San San Nwehwas awarded the 2001 Golden Pen of Freedom along with U Win Tin, in recognition of their outstanding services to the cause of press freedom in Burma.

At the age of only 15, San San Nweh became correspondent for three national newspapers. Two years later she was the first Burmese woman to receive a complete journalists training. At the time, she was editing several women’s magazines, particularly Gita Pade-tha and Einmet-hpu. Early on in her career as a journalist, San San Nwe started reporting on human rights abuses in Burma.

In 1988, she became politically active in the National League for Democracy (NLD), Burma’s main opposition party led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

On 6 October 1994, San San Nweh was arrested, together with her daughter, and found guilty of "publishing information harmful to the state" with a view to "fomenting disorder". She was sentenced to seven years in jail, the maximum provided by the emergency law, and then to a further three years for "giving biased viewpoints" to French journalists in April 1993. She was also accused of "providing information about the human rights situation to the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur for Burma". San San Nwe suffered various health problems during her time in prison.

After serving seven years of her ten year prison sentence, San San Nweh was released in July 2001 from Insein jail (Rangoon), but has not been allowed to leave Burma.

San San Nweh’s reputation as a writer goes beyond Burma’s borders. Since 1974 she has published a dozen novels, over 500 short stories and about 100 poems. Her books include Alone in the Wind and the Rain, Only a Folding Umbrella, and Prison of Darkness.

UPDATE:

In a telephone interview made with the Democratic Voice of Burma radio station in July 2001, San San Nweh explained that she had to stay vigilant and keep a low profile. "If I make any political errors against the junta, I will go back to prison for three years, with an additional three-year sentence."