Originally published on the CGS blog on April 2, 2012.
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was elected to parliament yesterday in a landmark moment for the nation ruled by a military junta until just a few years ago. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Suu Kyi has been a long-time pro-democracy activist in Myanmar, spending several years under house arrest for her efforts against the military dictators. Suu Kyi lauded her electoral victory as “a triumph of the people” of Myanmar.
Although Suu Kyi’s party will only comprise a small minority in the 664-seat legislature, the election is an important step in the movement towards democracy for the formally autocratic government. While the government is still heavily controlled by the military, the nation’s leaders have shown significant signs of improving, including ending Suu Kyi’s house arrest, freeing hundreds of other political prisoners, allowing opposition parties to participate in elections and calling for the end of ethnically motivated human rights violations.
These steps have led to increased international involvement for Myanmar, including the normalization of relations with the United States, who had imposed heavy sanctions on the Myanmarese government for its human rights violations. While there is still much work to be done before Myanmar completes its transformation to a true democracy, Suu Kyi’s victory is a message to all pro-democracy efforts that perseverance does pay off.
