Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi was born on the 19th June, 1945 in Rangoon, and was educated at a Methodist English high school, which is now creatively known as basic education high school no. 1, Dragon, and Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, from which she graduated in 1964 She then gained a degree from St. Hugh's college, Oxford, in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, in 1969. She also worked with the UN for three years, and gained a PHD in Oriental and African studies from the University of London in 1988. Her parents were both politically active, with her father negotiating independence from the british in 1945, and her mother became Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960.

Aung San Suu Kyi's political career started in 1988 when she returned to Burma to look after her ill mother, and she made a speech to half a million people at a mass rally on the 26th August, just after the 8888 uprisings (because general Ne Win stepped down) , about Burma's need for a democratic government. On the 24th September, the National Leauge for democracy (NDL) was formed, and Aung San Suu Kyi was general secretary. She was put under house arrest on the 20th July 1989, and refused to leave the country in exchange for freedom. This house arrest lasted until the 10th July 1995. Aung San Suu Kyi has been influenced by Gandhi's concept of Satyaragha, or non-violence, and many Bhuddist concepts.

In 1990 the Junta ran a general election, in which the NLD won 59% of the votes, however the Junta refused to give up power and the party was refused office. This caused international outcry, and led to Suu Kyi being given the Sakharov prize in 1990 and the Nobel peace prize in 1991.

On the 9th November 1996, Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD members were attacked while driving through Rangoon. The attackers were thought to be members of the Union Solidarity Development Association, and an official complaint was filed with the government, however no action was ever taken.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 15 of the past 20 years, with it being illegally prolonged (both in Burma and Internationally),  on the 28th May 2008 and the 11th August 2009. She was released again on the 13th November 2010, only 5 days after the 2010 elections, where it became apparent the USDP were going to win the elections, despite no official results being released.

She has also been very involved with the UN, with the UN making many failed appeaks to the junta to try and get her released from house arrest

Burma's political system.

Burma is run by an oppresive military government, otherwise known as the junta, which took power in a coup in 1962. After only 14 short years of democracy after gaining indipendance from the UK, General Ne Win seized power on the 2nd March, becoming Prime Minister and chairman of the revolutionary council.

Before seizing power General Ne Win had also stepped in as interim Prime Minister in 1958 when the current prime minister, U Nu, only just survived a vote against his confidence as a leader. Ne Win restored order to Burma and reliquished his power in 1960 when U Nu won the election.

In 1990 an election which was held, which was won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party, with 59% of the votes, however she was barred from office and instead was put under house arrest, and the junta continued to rule.

This military coup led to Burma becoming a single party socialist state with everything being controlled by the government, and ethnic groups being punished especially. Now the head of state is Than Shwe, although this could all change when the results of the election are released.