Aung San Suu Kyi

Born on June 19th, 1945 in Rangoon, Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the most prominent political figures and advocates for democracy in Myanmar. Suu Kyi is the daughter of national hero General Aung San and senior nurse Ma Khin Kyi. Her father, General Aung San, commanded the Burma Independence Army and led Myanmar on their path to independence before being assassinated in 1947. After the death of Aung San and Khin Kyi’s appointment as Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal, Suu Kyi and her mother moved to New Delhi. There, she attended high school and later received a B.A. from Oxford University in 1967. She moved to New York City after her time at Oxford and worked on a United Nations budgetary committee for three years before settling in the United Kingdom to raise her two sons with her husband, Michael Aris. 

The beginning of her political career was prompted by her return to Myanmar in 1988. Following the resignation of military leader General Ne Win and the appointment of Sein Lein, thousands of Burmese joined in protest in the 8888 Uprising. During this time, Aung San Suu Kyi traveled the country and garnered support for democratization, leading several demonstrations and making several public appearances. On August 28th of 1988, Suu Kyi spoke in front of a crowd of 500,000 promoting democratic reform, sparking the beginning of her public political career. In September of that same year, Suu Kyi and other civil activists founded the National League for Democracy (NLD). While Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for six years, the party won significant support in the 1990 general election held by the Junta government. Despite the military’s rejection of the election results, Suu Kyi and the NLD continued to support movements of civil disobedience and nonviolence against the military government. In 1991, while still in detention, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

From 1989 to 2010, Suu Kyi faced detention by the military government on several occasions. While this prevented her from running for public office, she still was able to support the NLD’s efforts and gather international support for the NLD’s cause. In the 2012 elections, the NLD won 43 out of the 45 contested seats, and Suu Kyi was elected as an MP, leading the opposition in the legislature. In the 2015 elections, the NLD again won sweeping victories, and after holding several high government positions, Suu Kyi assumed the new position of State Counselor and leader of the NLD party. While she serves as a beacon of hope for many, some have criticized her leadership in times of the Rohingya crisis as well as a lack of democratic reforms. 

Despite a parliamentary victory in 2020, the Junta arrested and charged Suu Kyi and other NLD members during the military coup in February 2021. As recently as October of 2022, she was charged with corruption and election fraud, and her prison sentence has been extended to 26 years. Now 77 years old, she is believed to be in solitary confinement in a Myanmar prison. Her imprisonment has sparked outrage within Myanmar and within the international community, with many calling for her release.