Aung San Suu Kyi

Politician, diplomat, author

Aung San Suu Kyi is a politician, diplomat, and author from Burma, now known as Myanmar, who has been the leader of the country’s pro-democracy movement for decades. She is best known for her peaceful struggle against the country’s oppressive dictatorships. Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of independent Burma's founder Aung San and his wife Daw Khin Kyi, was initially educated in Burma, moved to India when her father was assassinated in 1947, and almost certainly did her early schooling at the Convent of Jesus and Mary in New Delhi, which she attended with her mother and two sisters. In 1964, she also attended Oxford University in England where she was awarded a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. In 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi formed the National League for Democracy (NLD), a pro-democracy political party, to participate in the country’s liberation from authoritarian rule. Through a series of public speeches, protests, and other forms of peaceful civil disobedience, she mobilized the people of Burma in the struggle against military rule. She was soon detained, but her commitment to peaceful resistance earned her international admiration. In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts, and in 2010 she was released from house arrest and allowed to speak more freely and participate more actively in Burmese politics. Since then she has remained an important and respected figure in the democracy movement, and in 2015 she was elected as the country’s de facto leader. Aung San Suu Kyi has also published her thoughts, struggles, and opinions in several books, including Letters from Burma and Freedom from Fear. In addition to her literary works, she continues to use public speaking to spread a message of non-violent resistance, democracy, and justice for the people of Burma. Her extraordinary commitment to her cause and dedication to peaceful protest has earned her immense admiration from supporters around the globe.