Myanmar democratic activist accepts top congressional honorBy the CNN Wire Staff
updated 10:54 AM EDT, Thu September 20, 2012
(CNN) -- Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar democratic freedom activist who spent 15 years under house arrest, accepted the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday.
Suu Kyi called the ceremony one of the most moving days of her life.
"From the depths of my heart, I thank you, the people of America and you, their representatives," she said to the gathered members of Congress, "for keeping us in your hearts and minds during the dark years when freedom and justice seemed beyond our reach."
Sen. John McCain was overcome with emotion when he, among other political heavyweights in Washington, praised Suu Kyi.
McCain called Suu Kyi "his personal hero."
"They did all they could to break her," the Arizona Republican said of the military junta that detained her. McCain, who was a POW in Vietnam, choked up, his voice breaking.
"Aung San Suu Kyi didn't scare a damn," he told the crowd.
McCain's comments were met with wild applause.
Suu Kyi was kept for the better part of two decades under house arrest for advocating for democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The country's former military rulers ordered her detention, and in recent years her case has received an international spotlight. She paid a hefty personal price for standing up for freedom in Myanmar, which suffered under 50 years of autocratic, repressive rule.
Suu Kyi, who was awarded the medal in 2008, was freed two years later and elected to the Myanmar parliament this year, a historic moment in the country.
"As I go forward with my countrymen and -women along the difficult path of building a truly democratic society where all our people can live together in peace -- remembering always that Burma is a nation of many ethnic nationalities and peoples -- we believe that we can go forward in unity and in peace, and give our friends the satisfaction of helping us get to ... a place where dreams are realized," she said in her acceptance speech.
The 67-year-old activist-turned-politician is on a 17-day tour of the United States. Suu Kyi met with President Barack Obama later Wednesday.
Obama "expressed his admiration for her courage, determination and personal sacrifice in championing democracy and human rights over the years," the White House said in a statement following the meeting.
He told Suu Kyi that the United States will continue to support the efforts of her and her party, in conjunction with the reformist Myanmar president, Thein Sein, to push for political and economic changes and "to ensure full protection of the fundamental rights of the Burmese people," according to the statement.
Over the next two weeks, Suu Kyi is scheduled to meet with other high-level American officials, as well as democratic activists. Also Wednesday, she met with U.S. Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, among others.
At the start of her visit Tuesday, she met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and made an address at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, during which she said she supported the further easing of U.S. economic sanctions on Myanmar.
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