly feel an international feminist solidarity. While I was in detention, women wrote wishes to me for my birthday. A group even wanted to bring me a birthday cake. But the police prohibited it. I only learned of the wishes when I was released. But it is also true that the people who tortured me were also women.
In prison there were also female guards. There was no solidarity with me from them. They followed all orders of the military regime. For example: In prison I contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and weighed only around 40 kilograms. But my prison doctor wanted me to give her money for the treatment. I did not do that. When my condition worsened, I declared a hunger strike. Later I received treatment—from a prison doctor.
Humanity is, for me, the most important issue. I wanted and I want to change my country and I will not give up.
Ma Thida comes from Myanmar, is a doctor and writer. In 1999, the political prisoner was released on humanitarian grounds after more than five years in detention in Insein Prison. She is the chair of the Committee for Writers in Prison at PEN International.
Protokoll: Tanja Tricarico
