Suu Kyi conferred on Mahatma Gandhi Peace award

The pro-democracy Myanmar leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been felicitated with Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation here.

The award was bestowed by the South African-based Mahatma Gandhi Foundation at a function at the Durban City Hall last night.

Burmese Prime Minister in exile, Thien Win received the award on her behalf which was presented by South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim.

Bestowing the award, Paddy Kearney, a trustee of the Foundation, said the award was being given on July 20 because it represents the 20th anniversary of Suu Kyi's house arrest by the military junta in her country.

"She is a non-violent leader in the mould of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. The award is in recoginition of her strong commitment to non-violence, justice and peace," he said.

We are not sure whether she knows about this award but what we can tell you that our chairperson Ela Gandhi, had sent a letter to the Burmese ambassador in Pretoria and it was returned without being opened, he added.

Kearney said that South Africa fully supports Aung San Suu Kyi and the Myanmarese people in their struggles.