Myanmar: Suu Kyi finally collects her Sakharov Prize
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 October 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Myanmar: Suu Kyi finally collects her Sakharov Prize, 22 October 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/528b679d7.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 22, 2013
By RFE/RL
Burmese democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi (file photo)
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has finally collected the Sakharov Prize she was awarded in 1990.
The European Parliament held a special ceremony for her on October 22 in Strasbourg.
"If we stop freedom of thought, we stop progress in the world," she said on accepting the honor.
Suu Kyi was awarded the prize for her fight for democracy and the rule of law in Burma, where her political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won the 1990 general elections.
The ruling military junta disapproved of the result and placed her under house arrest in the former capital, Yangon, for nearly two decades, making her one of the world's most prominent political prisoners.
She was eventually released in 2010.
Two years later, her party won 43 out of the 45 seats available in parliamentary by-elections.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
