Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi (1945- ) is the pro-democracy opposition leader in Burma. She first became involved with the pro-democracy movement in 1989, when she returned from Great Britain to take care of her ailing mother. Since 1988, she was put under house arrest by the military for almost 14 years after founding the National League for Democracy, which won an overwhelming victory in the 1990 general elections. She is a recipient of several awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize with $1.3 million in prize money which she used to establish a health and education trust for the Burmese people.

Early life

Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945, in the former capital city of Rangoon, as third child of General Aung San and Daw Ma Khin Kyi. She was named "Aung San" after her father, "Kyi" for her mother, and with "Suu" of her grandmother, which is also the day of week of birth.

Her father was an important figure in Burmese history who led the country's struggle for independence and founded the modern Burmese army. He initially sought help from Imperial Japan to organize military resistance against the British colonial rule, which was followed by the Japanese occupation of Rangoon and the declaration of Burma's independence. But, as he was skeptical of the Japanese intentions regarding Burma and their chance of winning the war, Aung San later established contact with the British authorities in India and staged a revolt on March 27, 1945. In September 1946, General Aung San was appointed the deputy chairman of the Executive Council of Burma by the British and in effect became Burma's first prime minister. was assassinated by a group of paramilitaries on July 19, 1947, when Suu Kyi was just 2 years old.