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Aung San Suu Kyi

Illustrations by: Amarjeet Malik

Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945 as the daughter of national leader General Aung San (assassinated July 19, 1947) and Daw Khin Kyi. She was educated in Rangoon, Burma until she was 15 years old. In 1960 she accompanied her mother to Delhi, India on her appointment as Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal. Kyi studied politics at Delhi University. She earned a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. She worked abroad for the next several years during which time she was married to Dr. Michael Aris and had two children.

In 1988, while visiting Burma to take care of her sick mother, Aung San Suu Kyi joined the pro-democracy movement which was pressing for political reforms in Burma. On August 26, she addressed a half-million mass rally in front of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon and called for a democratic government.

Later, the military government arrested her and detained her for almost six years. She was released on July 10, 1995. During her detention she was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. She established a health and education trust in support of the Burmese people to use the $1.3 million prize money.

Although currently under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi continues to work for democracy and freedom in Burma.