Aung San Suu Kyi - Talk at Gwangju

Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of democracy Movements in Burma and the laureate of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in 2004, will visit Metropolitan city of Gwangju on 30 January, 2013. She is scheduled to visit the World Winter Games Special Olympics in Pyeong Chang and move to Gwangju on 30. In Gwangju, she will attend the welcoming dinner which will be co-organized by Gwangju City and the May 18 Memorial Foundation, and give an acceptance speech of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights which was awarded to her in 2004. On 31, she will visit the May 18 National Cemetery and move to Chonnam University for special lecture, followed by her departure to Seoul.

 Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as a leader of the Burmese democracy movement during the 8888 uprising in 1998. Although suffered from repeated under house arrests without charge, she stuck to the philosophy of non-violence in every struggle and earned her strong support from Burmese people. Her brave efforts for the sake of the pro-democracy movement won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Released completely from the house arrest on November 2010, In 2012, she resumed her political career by gaining the victory at the April by-election and also embarked on her first trip abroad in 24 years.

 As one of the laureates of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, she sent a congratulatory message for the Prize winner to the May 18 Memorial Foundation in 2011. She was officially invited to the World Human Rights Cities Forum 2012, held in Gwangju, as a keynote speaker.

 The May 18 Memorial Foundation has awarded Gwangju Prize for Human Rights to two pro-democracy activists of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi (in 2004) and Min Ko Naing (in 2009) and kept on a variety of solidarity works such as supporting Burmese refugees and visiting activists.