Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi greets thousands of supporters over the fence of her Yangon house after she was freed. (STR, EPA / November 13, 2010)
As the Los Angeles Times reports, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Buddhist and the leader of Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, was released from house arrest on Saturday. She said “I am so happy” as she greeted thousands of jubilant supporters at the gate of her compound. ”It’s very happy to see the people,” she said, barely audible over the chanting. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen you.”
In a statement released earlier today, President Barak Obama called Suu Kyi a personal “hero” and called for the military regime to “release all political prisoners, not just one.”
Here are two videos of Daw (as she is called by her supporters) after her release. The first, obtained by ITN, shows the cheers the moment that she appeared before the crowd:
A news agency run by exiles from Myanmar based in India, Mizzima, posted more video of Suu Kyi meeting her supporters on its YouTube channel:
