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Alexander Aris | |
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| Myint San Aung မြင့်ဆန်းအောင် | |
| Born | Alexander Myint San Aung Aris (1973-04-12)12 April 1973 (age 52) London, England |
| Alma mater | Northern Illinois University |
| Occupation | Civil rights activist |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Aung San (grandfather) Khin Kyi (grandmother) |
Alexander Myint San Aung Aris (Burmese:မြင့်ဆန်းအောင်,pronounced[mjɪ̰ɰ̃sʰáɰ̃àʊɰ̃]; born 12 April 1973) is the elder son ofAung San Suu Kyi andMichael Aris. He is also a grandson ofAung San, who is credited with achieving the independence of Myanmar (although he was assassinated in 1947, six months before the independence). He has been representing his mother, who has been detained by the military junta for years; he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for her, and on many other awards and occasions, he has represented her.[1][2]
Aris was born on 12 April 1973 atQueen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital inHammersmith,London[3] to Aung San Suu Kyi and Michael Aris. His younger brother Kim Aris was born in 1977. His family home was inPark Town,North Oxford. In March 1988, his mother returned to Burma in order to nurse her dying motherDaw Khin Kyi, the wife ofAung San.[4] She did not return to Oxford until June 2012, having been placed under house arrest in Burma for political reasons in 1989.
Aris was educated at two private schools in his home city ofOxford: atDragon School, a co-educational preparatory school, followed byMagdalen College School, a senior school for boys, which he left in 1990. He graduated fromNorthern Illinois University in the United States and received aMSc inMathematical Sciences.
In 1989, Alexander and his brother Kim were both stripped of their Burmese citizenships by the ruling junta (military government). The two brothers are British nationals.[5] In 1988, when Kim Aris was only 11, his mother had to leave their home inOxford to look after her dying mother in Burma.[6]
In 1991, Alexander's motherAung San Suu Kyi won theNobel Peace Prize for her efforts in Burma. At the time, Alexander Aris (age 18) and his brother Kim Aris (age 14) accepted the prize on their mother's behalf.[7] The Nobel Peace Prize's 1.3 millionUSD prize money was used to establish ahealth andeducation trust for the Burmese people.[8] Over the years, Aris has accepted many awards and given many speeches on behalf of his mother. They include accepting The Award of the International Human Rights Law Group; welcoming the arrival of the Olympic Torch in Spain;[9] and accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the US.[10]
After his father's death in 1999, Aris visited his mother for a short time. He is a psychologist in Portland, Oregon.[11][12]