Ceremony of award of the Sakharov Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, laureate in 1990 during the EP formal sitting in Strasbourg. Arrival in the hemicycle, standing ovation and statements by Martin SCHULZ, EP President and Aung San Suu Kyi, Sakharov Prize Winner 1990

statement

plenary session

EU - Myanmar (T)

ceremony

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

Sakharov Prize

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 1990 (T)

AUNG SAN, Suu Kyi

Award of the Sakharov Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, laureate in 1990: extracts from the ceremony

Title: Award of the Sakharov Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, laureate in 1990: extracts from the ceremony

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), rapporteur, -

SOUNDBITE (Original), Othmar KARAS, EP Vice-President, -

SOUNDBITE (Original), Marc ANGEL (S&amp;D, LU), rapporteur, -

SOUNDBITE (Original), V&#277;ra JOUROV&#193;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, -

Exterior shot of the EP, Strasbourg

Arrival of Aung San Suu Kyi accompanied to EP President Martin SCHULZ to the hemicycle. Standing ovation from the MEPs.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, Our warm welcome to you shows that we talking about an extraordinary day and an extraordinary moment, on which we, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, welcome you as the recipient of the 1990's Sakharov Prize. 23 years later we are welcoming you in the European parliament and the fact that we are able to do so is a great moment which an entire generation, in your own country but also in Europe, has been waiting for.

Award of the 1990 Sakharov Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi. General applause.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Suu Kyi AUNG SAN, This is for me a joyous and a deeply meaningful occasion. A joyful one because I have been given the opportunity to thank all of you for all the support that you have given me and my party and all those who believe in democracy in Burma, for over two decades. And it is deeply meaningful because the Sakharov Prize was very meaningful; it was given to me in 1990. This was a year of great significance in the history of Burmese politics. That was the year in which the first democratic elections in over two decades were held in my country

SOUNDBITE (Original), Suu Kyi AUNG SAN, Freedom of thought is essential to human progress. If we stop freedom of thought we stop progress in our world. That's why is so important that we teach our children, our young people the importance of freedom of thought.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Suu Kyi AUNG SAN, Our people are just beginning to learn that freedom of thought is possible. But we want to make sure that their right to think freely and to live in accordance with their conscience have to be preserved. This right is not yet guaranteed a hundred percent. We still have to work very hard before the basic law of the land, which is the Constitution, will guarantee us the right to live in accordance with our conscience. That is why we insist that the present Constitution must be changed to be a truly democratic one

SOUNDBITE (Original), Suu Kyi AUNG SAN, One of the great aims, the main aims of our democratic movement, was to bring about national reconciliation which means reconciliation between the then ruling army and the civilians who wanted democracy. We are still trying to achieve such a reconciliation, but in order to achieve this reconciliation we need the help of all our friends, all over the world.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Suu Kyi AUNG SAN, We need still to do a lot more progress before we can say we are where Professor Sakharov would have wished us to be. And we would have wished us to be in a place where freedom of thought was the birth right of every single citizen or our country

SOUNDBITE (Original), Suu Kyi AUNG SAN, I would like to say that there will come a time when our people too can make our own contribution to the world and I am confident that the young people of Burma now will one day be valued citizens of the world, helping to promote those rights and achievements of which Professor Sakharov would have approved. Thank you

Applause, standing ovation and European anthem.