Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi Freed: Big Pic
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Nov. 13, 2010 -- A Myanmar official said Saturday that Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi had been freed from house arrest.
"She is released now," said the government official, who did not want to be named.
Myanmar's military government freed Suu Kyi after her latest term of detention spanning 7 1/2 years, expired. The 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been jailed or under house arrest for more than 15 of the last 21 years.
The daughter of Myanmar's independence hero General Aung San swept her party to victory in elections two decades ago, but it was never allowed to take power.
When the softly-spoken but indomitable opposition leader was last released in 2002 she drew huge crowds wherever she went -- a reminder that years of detention had not dimmed her immense popularity.
Suu Kyi's freedom is seen by observers as an effort by the regime to tame international condemnation of Sunday's election in Myanmar, the first since the 1990 vote.
Western nations and pro-democracy activists have criticized the poll as anything but free and fair following widespread reports of intimidation and fraud.
The NLD's decision not to participate in the election deeply split Myanmar's opposition and Suu Kyi's party has been disbanded, leaving her future role uncertain.
Content provided by: AFP
Photo credit: AP Photo
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