CNN reported that Aung San Suu Kyi, an activist for freedom and democracy in Burma, was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor the United States Congress can bestow.
Suu Kyi was kept for the better part of two decades under house arrest for advocating for democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The country’s former military rulers ordered her detention, and in recent years her case has received an international spotlight. She paid a hefty personal price for standing up for freedom in Myanmar, which suffered under 50 years of autocratic, repressive rule.
“From the depths of my heart, I thank you, the people of America and you, their representatives,” she said to the gathered members of Congress, “for keeping us in your hearts and minds during the dark years when freedom and justice seemed beyond our reach.”
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