DW • 4 Aung San Suu Kyi – Voice of Freedom from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi originated from the three relative names; “Aung San” from her father, “Suu” from her paternal grandmother and Kyi from her mother. If we literally translate the meaning of the name, we get “a bright collection of strange victories”. Some people believe that her fate was laid down at the start of her life and her name forecasted the proceedings of her life. Aung San Suu Kyi, born The lady is full of values on June 19, 1945, was the having a Buddhist back- third child in the family. She ground. She believes in had two brothers before her, non-violence following Aung San Lin and Aung San Gandhi’s theory. In 1991, Oo. Aung San Lin drowned The Nobel Peace Prize was at a young age in a lake near awarded to Suu Kyi for her house. Aung San Oo her “non-violent struggle moved to San Diego, Califor- for democracy and human nia, where he possesses US rights”. She would not citizenship. Her father, Aung wear a bulletproof vest San, was a military general because she thought she who commenced the Burma’s was protecting herself Independence but was assas- from the Burmese people. sinated when Suu Kyi was She was put under house only 2 years old. Following arrest for 15 years by the her father’s death, Khin Kyi, military junta but she her mother, became a well- would fight to survive known face in politics. and never back down. She sacrificed seeing her Suu Kyi was educated in husband and her two sons Burma till the age of 15 but because Burma would not then her mother was chosen grant them visa anymore. as an Ambassador to India At that time, Aris was where she continued her diagnosed with prostate studies. The lady pursued her cancer but Military made further education in England. Soon after she Since childhood, Suu Kyi was very active an excuse saying that they do not have the attained her B.A. degree in philosophy, poli- who played many sports. She was a tomboy required facility to care for him. Her love for tics, and economics, she further continued in her school and a bunch of other students her country cannot be described in words. her studies in New York but delayed them in made fun of her but she stood up to the order to work as an Assistant Secretary at the teasers. This showed the courageousness in U.N. Secretariat. her and how self-reliant she is when it comes to trounce a difficult situation. She used to be Suu Kyi left New York and was married to afraid of the dark but faced her fear at the Michael Aris in 1972 who she met in England age of 12 demonstrating a great deal of valor. during her studies at Oxford. Suu Kyi and Aris were gifted with two sons, Alexander and Kim. Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988 in order to care for her sick mother. After her mother died, she declared to help the country gain democracy following her parent’s foots- teps. .