#Performances
#About the event
Duration: 60 minutes
These two extraordinary memoirs explore the realities of political dissidence and the sacrifices we make in the pursuit of freedom. Imprisoned for six years by the Burmese military, Ma Thida’s extraordinary account of her life as an activist in a totalitarian regime is a call to courage; Sean Turnell’s story of surviving 650 days in Myanmar’s notorious Insein Prison on trumped-up charges of being a spy is a testament to the indomitable nature of the human spirit.
Supported by PEN Sydney
#Artists
Ma Thida
Ma Thida is a Burmese human rights activist, surgeon, writer, and former prisoner of conscience. She was arrested and spent six years in Insein prison in the late 1990s but was released after extensive international pressure. She has published twenty six books, including her prison memoir Prisoner of Conscience: My Steps Through Insein available in English. She is currently living in exile in Germany. She is the Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison committee and received some international acclaimed awards including the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award.
Sean Turnell
Sean Turnell is Honorary Professor of Economics at Macquarie University. In 2009 he published an influential book on Myanmar’s financial system, Fiery Dragons, which made him an internationally recognised expert on the subject and one of Aung San Suu Kyi’s most trusted advisers. He was arrested in Myanmar in 2021 following a military coup and imprisoned for 650 days.
Sean lives in Sydney with his wife, Ha Vu, who campaigned tirelessly for his release.
Ian Kemish
Ian Kemish is a former senior Australian diplomat who served as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Germany, an international adviser to the Prime Minister, and Head of the consular service in a career that spanned twenty-five years. He was awarded membership of the Order of Australia for his leadership of Australia’s response to the 2002 Bali bombings. Ian is an adjunct Professor in history at the University of Queensland, and is also actively engaged in the international development and not-for-profit sectors. He writes regularly on international issues. The Consul, published by UQP in 2022, is his first book.
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