Human rights activist Wai Wai Nu, who spent seven years as a political prisoner, will speak at UofL Sept. 16 about ethnic violence in Myanmar.
Nu’s talk, “Myanmar’s Political Crisis: Buddhist Nationalism and Ethnic Violence,” will be the UofL Center for Asian Democracy’s annual lecture on Asian democracy.
Her talk will begin at 7 p.m. in the Brown & Williamson Club at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, 2800 S. Floyd St. Guests should enter through Gate 6. Nu’s talk and reception afterward are free and public.
Arrested as a teenager because of her father’s activism, Nu was released in 2012 under presidential amnesty for political prisoners. She now advocates for the country’s women and for ethnic minorities, including her fellow Rohingya Muslims who are denied citizenship. Thousands attempted to migrate earlier this year to other Southeast Asian countries; many died in the boat crossings and in suspected acts of violence.
Nu is founder and director of Women Peace Network Arakan and co-founder of Justice for Women. Through those organizations she leads women’s empowerment and rights trainings, peace-building activities and basic legal education sessions. She recently earned her law degree and participated last year in the Liberty and Leadership Forum at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
For more information, contact Amanda LeDuke, 502-494-2668 (cell) or Amanda.leduke@louisville.edu, or check https://louisville.edu/asiandemocracy
