Aung San Suu Kyi (center) waved to her supporters during her election campaign in March 2012.
What if you couldn’t leave your home for 15 years? That’s what happened to Aung San Suu Kyi (AWNG SAHN SOO CHEE), a political leader in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar. She was first put under house arrest in 1989 because of her political beliefs. After a more than 20-year struggle for democracy, Myanmar’s government agreed to hold elections. Amazingly, after years of house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi was elected to Myanmar’s Parliament in April 2012.
The 2012 election was important for Myanmar. In 1989, the military took over the government and controlled the country for more than 20 years. During the military’s rule, Aung San Suu Kyi was a leader of the opposition party, the National League for Democracy. She supported democracy and spoke out against the military leaders. Inspired by Mohandas Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she supported peaceful protests and gave speeches that united many people. She was put under house arrest many times. Still, she continued to protest the government. Over time, she became a symbol for democracy in Myanmar. In 1991, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work.
At times when Aung San Suu Kyi was not under house arrest, she was urged to leave the country for her own safety. However, she refused to go until other political prisoners were freed and Myanmar had a government elected by the people. She also knew that if she left Myanmar, she would not be allowed to return.
In 2010, Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest for the last time. In January 2012, she decided to run for office. She and other members of the National League for Democracy won almost every available seat in Myanmar’s Parliament. Aung San Suu Kyi has gone from political prisoner to Parliament representative!
Image credit: ©REUTERS/Staff
Related Link
- BBC News – Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi
Learn more about the life and work of Aung San Suu Kyi.
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