Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday pledged to keep up her struggle for democracy as she finally delivered her Nobel Peace Prize speech, 21 years after winning the award while under house arrest.
After a year that has seen sweeping changes in her Southeast Asian homeland, Suu Kyi pledged to work for national reconciliation but also pointed to remaining political prisoners and continued ethnic strife in her country.
“My party, the National League for Democracy, and I stand ready and willing to play any role in the process of national reconciliation,” said Suu Kyi, delivering her speech in Oslo for the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
Wearing a flower in her hair, a sarong and a purple silk scarf, she looked emotional as she received a thunderous standing ovation in the cavernous Oslo City Hall, packed with dignitaries, royals and Burmese exiles. The veteran activist also said she encouraged “cautious optimism” in her country’s transition from military rule towards democracy under the quasi-civilian government of ex-general President Thein Sein.
