Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese politician, diplomat and author who served as the State Counsellor of Myanmar, effectively its civilian leader, from 2016 until she was ousted in a military coup in February 2021. The daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero, she became a global symbol of non-violent resistance during long years of house arrest under a previous junta and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Since the 2021 coup she has been detained by the military and convicted in a series of trials widely condemned as politically motivated. In 2026, amid international concern over her health, she was allowed her first confirmed meeting with a foreign official in years.
Aung San Suu Kyi Biography, Wiki
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Aung San Suu Kyi |
| Honorific | Daw Aung San Suu Kyi |
| Date of Birth | 19 June 1945 |
| Age (2026) | 81 years |
| Birthplace | Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (then Burma) |
| Nationality | Burmese (Myanmar) |
| Profession | Politician, diplomat, author |
| Known For | Leading Myanmar’s democracy movement and serving as State Counsellor |
| Former Office | State Counsellor of Myanmar (2016 to 2021) |
| Political Party | National League for Democracy (NLD) |
| Father | Aung San, Myanmar’s independence hero |
| Mother | Khin Kyi, a diplomat |
| Late Husband | Michael Aris (married 1972; died 1999) |
| Children | Two sons, Alexander and Kim Aris |
| Education | University of Delhi; University of Oxford |
| Nobel Prize | Nobel Peace Prize (1991) |
| Current Status | Detained by the military since February 2021 |
Aung San Suu Kyi Political and Life Milestones
| Year | Milestone |
| 1988 | Emerged as a leader of Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement |
| 1989 | Placed under house arrest by the military |
| 1991 | Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while detained |
| 2010 | Released from her final period of house arrest |
| 2015 | Led the NLD to a landslide election victory |
| 2016 | Became State Counsellor of Myanmar |
| 2021 | Ousted and detained in a military coup |
| 2026 | Met a Red Cross representative amid health concerns |
Aung San Suu Kyi Events
| Year | Event |
| 19 June 1945 | Born in Yangon, then Burma |
| 1960s to 1980s | Studied and lived abroad, including in India and the UK |
| 1988 | Returned to Myanmar and entered politics |
| 1989 to 2010 | Spent roughly 15 years under house arrest across several periods |
| 2012 | Won a seat in parliament in by-elections |
| 2016 | Became the country’s de facto civilian leader |
| February 2021 | Detained when the military seized power |
| 2021 onward | Convicted in a series of trials and held in detention |
Aung San Suu Kyi Early Life and Family
Aung San Suu Kyi was born on 19 June 1945 in Yangon, then part of British-ruled Burma. She is the daughter of Aung San, the revered leader who negotiated Burma’s independence and was assassinated when she was a small child, and of Khin Kyi, who became a prominent diplomat. Her family lineage placed her at the heart of the nation’s history from birth, and her father’s legacy would deeply shape her own political path.
Aung San Suu Kyi Education
She spent part of her childhood in India during her mother’s time as ambassador before enrolling at the University of Oxford to study philosophy, politics, and economics. She lived for many years abroad, working and raising a family, before returning to Myanmar in 1988.
Aung San Suu Kyi Family
She married the British academic Michael Aris in 1972, and the couple had two sons, Alexander and Kim. Aris died in 1999, at a time when Suu Kyi’s political situation in Myanmar meant the family endured long separations.
Aung San Suu Kyi Political Career
Aung San Suu Kyi and the Democracy Movement
Aung San Suu Kyi rose to prominence in 1988, when she returned to Myanmar amid a mass uprising against military rule and quickly became the figurehead of the pro-democracy movement. She co-founded the National League for Democracy and championed non-violent resistance, drawing on the philosophies of figures such as Mahatma Gandhi. Her defiance led the military to place her under house arrest in 1989, beginning years of confinement during which she became an internationally recognised symbol of peaceful struggle, honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Years Under House Arrest
Aung San Suu Kyi spent roughly fifteen years under house arrest across several periods, much of it at her family home on Yangon’s Inya Lake, where she famously addressed crowds of supporters from behind the gates of her property. Her long detention, and her refusal to leave the country for fear of not being allowed to return, made her one of the world’s most famous political prisoners, until she was released in 2010 as the military began a process of political liberalisation.
Aung San Suu Kyi as State Counsellor
Aung San Suu Kyi entered parliament through by-elections in 2012, and in 2015 she led the NLD to a landslide election victory. Barred by the constitution from the presidency, she took the specially created role of State Counsellor in 2016, becoming Myanmar’s de facto civilian leader while governing in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with the still-powerful military. Her government pursued economic and democratic reforms, though her tenure also drew significant international criticism, particularly over the military’s treatment of the Rohingya minority.
Aung San Suu Kyi and the 2021 Coup
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Detention
Aung San Suu Kyi’s second term was cut short on 1 February 2021, when the military seized power in a coup, detaining her and other civilian leaders and alleging fraud in an election her party had again won by a wide margin. The coup triggered mass protests and a bloody crackdown, plunging Myanmar into a widespread civil conflict that continues to devastate the country.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Trials and Sentence
Since the coup, Aung San Suu Kyi has been convicted in a series of closed-door trials on numerous charges, including corruption, election-related offences and breaching official-secrets and other laws, and was sentenced to a lengthy prison term that was later reduced through partial amnesties. Human-rights organisations, foreign governments and her supporters have widely condemned the proceedings as politically motivated and lacking due process, and she has denied the charges. This profile reports the fact of the convictions and the widespread criticism of them without treating the charges as established wrongdoing, in keeping with the presumption of innocence and the serious doubts raised about the fairness of the trials.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Recent Situation
Held largely out of public view since 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi’s whereabouts and health have been the subject of persistent international concern, with her son publicly appealing for proof that she was alive and well. In April 2026, the military announced that she had been moved to house arrest and that her sentence had been reduced as part of an amnesty. On 3 August 2026, in what was reported as her first confirmed meeting with a foreign official since her detention, she met a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the capital, Naypyidaw, in a rare and closely watched moment of contact with the outside world.
Aung San Suu Kyi Legacy and International Standing
Aung San Suu Kyi’s legacy is complex and contested. For decades she was revered globally as an icon of democracy and human rights, honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize and numerous other awards. Her international reputation was later damaged by her government’s handling of the Rohingya crisis, over which she faced sustained criticism abroad even as she remained hugely popular among many at home. Since the 2021 coup she has once again become a rallying symbol for those opposing military rule in Myanmar, and calls for her unconditional release have continued from around the world.
Aung San Suu Kyi Personal Life
Aung San Suu Kyi is widely known by the respectful Burmese honorific Daw. A devout Buddhist, she is remembered for the personal sacrifices her political path demanded, including long separations from her husband and sons. Her husband, Michael Aris, died in 1999 while she remained in Myanmar, and her son Kim Aris has been a prominent advocate for her release in recent years. Beyond politics she is also an author, having written books and essays reflecting on freedom, fear and her country.
Aung San Suu Kyi Net Worth and Earnings
A meaningful figure for Aung San Suu Kyi’s net worth is not a significant part of the public record, and this profile does not put forward one. She is known for a life devoted to political activism rather than the accumulation of wealth, and she notably directed the funds from her Nobel Peace Prize toward the establishment of a charitable trust for the health and education of the people of Myanmar.
| Source | Detail |
| Net worth | Not meaningfully documented |
| Notable | Used her Nobel Prize funds to establish a charitable trust |
Aung San Suu Kyi Social Media
Given her long detention, Aung San Suu Kyi does not maintain a personal social-media presence, and information about her circumstances now comes chiefly through government statements, her family and international organisations and media.
| Platform | Handle | Notes |
| Personal social media | None | She has been in detention and out of public view since 2021 |
| Public information | International media and organisations | The main sources of news about her |
Aung San Suu Kyi Controversies and Debates
Aung San Suu Kyi and the Rohingya Crisis
The most significant controversy of Aung San Suu Kyi’s time in office concerned the plight of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority, hundreds of thousands of whom fled Myanmar in 2017 amid a military campaign that international investigators described in the gravest terms. As the country’s civilian leader, Suu Kyi faced intense international criticism for not doing more to halt the crackdown, and she defended her country against genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice. This remains a deeply contested and serious matter, and the profile presents the criticism and her response factually, without adjudicating the underlying legal questions.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Detention and Trials
The legitimacy of Aung San Suu Kyi’s post-coup detention and convictions is itself a major point of international contention. The military-led government maintains that it acted lawfully, while a broad range of foreign governments, the United Nations and human-rights groups regard her prosecution as an unjust effort to remove her from political life. The profile records these opposing positions neutrally.
Lesser Known Facts About Aung San Suu Kyi
- She is the daughter of Aung San, the leader who negotiated Burma’s independence.
- She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while she was under house arrest.
- She spent roughly fifteen years in detention under a previous military junta.
- She was constitutionally barred from the presidency, so a special role was created for her.
- She used her Nobel Prize funds to set up a charitable trust for the Burmese people.
- Her son Kim Aris has publicly campaigned for her release in recent years.
- In August 2026 she met a Red Cross official, her first confirmed meeting with a foreign representative since 2021.
Aung San Suu Kyi FAQ
Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?
She is a Burmese politician and Nobel Peace laureate who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar until she was ousted in a 2021 military coup, and who has been detained since.
How old is Aung San Suu Kyi?
Born on 19 June 1945, she will be 81 years old in 2026.
What happened to Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021?
The military seized power in a coup in February 2021, detained her, and later convicted her in a series of trials widely criticised as politically motivated.
What is Aung San Suu Kyi’s current status?
She remains in military detention; in April 2026 she was reportedly moved to house arrest, and in August 2026 she met a Red Cross representative.
Why did Aung San Suu Kyi win the Nobel Peace Prize?
She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights in Myanmar.
Who was Aung San Suu Kyi’s father?
Her father was Aung San, the independence hero of Burma, who was assassinated when she was a child.
What was Aung San Suu Kyi criticised for?
Her international reputation was damaged by her government’s handling of the 2017 Rohingya crisis, over which she faced sustained criticism.
Where is Aung San Suu Kyi from?
She was born in Yangon, then Rangoon, in Myanmar, formerly Burma.
What party does Aung San Suu Kyi lead?
She is the leader of the National League for Democracy.
Is Aung San Suu Kyi still alive?
Yes; despite years of concern over her health, she was confirmed to be alive in an August 2026 meeting with a Red Cross official.
Sources
CNN, Aung San Suu Kyi meets Red Cross official, after mounting demands the military prove she is still alive,
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/03/asia/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-icrc-meeting-intl-hnk
Al Jazeera, Detained Myanmar leader Suu Kyi has first foreign visitor in five years,
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/3/detained-myanmar-leader-suu-kyi-has-first-foreign-visitor-in-five-years
Reuters (via US News), Myanmar Says Detained Former Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Met Red Cross Official,
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-08-03/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-meets-red-cross-official-government-says
CNN, Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi moved to house arrest, military says,
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/asia/myanmar-suu-kyi-house-arrest-intl-hnk
UPI, Myanmar’s detained Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets with Red Cross official,
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/08/03/myanmar-Daw-Aung-San-Suu-Kyi/1051785744460/