43-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi in 1988 |
One Person's Response
In 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi helped form the National League for Democracy party (NLD) which used nonviolence and civil disobedience in its campaign for democratic government in Myanmar. She faced harassment, arrest, and death. Once, she walked directly toward rifles soldiers were aiming at her. In 1989, she was placed under house arrest. She was neither charged nor tried.
In 1991, Dr. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for trying to bring democracy to Myanmar. Her children accepted the prize for her because she was unwilling to accept an offer of freedom in exchange for her withdrawal from Burmese politics. Though the government-controlled media continued to denounce her, she remained a popular and important figure, representing hope for an end to military repression to the Myanmar people.
Sources: Nobel Peace Prize, Aung San Suu Kyi
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html
BBC News Profile, Aung San Suu Kyi
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1950505.stm |
