Kim Aris, the youngest son of jailed Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, announced on Saturday that he will travel to Houston, Texas to accept the Citizen of Burma Award 2025 – from the U.S.-based organization of the same name – on behalf of his mother on May 24.
“This award belongs not just to my mother, but to all those in Burma who continue to resist tyranny with courage and dignity,” Aris shared on social media on May 17. He added that he is grateful to the award committee and all those around the world who continue to fight for freedom in Myanmar.
The 16th annual Citizen of Burma Award is being bestowed upon Aung San Suu Kyi ahead of her 80th birthday on June 19. She’s currently serving a 27-year prison sentence in the capital Naypyidaw, where she’s been held since her National League for Democracy (NLD) was ousted from government and she was arrested in a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
“This event demonstrates a united voice for Myanmar people both locally and internationally,” Kyaw Wunna, the founder of Citizen of Burma Award told DVB. “People like us, who live abroad, will continue to work for the release of [Aung San Suu Kyi] and all political prisoners,” he added.
Aris told DVB that he has only received one letter from his mother in the last four years of her detention. He added that he heard rumors that she may have been injured during the March 28 earthquake, but has not received any proof of life from her, or the regime.
Two years ago, he received a letter from his mother thanking him for a medical care package he had sent to her in prison.
Aris launched the “Suu 80th birthday campaign” in January to raise international awareness about his mother’s deteriorating health condition and prolonged detention, along with the 22,106 other political prisoners that the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has documented being held in Myanmar.
Aris told DVB that he has raised $400,000 USD in donations by selling calendars and other items featuring Burmese art, including the work of Nilar Thein. She was the wife of Ko Jimmy (aka Kyaw Min Yu), one of the pro-democracy activists sentenced to death and executed in prison by the regime in 2022.
A total of 8,000 calendars have been sold, added Aris, who wants to set a world record for the most birthday wishes and e-cards ahead of Aung San Suu Kyi’s 80th birthday on June 19.
During his visit to the U.S. in March, Aris visited seven states and met with over 5,000 members of the Myanmar diaspora. He also met with several U.S. government officials, Australian economist and former NLD economic advisor Sean Turnell, as well as officials from the National Unity Government (NUG).
The Citizen of Burma Award has been given each year, since 2010, to a Myanmar citizen who contributes to knowledge, labor, skills and resources towards social services and charities for “the Burmese community inside Burma,” according to the organization’s mission statement.
For those unable to attend the ceremony on May 24, the Citizen of Burma Award is making the event available to watch for free on its website and Facebook page.
The NUG Foreign Minister Zin Mar Aung, the Deputy Human Rights Minister Aung Kyaw Moe, and the previous recipient of the Citizen of Burma Award – Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the U.N. – Kyaw Moe Tun, will attend the ceremony.
Each winner of the Citizen of Burma Award receives $10,000 USD, according to Kyaw Wunna.
