ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Brendan Hoffman for the New York Times
Hereโs a beautiful picture of Aung San Suu Kyi meeting with President Obama in the White House.
Her government put her under house arrest for 15 years.ย Itโs hard to imagine that during that time, she could ever have imagined speaking with the President in Washington.ย This is the first time the Myanmar Opposition Leader has officially visited the U.S.
Ms. Suu Kyi received the Congressional Gold Medal before meeting with the President.ย The Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress.ย She received the medal in a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol building, which was attended by Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, and Laura Bush, the former First Lady, among both Democrat and Republican members of Congress.
She was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in absentia in 2008 when she was under house arrest.
Ms. Suu Kyi said,
โFrom the depths of my heart, I thank you the people of America, and you, their representatives for keeping us in your hearts and minds during the dark years when freedom and justice seemed beyond our reach.โ
Ms. Suu Kyi may be running for president in elections planned for 2015, but itโs not clear that she will, according to the Washington Post.
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Carole