Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Aung San Suu Kyi is an advocate for human rights and democracy for the Burmese people in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Suu Kyi is currently on a 17-day tour in the U.S., making a stop here in Fort Wayne on Tuesday. Just last year, she was free to travel the country after having government restrictions on her.

"She been on house arrest more than 15 of the last 20 years," said Nyein Chan, who is attending Suu Kyi's speech Tuesday.

In 1988, Suu Kyi left her husband and sons to return back to Burma to tend to her dying mother. While at home, there was a mass slaughter of protesters against the brutal and unresponsive rule of military strongman U Ne Win. This led her to speak out against him and to begin a non-violent movement for democracy and human rights in that country.

"She has so much sacrificed her personal life against the regime to regain democracy and human rights in Burma," said Chan.

Her father, Aung San, is known as the country's hero for fighting for Burma's independence from Britain. Chan said there's still a civil war in northern Myanmar (Burma), which means there's still much more work that needs to be done.

"She just want to make sure people stay in mind that Burma is in a state of transition to achieving democracy and human rights," he said. "This is the very crucial beginning, change in Burma."