Worrying about military rule doesn’t keep Myanmar’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi up at night, but just a little bit of noise does.
Suu Kyi offered a rare glimpse into her personal side on Thursday when she took questions and offered advice to young human rights activists in Washington.
One activist asked what challenges and problems keep the 67-year-old Nobel peace laureate up at night.
Suu Kyi confided that she’s a very light sleeper. She said every little noise disturbs her, but serious issues of which the former prisoner has encountered many during two decades of political upheaval in Myanmar usually don’t.
She said she’s learned that, in time, even what looks like the most horrible event in your life will appear less serious. Suu Kyi was speaking to a gathering organised by Amnesty International USA a day after receiving Congress’ highest honour for her peaceful struggle for democracy, the ceremonial highlight of a landmark trip across America.
Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest, separated from her family, and unable to see her husband, British academic Michael Aris, before his death from cancer in 1999.
Suu Kyi was released in late 2010 and has since joined hands with members of the former ruling junta to push ahead with political reform. Despite the cruelties committed during 50 years of military rule, she said she always retained a deep affection for Myanmar’s army, because her father, independence hero Aung San, was its founder.
{{/usCountry}}Suu Kyi was released in late 2010 and has since joined hands with members of the former ruling junta to push ahead with political reform. Despite the cruelties committed during 50 years of military rule, she said she always retained a deep affection for Myanmar’s army, because her father, independence hero Aung San, was its founder.
{{/usCountry}}