Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi

I've seen her face on TV numerous times and know that she has won a nobel peace prize. But what is her significance? Her political foundation came from her father. Her father founded the modern Burmese army and, in the process of negotiating Burma's independence from the British empire, he was assassinated in 1947.

Having worked in the UN for three years, she later formed the National League for Democracy in 1988, a Burmese political party that stress 'freedom from fear'. During this time, the popularity of pro-democracy demonstrations spread quickly and coined the term 8888 Uprising. This pressure on the military dominated government, killing thousands of protesters.

She accepted in June 2012 her Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to her in 1991, more than a decade ago. Her effort in encouraging democracy despite house arrest for 15 years was commemorated. Today, Aung San Suu Kyi is a member of parliament, a former political prisoner, and a free woman.