Ludu Daw Amar has died
international |
arts and media |
other press 
Wednesday April 09, 2008 14:24
by Obit
Brief Obit .
Ludu Daw Amar has died .
Her name means 'Of the people', she was a publisher who published a pro-independence
Political Journal entitled the Ludu Daily news in the 1940s.
The journal was suppressed eventually by government censors, but she continued to criticise
the Burma/Myanmar Junta until near her death. Aung San Suu Kyi had flowers laid
at her graveside- in Memoriam.
Ludo published on Women's Issues and culture.
The Ludu Press became an ethical symbol for the people of Burma/Myanmar.
This Obit is largely taken from AFP, but the importance of the Independent Press to
Civil Society and Cultural Groups cannot be underestimated. Independent publishers
gave us the books and political thought that form the foundations of Political and
Cultural movement. Be it the small press and bookshop concerns who will not
bow to the huge multis who are filling our shops with airport type novel material,
or undercutting independent press poetry publishers... and contracting multi-lingual
artists (thus starving the independent press of essential revenues)
Ludu was described as a 'progressive woman' in Myanmar where women just did
not write articles, translate or have a political Voice.
I am adding in here the website of Aung San Suu Kyi:
http://www.dassk.com
There are many small literary publishing sites and concerns, as many as there are
independent bookshop and media sites. Continued support ensure their survival.
Interestingly there is also a move on amongst writers organsiations to ensure material
translations are translator and artist led and not just fodder for Internet dissemination:
To feed mass industry. Collaborative translations and online use of open software
docs ensure that the materials are faithfully transmitted.
RIP Ludu Daw Amar.
