Aung San Suu Kyi:

A Burmese Advocate for Democracy and Human Rights

Stella Psiakis and Rachel Zhang

Group Website
Senior Division

Taking a stand is a broad topic in history. One of our relatives suggested Aung San Suu
Kyi, a Burmese advocate who fought relentlessly for democracy and human rights. We thought it
was an interesting topic to look into because she is considered a modern day Mahatma Gandhi
and Martin Luther King; icons she looks up to. After some beginning research, we came to the
conclusion that Suu Kyis life has been to work towards one goal: to bring Myanmar, known as
Burma until 1989, out of poverty and dictatorship and into democracy.
We were able to gather most of our research from the internet because Suu Kyi is a
modern example of how people take a stand around the world. Some of our most helpful sources
included Suu Kyis Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech from 1991 and Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. The school librarian lent us a book that talked about Suu Kyis life as well as
how she took a stand for freedom. The book also informed us about how the National League for
Democracy (NLD), a league in which she was the leader of, was able to overcome the military
restraints and win the 1990 and 2015 elections.
Throughout our research, we did not encounter many problems. We did not have a
difficult time gathering our information because there are a variety of sources about her, since
she took a stand recently in history. We decided to make a website because it is a current means
of gathering information. There were a few problems producing our website, but they were easily
overcome.
Suu Kyi fits the theme, Taking a Stand in History, because she fought the injustices in her
country, regardless of the consequences. She viewed it as her duty to liberate Burma from the
dictator, U Ne Win, who brought Burma into poverty from 1962 to 1988. Throughout her stand
for democracy, Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest and in jail multiple times. In 1989, she

was placed under house arrest for the first time after a popular uprising that led to thousands of
deaths. The military offered to free her if she left Myanmar, but she refused. She was confined to
her home in Burma and was not allowed to visit her husband or children. Six years later, she was
allowed to travel within Rangoon, Burma, her hometown, where she also attended the NLD party
congress, however, the military government did not cease to persecute her. Many leaders of the
NLD were placed under house arrest as well because the military government viewed them as a
threat to Myanmar. Despite the way Suu Kyi was treated, she was given the choice to see her
dying husband or remain under house arrest, and she decided to stay in Myanmar. Subsequently,
she was placed under house arrest a few more times. Regardless, she won a nobel peace prize
during this time. Once she was finally released, the NLD became the next parliament and was
able to choose Myanmars president. She maintains a high international profile and continuously
works towards democracy.