Aung San Suu Kyi (Burmese Politician) Biography

Quick Info

Profession	Politician, Diplomat, Author
Nationality	Burmese
Date of Birth	19/06/1945
Age	80 years
Birthplace	Rangoon, British Burma (now Yangon)

Latest News about Aung San Suu Kyi

14/01/2026

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent a total of 20 years in detention in Myanmar, with five of those years occurring since her government was overthrown by a military coup in February 2021. Despite her disappearance from public view and being held in a military prison, she continues to cast a significant shadow over Myanmar, with repeated calls for her release and appeals for an end to the civil war.

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Bio/Wiki

Nickname(s)	Daw Suu, Amay Suu

Physical Stats & More

Height	168 cm
Weight	62 kg
Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Salt & Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

School	Basic Education High School No. 1 Dagon, Yangon, Myanmar
College	University of Delhi, St Hugh's College, Oxford, SOAS, University of London
Degrees	Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)

Personal Life

Date of Birth	19/06/1945
Age (as of 2023)	78 Years
Birthplace	Rangoon, British Burma (now Yangon)
Zodiac sign	Gemini
Nationality	Burmese
Hometown	Rangoon, British Burma (now Yangon), Myanmar

Family

Father	Aung San (Politician and Burmese Freedom Fighter)
Mother	Khin Kyi
Siblings	Brother: Aung San Lin, Aung San Oo
Spouse	Late Michael Aris (Historian)
Children	Son: Alexander Aris, Son: Kim Aris

Career

Political Party	National League for Democracy
Political Journey	On 27 September 1988, she entered politics and founded a political party- National League for Democracy. On 20 July 1989, she was put under house arrest. In the 1990 General Elections, NLD secured 80% parliamentary seat. However, Burmese military refused to hand over power to Suu Kyi and she was again put under house arrest. On 13 November 2010, she was released from being under house arrest by the Junta Military. On 18 January 2012, in special parliamentary elections, Suu Kyi formally registered to contest a Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house) seat in the Kawhmu Township constituency. On 1 April 2012, she won her seat and her party won 43 of the 45 contested seats and she became the official Leader of the Opposition in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. On 2 May 2012, she took her oath and took office. On 9 July 2012, Suu Kyi entered the Parliament for the first time as a lawmaker. On 6 July 2012, she announced to run for the presidency in Myanmar's 2015 elections. However, she was constitutionally barred from the presidency. In the President Htin Kyaw government, she took over the roles of President's Office Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Electric Power and Energy Minister, and Education Minister. On 1 April 2016, she was appointed the State Counsellor (a post created by Htin Kyaw for Suu Kyi) of Myanmar. On 1 February 2021, she was arrested following a military coup. On 6 December 2021, a Myanmar court sentenced her to four years in prison for incitement and violating coronavirus restrictions. This was the first in a series of cases against her since the military coup.

Political Party

National League for Democracy

Political Journey

On 27 September 1988, she entered politics and founded a political party- National League for Democracy.
On 20 July 1989, she was put under house arrest.
In the 1990 General Elections, NLD secured 80% parliamentary seat. However, Burmese military refused to hand over power to Suu Kyi and she was again put under house arrest.
On 13 November 2010, she was released from being under house arrest by the Junta Military.
On 18 January 2012, in special parliamentary elections, Suu Kyi formally registered to contest a Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house) seat in the Kawhmu Township constituency.
On 1 April 2012, she won her seat and her party won 43 of the 45 contested seats and she became the official Leader of the Opposition in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.
On 2 May 2012, she took her oath and took office.
On 9 July 2012, Suu Kyi entered the Parliament for the first time as a lawmaker.
On 6 July 2012, she announced to run for the presidency in Myanmar's 2015 elections. However, she was constitutionally barred from the presidency.
In the President Htin Kyaw government, she took over the roles of President's Office Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Electric Power and Energy Minister, and Education Minister.
On 1 April 2016, she was appointed the State Counsellor (a post created by Htin Kyaw for Suu Kyi) of Myanmar.
On 1 February 2021, she was arrested following a military coup.
On 6 December 2021, a Myanmar court sentenced her to four years in prison for incitement and violating coronavirus restrictions. This was the first in a series of cases against her since the military coup.

Favourites

Politician	Mahatma Gandhi

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. She was born in a small village called Hmway Saung, near Rangoon.
2. Her name is a combination of "Aung San" from her father, "Suu" from her paternal grandmother, and "Kyi" from her mother.
3. Her father, known as the Father of the Nation in Myanmar, negotiated Burma's independence from Britain and was assassinated on 19 July 1947.
4. Her mother, Ma Khin Kyi, served as a diplomat and an Ambassador to India.
5. She received her education in Myanmar and India before studying at Oxford University in England in 1960.
6. From 1969 to 1971, she worked at the United Nations in New York.
7. In 1987, she became a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
8. In 1988, she returned to Myanmar after her mother's stroke and called for multiparty elections.
9. She founded the National League for Democracy in 1988.
10. She was awarded the Sakharov human rights prize in 1991 and the Nobel Peace Prize in the same year.
11. She faced periods of house arrest for her political activities.
12. In 2000, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton.
13. Her confinement continued intermittently until her release in 2010.
14. Following her release, she entered Parliament and delivered her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 2012.
15. She addressed the British parliament and met with Barack Obama in 2012.
16. In Burmese culture, she is respectfully called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
17. She has faced criticism for her role in the Rohingya Refugee Crisis.

Aung San Suu Kyi Politician, Diplomat, Author Burmese Rangoon, British Burma (now Yangon)