Statement by the Norwegian Nobel Committee
Statement by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, 1 February 2021, on the situation in Myanmar
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is appalled by the military coup in Myanmar and the arrest of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, president Win Myint and other political leaders. Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1991 in recognition of her brave struggle for democracy in Myanmar. She has continued to be a leading figure in developing democracy, both during the years when she was kept captive by the military and after her subsequent release. Now, 30 years after she was awarded the Peace Prize, the military has once again pushed democracy aside and arrested leading representatives of the legally elected government. The Norwegian Nobel Committee asks for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other arrested politicians, and for the result of last year’s general election to be respected.
