Read the following texts:

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945 as the daughter of national leader General Aung San

(assassinated July 19, 1947) and Daw Khin Kyi. She was educated in Rangoon, Burma until she was 15

years old. In 1960 she accompanied her mother to Delhi, India on her appointment as Burmese

ambassador to India and Nepal. Kyi studied politics at Delhi University. She earned a BA in philosophy,

politics and economics from St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. She worked abroad for the next

several years during which time she was married to Dr. Michael Aris and had two children.

Aung San Suu Kyi [catwalker / Shutterstock.com]

In 1988, while visiting Burma to take care of her sick mother, Aung San Suu Kyi joined the pro-

democracy movement which was pressing for political reforms in Burma. On August 26, she

addressed a half-million mass rally in front of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon and called

for a democratic government.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Later, the military government arrested her and detained her for almost six years. She was released

on July 10, 1995. During her detention she was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. She established a

health and education trust in support of the Burmese people to use the $1.3 million prize money.

Although currently under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi continues to work for democracy and

freedom in Burma.

http://www.pitara.com/non-fiction-for-kids/biographies-for-kids/aung-san-suu-kyi/ 2015-05-20

Burma

Capital: Rangoon (Yangon)

Population: 54,584,650

Brief History of Burma: The area that is today the country of Burma has been ruled by major dynasties in the past. In 1044AD the

Bagan Dynasty came into power. This time is often called the Golden Age of Burma. It was during this time

at Buddhism became a major religion in Burma. The kings of the Bagan Dynasty built many Buddhist

shrines and pagodas. This time lasted for around 150 years until the Mongol invaders arrived.

The next major dynasty formed in region was the Taungoo Dynasty in

1486. This dynasty expanded the empire and ruled for over 250 years.

It was followed by the Konbaung Dynasty. The first king of the

Konbaung was King Alaungpaya. This was a warring dynasty which

fought the Chinese, the Siamese, and later the British. They fell to the

British Empire in 1885. At this time Burma became a part of British

India.

After WWII the Burmese wanted their independence from Britain. Their

leader was General Aung San. Burma gained independence in January

of 1948. Burma initially had a constitutional government, but there was

much fighting for power within the country. Military leaders took over. In

1990, when the military group lost the elections, they refused to accept

the results and imprisoned many political figures who opposed them.

Even today political leaders such as Augn San Suu Kyi are held in

prison because they do not agree with the military government.

Today Burma is country with much unrest and few political freedoms.

The Geography of Burma Total Size: 678,500 square km

Size Comparison: slightly smaller than Texas

Geographical Coordinates: 22 00 N, 98 00 E

World Region or Continent: Southeast Asia

General Terrain: central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

Geographical Low Point: Andaman Sea 0 m

Geographical High Point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m

Climate: tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September);

less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December

to April)

Major cities: RANGOON (capital) 4.259 million; Mandalay 1.009 million; Nay Pyi Taw 992,000 (2009)

The People of Burma Type of Government: military junta

Languages Spoken: Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK)

National Holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

Nationality: Burmese (singular and plural)

Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other

2%

National Symbol: chinthe (mythical lion)

National Anthem or Song: Kaba Ma Kyei (Till the End of the World, Myanmar)

** Source for population (2012 est.) and GDP (2011 est.) is CIA World Factbook.

http://www.ducksters.com/geography/country.php?country=Burma 2015-05-20

See the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voKKhuRYOLI

You will listen to Aung San Suu Kyi speaking about “Democracy matters”. Try to think about the

following questions while listening to her.

1. Why is “justice and freedom” so important for democracy?

2. She says that “rule of law” is extremely important. Why is the “rule of law” important in a democracy?

3. Aung San Suu Kyi speaks about democracy and says that “democracy matters”. What does she mean by this?

Write down your answers while listening/ watching and hand in by the end of class.