Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi AC born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma. During the military control of Myanmar, she was a noted prisoner of conscience and advocate of nonviolent aung-san-suuresistance. For many years (1989-2010) she was held under house arrest. However, on her release, she led the National League for Democracy and serves as the first and incumbent State Counsellor, a position akin to a Prime Minister. From 2016, she has come under international criticism for failing to stem the persecution of the Rohingya people in Rakhine State on the border with Malaysia.

Aung San Suu Kyi was born on 19 June 1945 in Rangoon (then British Burma). She is the third child in her family. Her name is derived from three relatives; “Aung San” from her father, “Kyi” from her mother and “Suu” from her grandmother. Her father, Aung San, was instrumental in negotiating independence from Britain in 1947. He also founded the Burmese army and was assassinated by political rivals in late 1947.

Suu Kyi studied at primary schools in Rangoon, before studying in India (graduating from New Delhi University, 1964) and St Hugh’s College, Oxford University (1968). After Oxford University, she worked for the United Nations for three years. In 1972 she married Michael Aris who was living in Bhutan – they had two children.

In 1988 she returned to Burma to visit her ailing mother but became caught up in the 1988 uprising as protests against the Burmese Junta sprang up around the country. Suu Kyi became active in supporting the League for Democracy and soon became promoted to a prominent position in the movement.