The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

At great personal risk and sacrifice, Aung San Suu Kyi demonstrated extraordinary courage in promoting peaceful political reform in Burma.

She helped form the National League for Democracy (NLD) in 1988 after popular demonstrations calling for democratic change were met with violent repression from the military regime in power at the time. Although the NLD swept the 1990 parliamentary elections in 1990, Suu Kyi remained under house arrest until 1995. Since her release in May of that year she has sought to call attention to the injustices and brutalities of the military regime. She has subsequently been arrested and jailed several times over the past decade.

NDI was proud to bestow the 1996 W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award upon Aung Sang Suu Kyi. In recognizing her cause, the Institute also sought to honor the continuing struggle of the Burmese people.