You cannot think of Myanmar or Burma without reference to Aung San Suu Tyi. She is revered by the people here in Myanmar and there is huge pressure and expectation on her as the country seeks to take a democratic path.

Aung San Suu Tyi was the youngest daughter of Aung San, often described as the 'Father of the nation' in the fight for independence. He was assassinated by rivals in 1947 and,in a way, Aung San Suu Tyi was destined for a life of political struggle.

She studied at both Delhi and Oxford universities, where she met and subsequently married an Englishman called Michael Aris. She rose to prominence with the creation of the National League for Democracy in 1988 but from 1989 to 2010 was under house arrest.

In 1991, 'the Lady' as she is sometimes known, won the Nobel Peace Prize and the committee chairman called her, "an outstanding example of the power of the powerless".

In November of last year, 2015, her party won the first open democratic elections for 25 years but she is prevented from assuming the role of President as she is the widow of a British citizen and has 'foreign' children. Nonetheless, she has titles of State Counsellor and Foreign Minister and is considered by most people as the 'de facto' leader of this emerging country.

She is currently in Laos at an ASEAN meeting of other Asian states. I drove past her house this afternoon - a place of great significance both historically and for the future.



With thanks to Wikipedia and BBC news feature.