Biography

19 June 1945
Born in Rangoon (Capital of Burma). She is the daughter of national leader General Aung San (assassinated on 19 July 1947) and Daw Khin Kyi. Educated in Rangoon until 15 years old.

1960
Daw Khin Kyi was appointed Burma's ambassador to India. She accompanied Daw Khin Kyi (mother) to Delhi on her appointment.

1964-1967
BA in philosophy, politics and economics, St. Hugh's College, Oxford University (elected Honorary Fellow in 1990).

1969-1971
Assistant Secretary, Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, United Nations Secretariat, New York.

1972
Research Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bhutan; married Dr. Michael Aris, a British scholar.

1973-1977
Birth of sons Alexander in London (1973) and Kim (1977) in Oxford.

1985-1986
Visiting Scholar, Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University.

1987
Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Simla.

March 1988
Aung San Suu Kyi goes back to Burma to attend her ailing mother while student protests breaks out in Rangoon.

23 July 1988
Gen. Ne Win steps down as Chairman of the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) after 26 years, triggering pro-democracy movement.

8 August 1988
The famous 8-8-88 mass uprising starts in Rangoon and spreads to the entire country, drawing millions of people to protest against the BSPP government. The following military crackdown killed thousands.

15 August 1988
Proposed the formation of a People's Consultative Committee during the democratic uprising in Burma.

26 August 1988
Aung San Suu Kyi addresses half-million mass rally in front of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon and calls for a democratic government.

18 September 1988
The military re-establishes its power and the State Law and Order Restoration Council is formed. The military again crushes the pro-democracy movement with force killing hundreds more.

24 September 1988
The National League for Democracy (NLD) is formed, with Aung San Suu Kyi as general secretary.

27 December 1988
Daw Khin Kyi, mother of Aung San Suu Kyi dies. The funeral procession draws a huge crowd of supporters, which turns into a peaceful protest against military rule.

July 1988 to October 1989
As leader of the NLD, delivered over a hundred public addresses during extensive campaign tours in Rangoon, Pegu, Magwe, Sagaing, Mandalay, Moulmein, Tavoy, Mergui, Pakkoku, Taunggyi, Kyaukpadaung, Monywa, Myinmu, Myitkyina, etc.

5 April 1989
Aung San Suu Kyi confronts an army unit ordered to aim their rifles at her while campaigning in the Irrawaddy Delta. An army major finally intervenes, countermands the order and prevents her assassination.

21 June 1989
Aung San Suu Kyi attends memorial service for the dissidents killed earlier in 1988 uprisings. The military detains several students.

19 July 1989
To avoid confrontations with several thousand additional troops deployed by SPDC (State Peace and Development Council), the NLD leadership calls off the mass rally planned at the annual Martyr's Day ceremonies.

20 July 1989
The military regime that seized power from the people on September 18, 1988, placed her under house arrest in Rangoon under martial law that allows for detention without charge or trial for three years; went on hunger strike to protect the students taken from her house to the Military Intelligence Interrogation Centre; recognised as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.

27 May 1990
Despite her continuing detention, the National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in the general elections by securing 82 percent of the seats; the military junta refuses to recognise the results of the election.

12 October 1990
Awarded, in absentia, the 1990 Rafto Human Rights Prize.

19 December 1990
In response to a call by UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar for her release, the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) issued a statement that "should she wish to stay together with her husband and children, she would be allowed to leave Burma on humanitarian grounds."

10 July 1991
Awarded, in absentia, the 1990 Sakharov Prize (human rights prize of the European Parliament).

10 August 1991
The military regime retroactively amends the law under which Aung San Suu Kyi is held to allow for detention for up to five years without charge or trial.

14 October 1991
Awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.

10 December 1991
Aung San Suu Kyi's 'Freedom From Fear' and other writings published in London.

1992
The Nobel Committee revealed that Aung San Suu Kyi has established a health and education trust in support of the Burmese people to use the $1.3 million prize money.

1993
Seven fellow Nobel Laureates flew into Thailand having been denied entry into Burma. From there, they called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, visited refugee camps and offered support to the democratic and ethnic opposition of Burma. They travelled on to Geneva to repeat their appeal at the UN Commission for Human Rights.

21 January 1994
The military junta used another excuse to continue the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi. It says she can be detained for up to six years under their law. Whilst the regime as a whole can choose to detain a person for five years, the regime said an extra year can be added by the decision of a three-member committee comprising the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Home Affairs and Defence.

14 February 1994
UNDP Resident Representative Jehan Raheem, US Congressman Bill Richardson and New York Times reporter Philip Shenon visit Aung San Suu Kyi for the first time from outside her family. Aung San Suu Kyi calls for a dialogue with SPDC (State Peace and Development Council).

20 September 1994
Gen. Than Shwe and Gen. Khin Nyunt of SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) meet Aung San Suu Kyi for the first time since the house arrest.

28 October 1994
A second meeting takes place at the State Guest House between Gen. Khin Nyunt and Aung San Suu Kyi.

10 July 1995
Released from house arrest.

March 18 2000
Awarded Freewoman of Dublin.

September 2000
Again placed under house arrest; SPDC and Aung San Suu Kyi begin ‘secret talks’.

6 May 2002
Released from house arrest after 19 months.

30 May 2003
Rearrested following murderous ‘Black Friday’ attack on her vehicle convoy in Depayin, Northern Burma. Taken into ‘protective custody’ to an undisclosed military detention centre; from there to hospital and since September 2003 under house arrest in Rangoon. The regime invoke article 10a of the 1975 State Protection Act, which permits the authorities to detain anyone considered a threat to state security for up to five years without charge or trial.

27 November 2004
Informed that she is to be detained for a further year.

2004
Awarded Honorary Doctorate, Rangsit University, Thailand (democracy & human rights)

October 2005
A total of 10 years in detention for Aung San Suu Kyi. BAI held a candle-light vigil in Dublin to mark the date.

November 2005
House arrest extended

January 2006
Awarded Olaf Palme prize (Denmark)
Awarded Doctor Honoris Causa, Vrije University, Brussels, Belgium

March 2006
Freedom of the City of Sheffield (UK)

May 2006
Ibrahim Gambari, Undersecretary General for Political Affairs at the UN permitted to see Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for one hour in Rangoon on 20th May.

House arrest extended a further year on 28th May

November 2006
Second visit by UN Political Under-Secretary, Ibrahim Gambari. Mr Gambari was permitted to see Aung San Suu Kyi for an hour, but again he achieved nothing from the junta.

26th April 2008
The US Senate voted unanimously on 26th April 2008 to confirm the award of their highest honour to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Congressional Gold Medal.