aw Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1948 in the Burmese capital of Rangoon. Today she is under house arrest in her native Burma for attempting to bring democracy to the country, currently governed under martial law. Her father was a prominent military official, General Aung San. When she was 15, the family moved to India after her mother, Daw Khin Kyi, was appointed Ambassador. She was educated at St. Hugh's College of Oxford University and graduated in 1967 with a BA of politics, philosophy and economics. She then began working for the UN as Assistant Secretary for the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions. In 1972 she moved to Bhutan where she served as a Research Officer for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That same year, she married British scholar Dr. Michael Aris. After a brief return to England for the birth of her sons, Kim and Alexander, the family moved to Simla, where she was named Research fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies. However, Daw Khin Kyi's failing health led the family to return to Burma. Shortly after Suu Kyi's return, General Ne Win resigned his position as leader of the Burma Socialist Programme Party and a pro-democracy movement erupted. Less than a month after the General's resignation, Suu Kyi proposes the People's Consultative Committee. She was subsequently elected General Secretary for the National League of Democracy and then led a protest of 500,000 calling for democracy in Burma; it was the first of hundreds of pro-democracy speeches and demonstrations she would organize. At one protest, a confrontation with military officers almost led to her assassination, but a military general intervened on her behalf. Unfortunately, within 2 months the military had regained control of the government and established the State Law and Order Restoration Council, which killed hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators.

Her activities in leading the democratic movement resulted in her house arrest on July 20, 1989. The government did not formally charge her because under Rangoon martial law, one can be held under house arrest for up to 3 years without formal charges brought against them. In an election the following year the National League of Democracy won 82% of the legislature's seats, despite Suu Kyi's continued detention. The government refused to recognize the results of the election. In 1991, still detained in her home, the Burmese government extended the maximum sentence for home arrest to five years. Later that year she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and her book, Freedom from Fear and Other Writings was published abroad. She used the money that accompanied the Peace Prize to establish a health and education fund for the citizens of Burma.

In 1994, the junta used yet another excuse to prolong her detention, increasing the sentence for house arrest to 6 years. The reasoning behind the extension was that the regime could sentence someone to 5 years, but a committee made up of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Home Defense, and Defense could extend the sentence if they wished. In February 1994, Suu Kyi met with foreign officials and journalists for the first time since her detention and she encouraged negotiations with the regime. Later that year she met with Generals Than Shwe and Khin Nyunt of the State Law and Order Restoration Council and in July 1995 she was released from house arrest.

The day after her release, Suu Kyi called for negotiations and political reform through negotiations with the SLOC and discouraged foreign investors thinking of bringing business to Burma to wait until democracy was firmly established. She is reappointed as General Secretary of the NLD, despite government bans on leadership changes to the party. As General Secretary, she withdrew the NLD from the National Convention and the SLORC vowed to "annihilate" groups who did not cooperate with regime interests. The NLD then called upon regime leaders to summon the legislature elected in 1990. These actions led to strict government surveillance of the group and regime-controlled newspapers referred to the NLD as "poisonous snakes." The military vowed to take down opposition groups. Just before the NLD's party convention over 200 members were jailed after a government sweep; the conference continued as planned. Following the convention, authorities prevented her from meeting with colleagues numerous times.

In 1999, Suu Kyi's husband died of prostate cancer. Due to her incarceration the couple did not see each other for the last 5 years of Michael Aris's life. She continued her struggle in Rangoon, unable to attend her husband's funeral in fear she would not be allowed re-entry into Burma. By 2000, the activities of the NLD were once again under government surveillance and while attempting to travel outside Rangoon to do party work in the countryside, military police raided the convoy and a nine-day standoff between the NLD and the military began. Regime officials raided party headquarters and arrested NLD party members. In September, she was placed under house arrest by military authorities along with members of the NLD. The United States government, on the orders of President Bill Clinton, awarded Suu Kyi the Presidential Medal of Freedom later that year.

Throughout 2001, Suu Kyi remained confined to her residence even though some members of the NLD were released in January. At the end of January EU officials visited the country and the government ordered a halt on verbal attacks against Suu Kyi and the pro-democracy movement in newspapers for the duration of the visit. US President George W. Bush visited the country in the spring of 2001 and the country continued its sanctions against the military regime. Throughout 2001 members of the NLD were released, including Suu Kyi's close adviser and cousin. Suu Kyi remained under house arrest, but met with foreign officials from her home. In May of 2002 she was released from house arrest. Today, however she is again imprisoned for her activities and on August 22, 2003, White House Press Secretary Scott McClelland announced that President George W. Bush would sign a bill enforcing sanctions against the Burmese government once again due to the junta's actions against Suu Kyi and the NLD.