Aung San Suu Kyi

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (born June 19, 1945 in Rangoon, now known as Yangon) is a nonviolent pro-democracy activist in Burma, now known as Myanmar. In 1990 the devout Buddhist won the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. In 1991 she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful and non-violent struggle under a repressive military regime.

Political influences

Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Khin Kyi (a prominent Burmese diplomat) and General Aung San, who negotiated Burma's independence from Britain in 1947 and was assassinated by rivals in the same year. She studied at Oxford in the United Kingdom and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. While in England, Aung San Suu Kyi met and married Michael Aris, a scholar of Tibetan culture. They had two sons, Alexander and Kim.

Related Topics:
Aung San - 1947 - Assassinated - Oxford - United Kingdom - School of Oriental and African Studies - University of London - England - Michael Aris - Tibetan

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Suu Kyi returned to Myanmar in 1988 to care for her ailing mother. In that year, the long-time leader of the socialist ruling party, General Ne Win, stepped down, leading to mass demonstrations for democratisation, which were violently suppressed. A new military junta took power.

Related Topics:
1988 - Socialist - Ne Win - Democratisation

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Heavily influenced by Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence, Aung San Suu Kyi entered politics to work for democratisation, helped found the National League for Democracy on September 27, 1988, and was put under house arrest in 1989. She was offered freedom if she would leave the country, but she refused.

Related Topics:
Mohandas Gandhi - National League for Democracy - September 27 - 1988 - House arrest - 1989

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