Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of her leadership and steadfast commitment to human rights and for promoting freedom, peace and democracy in her home country of Myanmar (Burma). Speakers included House and Senate leaders, Secretary of State Clinton, and former First Lady Laura Bush.
Aung San Suu Kyi was a leader in her country’s 1988 uprising, and elected prime minister in 1990. The military junta, however, would not cede power, and she was placed under house arrest for a total of 15 years; the final release happened in 2010. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.