Biography of Aung San Suu Kyi
Famous as : Political leader and Freedom Fighter of Myanmar
Born on: 19 June 1945
Born in: Rangoon, Myanmar
Nationality: Myanmar
Works and Achievements
Leader of the National League for Democracy; Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1991)
Aung San Suu Kyi was born on 19 June, 1945 in Rangoon, capital city of Myanmar. Her father Aung San, was the architect of Burma’s independence. Her mother Daw Khin Kyi was working in the External Affairs Ministry and was appointed as Myanmar’s ambassador to India in 1960. Suu Kyi’s father was assassinated when she was barely two years old.
Aung San Suu Kyi completed her basic education at schools in Rangoon and moved to India following her mother’s appointment as Myanmar’s envoy to India in 1960. Suu Kyi continued her studies in India. She graduated from Lady Shir Ram College, New Delhi in 1964. After graduating she went to Oxford University for further studies and completed her BA in philosophy, politics, and economics at St. hung’s Collage, Oxford University in 1967.
In 1969, during her visit to United States for further study, she met United Nations Secretary General U Thant and joined as the Assistant Secretary, Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions. In 1972, Suu Kyi worked as the Research Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bhutan. Same year she married Dr. Michale Aris, a scholar of Tibetan culture, living in Bhutan. The couple had two children, Alexander and Kim. During 1985-86, Suu Kyi studied at the center of Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, as a visiting scholar. Suu Kyi completed her fellowship at the India Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, in 1987.
In 1988 Suu Kyi returned to Myanmar to nurse her ailing mother and plunged into the nationwide uprising for the establishment of democracy. It all happened following the resignation of General Ne Win in 1988. Suu Kyi, in an open letter to the military government asked to establish a rule of the people in Myanmar. On 8 August, 1988, people, raising pro-democracy slogans assembled at the prominent places of the capital. The event led to a mass slaughter carried out by the ruling junta against the uprising throughout the country. The military regime killed over 10,000 over 10,000 demonstrators, including students, women, and children – in a span of months.
In 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi joined the National League for Democracy as its secretary-general. The party was pushing for political reforms in the country. Suu Kyi gave numerous speeches calling for freedom and democracy. In 1989, Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest in the city of Rangoon. The same years, her mother, Daw Khin, passed away.
Unable to maintain its grip on power, even during her detention, the “junta” was forced to call for a general election in 1990. Despite being held under house arrest, the NLD went on to win a staggering 82% of the seats in parliament. But, the junta regime refused to recognize the results. After six years of arrest and confinement Suu Kyi was released in July 1995. The military always offered her to leave the country and settle abroad but Suu Kyi rejected.
After her release Suu Kyi continued the struggle for democracy in Myanmar. This increased her popularity across the world and international political powers were compelled to intervene to resolve the issue. Through the western countries tired to put pressure on the ruling junta by curtailing economic aid, the neighboring countries continued to encourage the commerce. The military rulers increasingly restricted Suu Kyi’s movements during 1996. In My 2002, Suu Kyi was released and the military government indicated that the release was unconditional and Suu Kyi was free to pursue her political activities as leader of the NLD.
While Aung San Suu Kyi was in Burma, Michael Aris died of cancer in London. He petitioned the Burmese authorities to allow him to visit Suu Kyi once last time, but they had rejected him request.
She was agin arrested and placed behind bars in May 2003 after the Depayin massacre, during which up to 100 of her supporters were beaten to death by the regime’s cronies. She moved from prison back into house arrest in late 2003 and has been held there ever since. Owing to the tremendously growing democratic movement inside the country and mounting international pressure, junta government has released her on, November 2010.
The venerated leader has won many national and international awards including Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament in 1990, United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Jawaharlal Nehru Award from India and Rafto Human Rights Prize and was awarded the honorary Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle against the dictatorship in years 1991.