Britain is rolling out the honours for Aung San Suu Kyi, who will receive an honorary Oxford degree, speak to both houses of Parliament and meet key politicians and members of the royal family on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Oxford, she will reunite with her sons and other family members, some of whom she has never met, on Wednesday. She lived in Oxford with her late husband, Michael Aris, who taught at Oxford, and her two sons, Kim, now 35, and Alexander, now 39.On Tuesday, she spoke at the London School of Economics and Political Science on the rule of law as the key to Burma’s reconciliation process and further moves toward democracy.
Asked where she drew her strength to work on the struggle for democracy for nearly 25 years, she said: “I find great support and warmth from you, the people, who welcome me as your own...But of course, I do have a stubborn streak in me,” according to wire service reports.
She is scheduled to talk with Prime Minister David Cameron and will travel with him to his constituency, and she will also meet with senior labour leaders Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband.
Suu Kyi later visited the headquarters of the BBC, where she met a former disk jockey on the World Service programmes who she said had lightened her long years of house arrest.
DJ Dave Lee Travis, whose music request programmes had given her a "lifeline" in confinement, said he was overwhelmed by their long-distrance connection, and he praised her for her humanity.
Suu Kyi will meet Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, in London on Thursday, when she will address both houses of the British Parliament, a rare honour.
Oxford University will award Suu Kyi an honorary doctorate in civil law on Wednesday, and she will also deliver an address to the University Union.
She will also receive a “Freedom of the City” honour from the Oxford City Council.
