Burma's democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called on the Burmese community in the United States to support the democratic movement in their native land.
The Nobel Laureate on Thursday addressed her compatriots, including a group of Buddhist monks, at American University in Washington. She said:" In this day and age there are very, very few happy endings and very few success stories. So much seems to be happening that is disappointing, that is disillusioning all around the world. I want Burma to be the exception."
Earlier Thursday, Aung San Suu Kyi urged human-rights activists to continue their efforts aimed at ending the plight of political prisoners. She told members of the Amnesty International rights group and other supporters in Washington that hatred and fear often prompt officials to detain individuals with different viewpoints.
Burma's opposition leader spent 14 years in detention under Burma's former military rulers, and is on a 17-day U.S. visit that marks her first trip to America since being freed from house arrest in 2010.
Wednesday, she received the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony attended by the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and leading lawmakers in Washington. Afterwards she met privately with President Barack Obama at the White House.