Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi headed to Thailand Tuesday for her first trip abroad in more than two decades, ending an era of isolation and cementing her arrival on the global stage.
The former political prisoner, who won a seat in parliament in historic April by-elections, is expected to meet the Thai prime minister, attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia and meet Myanmar communities during several days in the country.
Speaking to AFP at Yangon International Airport before her departure at around 8:00 pm (1330 GMT), Suu Kyi said she “didn’t feel anything special” about the landmark foreign trip. “It’s a part of my job. I’m going to stay for four or five days… I will visit one refugee camp,” she added, without providing further details.
Suu Kyi, who spent 15 of the past 22 years under house arrest, will emerge into a world transformed — the skyscrapers and frenetic activity of Bangkok presenting a stark contrast to her home city of Yangon, with its crumbling architecture and frequent power outages.
She is due to arrive in Bangkok around 1440 GMT, where she will be met by international media.
Speaking in Yangon after her departure, Tin Oo, spokesman for her National League for Democracy party, said it was up to Thailand to guarantee her security.
The Nobel laureate’s plan to leave Myanmar for the first time since 1988 comes as dramatic changes sweep the country, after decades of outright military rule ended last year.
Suu Kyi, fearful that she would never be allowed to return, had refused to travel abroad in the past, even when the former junta denied her dying husband a visa to visit her from Britain.
