Prisoner of Conscience: My Steps through Insein

From childhood, Ma Thida dreamed of helping others―caring for the sick, sharing information despite censorship, and standing up for people’s rights. To stand against the oppression that had been stifling Myanmar’s progress for decades, she joined Aung San Suu Kyi and the many other activists in the National League for Democracy, campaigning steadfastly despite intimidation, harassment, and worse. Because of her efforts, the regime sent her to Insein Prison, where she faced serious illness and bleak conditions. However, it was in fighting the obstacles of her imprisonment and following the Buddha’s teachings that Ma Thida found what it means to be truly free. In this memoir, readers join Ma Thida on her path through captivity and witness one remarkable woman’s courageous quest for truth and dignity.

Ma Thida is a medical doctor, writer, and human rights activist. She is the founder and elected president of PEN International’s Myanmar Center. In 2016 she was awarded the first "Disturbing the Peace" Award by the Vaclav Havel Libary Foundation.