Aung San Suu Kyi was born on 19 June 1945 in
Rangoon Following the foot steps of her
father and mother , she decided to serve her country after completing her
education abroad.
Coincidentally, when Aung San Suu Kyi returned to
Burma in 1988, the long-time military leader of Burma and head of the ruling
party, General Ne Win, stepped down.
Mass demonstrations for democracy followed that event on 8 August 1988 which
were violently suppressed in what came to be known as the 8888
Uprising. On 26 August 1988, she addressed half a million people
at a mass rally in front of the Shwedagon Pagoda in the capital, calling
for a democratic government.
Aung San Suu Kyi entered politics to work for democratization, helped found the National
League for Democracy on 27 September 1988, but was put under house arrest on 20 July 1989.
Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for a total of 15 years over a
21-year period, on numerous occasions, since she began her political career during
which time she was prevented from meeting her party supporters and
international visitors.
Although under house arrest, Suu Kyi was granted
permission to leave Burma under the condition that she never return. Rather
than abandon her people, Suu Kyi submitted to house arrest and decided to
sacrifice a life with her husband and her two young sons, in order to stand by
her people: "As a mother, the
greater sacrifice was giving up my sons, but I was always aware of the fact
that others had given up more than me. I never forget that my colleagues who
are in prison suffer not only physically, but mentally for their families who
have no security outside- in the larger prison of Burma under authoritarian
rule." Her loyalty to the people of Burma and her solidarity with
those imprisoned for their pro-democratic acts have earned her deep respect
among the Burmese people.
The media were also prevented from visiting Suu
Kyi.
The Burmese government detained and kept Suu Kyi
imprisoned because it viewed her as someone "likely to undermine the
community peace and stability" of the country.
Ms
Suu Kyi, 65, was freed ON Nov.13, 2010 after her latest period of house arrest
expired and was not renewed by the military government. International leaders
were quick to welcome Ms Suu Kyi's release.
President Obama called Ms Suu Kyi "a hero of
mine".
UK Prime
Minister David Cameron also said the release was "long overdue",
describing her detention had been a "travesty". "Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration for
all of us who believe in freedom of speech, democracy and human rights,"
he added.
-Sahajpreet Singh