Part of what is great about the courageous Aung San Suu Kyi is that she makes us ponder not only the injustice of life in Burma, but other injustices closer at hand.
Many of us are enjoying numerous freedoms which are at the direct or indirect expense of young children. The liberation brought by mobiles, smart phones and music players is paid for, in part, by the babies who are being pushed around the pavements, parks and shops by adults whose ears are plugged with earphones. Strapped into place, stuck in a forward-facing position, these children have no hope of gaining anyone's attention. They must live in a state of isolation while the adults enjoy the connectedness of their mobile and social networking on the go.
Likewise, a type of freedom for adults comes from being able to wander round a supermarket or store, touching things that feel beautiful or smell good to eat, or are packaged and branded in ways that have been made exciting through advertising. How can we expect children to be enticed by adverts shown between their programmes, but to leave the shops empty-handed, without those longed-for products? No wonder so many toddlers and young children lose control of themselves while out shopping, descending into fury or hopeless crying.
For every adult who enjoys the ability to get into a car and travel freely, there may be a child who spends so much time strapped into a car seat that she loses the liberty that comes from being able to crawl, walk and run.
We like to think we care deeply about children, but in so many ways our freedoms are being paid for through the restriction of theirs. How often do we use our liberty to defend and promote the basic rights of the child?