Valerie meets Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the House of Commons

On Thursday 21 June 2012, Valerie met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the Speaker’s State Rooms at the House of Commons following Daw Suu Kyi’s address to both houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall.

During her address in Westminster Hall, Daw Suu Kyi said “My country has not yet entered the ranks of truly democratic societies but I am confident we will get there before too long with your help.”

After meeting Daw Suu Kyi, Valerie said:

“Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration. She has worked tirelessly and at great personal cost for 25 years to secure the same basic rights for the people of Burma that we in the UK take for granted. Daw Suu Kyi’s dedicated and courageous efforts have helped bring about the important progress seen in Burma over recent months, including the first free and open elections for a generation.”

“However, as Daw Suu Kyi said in her speech in Westmister Hall, the country still has a lot of progress to make towards human rights and democracy. It is important that we all work to build on recent progress and help the people of Burma to achieve the free and democratic government to which they are entitled.”

Valerie has taken a close interest in Burma during her time in Parliament, tabling 9 Early Day Motions (EDMs) and asking a number of questions to Ministers regarding the situation in Burma. Most recently, on 19 June 2012 at Foreign Office Questions.