AUNG SAN SUU KYI

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Birman politician woman. She is a symbol of the nonviolent opposition to the military dictatorship of her country.

 

She is the daughter of the general Aung San, who negociated for the independence of Burma. But in 1947, he was overthrown and executed by rivals.

In 1972, Aung San Suu Kyi married a British professor, met during her studies in Oxford. She had two children with him.

15 years later, she returned in Burma because her mother was sick. The general Ne Win lost gradually the control of Burma. A lot of protest marches for democracy were organized all over the country. Aung San Suu Kyi became the leader of the intellectual protestation and founded the NLD, the national league for democracy.

On 20 july 1989, she was arrested by the military government who offered her freedom if she accepted to go back to the UK. She refused. Later, she was placed in house arrest.

In 1990, the Birman junta*, under the popular pression, organized free elections won by the NLD. However, the military government didn't respect and cancelled the election result. That provoked indignation of the international community.

*junta : authoritarian militar government.

Meanwhile, her husband was active to promote Birman people's fight.

One year later Aung San Suu Kyi won The Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1999, her husband was seriously sick but Aung San Suu Kyi knew that if she came back to England she would not be allowed to return to Burma.

So she decided to stay in Burma to continue her fight.

She never saw again her husband before his death.

Today, Aung San Suu Kyi is free and she is the chief administrative officer of her political party : the National League for Democracy.

The film The Lady  by Luc Besson recounts the life of Aung San Suu Kyi. I found this film interesting and captivating.

Questions:

What is the name of her political party?

What was her husband's job?

 

 

by Garance Leverrier