Amnesty International has awarded Myanmar’s opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi,the Ambassador of Conscience Award, ‘s its highest award.
Suu Kyi, 63, who has been under house arrest or in prison for 14 of the last 20 years, won the Nobel Peace prize in 1991, the year after her opposition party won elections that the military junta subsequently refused to recognize.
She was arrested in May for allegedly housing an American while under house arrest and could face up to five years in prison. Authorities say an American swam to her house without visitation permits and stayed for two days.
“In those long and often dark years, Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defense of human rights,” Amnesty Secretary General Irene Khan said on the organization’s website. The organization’s highest award coincides with Suu Kyi’s initial arrest 20 years ago.
The Ambassador of Conscience Award was first awarded in 2003 to former Czech President Vaclav Havel.
Other recipients of the award have been former South African leader Nelson Mandela and the Irish music group U2.
Source RIA Novosti
