She was jailed for nearly seven years (1994–2001) by the Burmese military junta for her "anti-government intentions".
Her books include Alone in the Wind and the Rain, Only a Folding Umbrella, and Prison of Darkness.
She was also accused of "providing information about the human rights situation to the United Nations' Special Rapporteur for Burma".
[2] Amnesty International named her a prisoner of conscience and campaigned for her release.
San San Nweh has won numerous awards for her work, including a PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award in 1995 and a Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France Prize in 1999.