HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
photocredit: David Moir/Reuters
Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in the UK last night from the Republic of Ireland, where she met the president, Michael D Higgins, and U2 singer Bono, who presented her with Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience award. Accepting her award at the Electric Burma concert at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, she said she had found the whole experience “totally unexpected”. After more than 20 years of house arrest Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was final able to travel to Dublin to receive Amnesty Internationals highest honour, the Ambassador of Conscience Award. She later addressed the crowds who came to enjoy the occasion.
Aung Sang Suu Kyi told the audience they had “given her the strength to carry on.”
video courtesy of Amnesty International
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Earlier this week Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. The journey is her first in Europe since 1988, when she left her husband and two young sons in England to visit her ill mother in Myanmar and became the focal point for the nascent democracy movement. After a year that has seen sweeping changes in Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi pledged to work for national reconciliation but also pointed to remaining political prisoners and continued ethnic strife in her country.
A brief profile of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
- 1945: Born in Rangoon to independence leader Aung San and Khin Kyi, a nurse
- 1947: Her father is assassinated
- 1964-67: Studies at Oxford University, where she meets future husband Michael Aris
- 1972: Marries Aris, with whom she has two sons
- 1988: Returns to Rangoon and co-founds the National League for Democracy (NLD) after the army seizes power in Burma
- 1989: Put under house arrest as Burma junta declares martial law
- 1990: NLD wins election; military disregards result
- 1991: Wins Nobel Peace Prize
- 1995: Released from house arrest, but movements restricted
- 2000-02: Second period of house arrest
- May 2003: Detained after clash between NLD and junta forces
- Sep 2003: Allowed home after medical treatment, but under effective house arrest
- May 2007: House arrest is extended for another year
- Sept 2007: First public appearance since 2003, greeting protesting Buddhist monks
- May 2008: House arrest extended for another year
- May 2009: Charged with breaking detention rules after an American swims to her compound
- August 2009: Sentenced to 18 months further house arrest
- November 2010: Released from house arrest
- April 2012: Stands for parliament for first time
- Facts from the BBC news
Today, her 67th birthday, Aung San Suu Kyi visited the LSE, gave a speech in Oxford and met the DJ Dave Lee Travis whose programme on the World Service helped to sustain her during her first period of confinement between 1989 and 1995. In the days to come she is to meet politicians and royalty and address Parliament. I do hope that those various people listen very carefully to what she has to say. This is a brave, determined and gutsy lady with grace, charm and charisma – surely we can all learn from her. I, for one, feel grateful that she has agreed to visit this country and hope that she is greeted with the joy and acclaim she deserves.
Added 20/06/2012:
Here is a lovely photo gallery from The Telegraph of Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit to London
An article in The Oxford Times about her return to that city
Article and photos in Reuters UK about her reunion with old neighbours
Wednesday — Receiving her honorary doctorate from Oxford
photocredit:Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
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Thursday — Addresses both Houses of Parliament
photocredit: Huffington Post UK . Sang Tan/PA Wire
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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s web pages with many videos of her recent speeches
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Hear hear!