About 300 people attended the National Concert Hall on Saturday night for a special tribute concert marking the 65th birthday of Burma’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Some of Ireland’s leading music, literary and media personalities - many themselves turning 65 this year - performed songs and recited birthday messages honouring the imprisoned Burmese democratic activist.
Christy Moore, broadcaster Eamon Dunphy and author Deirdre Purcell were among some of the performers at the event, hosted by RTÉ’s Marian Finucane.
Daw Suu Kyi has spent the last 15 years under house arrest because the ruling military junta see her overwhelming popularity as a threat to their regime, said Ms Finucane in her opening address.
Irish musician and activist Keith Donald used Daw Suu Kyi’s symbolic 65th birthday as a theme for the concert when assembling its line-up, which also included the Dublin Gospel Choir, Niall Toner and Fiachra Trench.
“I realised myself and few other people in the Irish music business turn 65 this year and I thought it was horrendous that we had could celebrate our birthdays and Daw Suu Kyi could not.”
Mr Donald said a birthday song composed by Paul Brady called The World is Watching was played on Saturday morning by the BBC World Service, the only radio station which Daw Suu Kyi is permitted to listen.
The Democratic Voice of Burma, a non-profit organisation, travelled from their office in Norway to film the concert, having made arrangements with the Burmese authorities to show the footage to Daw Suu Kyi.
Eamon Dunphy requested Saturday night off from his duties analysing RTÉ’s World Cup coverage because he said the event was of huge importance and he did not want to miss an opportunity to honour Daw Suu Kyi.
Sending his message for the event, Bob Geldof said: “It is not enough to remember Aung San Suu Kyi on her birthday. Her sacrifice demands that we insist she be remembered and acted upon on a daily basis.”
In 1990, while under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi lead the National League for Democracy (NLD) to an overwhelming victory in Burma’s national elections but the result was never recognised by the Burmese military junta.
Some 20 years on, with Daw Suu Kyi still under house arrest, the junta have drafted a new constitution that is designed to entrench military rule, said Eileen Seymour from Burma Action Ireland.
In recent months, Burma’s military rulers promulgated electoral laws that ban Daw Suu Kyi and many others, including key democracy and ethnic leaders, from taking part in elections due later this year.
The National League for Democracy recently dissolved because it didn’t register for the upcoming general elections because they are unwilling to accept the new Constitution and electoral laws drafted in 2008.
“For the people of Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi continues to symbolise their struggle and hope for freedom, peace and democracy,” said Ms Seymour.
Similar concerts celebrating Daw Suu Kyi’s birthday were held in Australia, UK, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Philippines and the US.