Myanmar democracy leader awarded top Amnesty honour

(July 27, 2009) Myanmar's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Monday was named the recipient of Amnesty International's highest honor, the Ambassador of Conscience Award. The human rights watchdog said it hoped this would help protect her as she faces a potential prison sentence. Amnesty Secretary General Irene Khan said the award was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Suu Kyi's initial arrest on July 20, 1989, as she led a campaign to oust Myanmar's military dictators. Suu Kyi's opposition party, the National League for Democracy, won national elections in 1990 but the military refused to relinquish power. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 but has been under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years. “In those long and often dark years, Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defence of human rights,” Khan said. 64-year old Suu Kyi is on trial for allegedly harbouring an American who swam out to her lake-side residence uninvited. The offence of violating house-arrest rules carries a potential five-year prison sentence, and foreign diplomats have been barred from key parts of her trial. Suu Kyi's supporters accuse Myanmar's junta of seeking to put her behind bars until after elections planned for 2010.