It was 20 July, 1989 when the world renowned Burmese hero, Aung San Suu Kyi, was placed under house arrest. It has been more than 20 years and she has now been freed from house arrest. The streets of Rangoon are once again under euphoria as Aung San Suu Kyi is back to the limelight. Her party, the National League for Democarcy (NLD), has swept the by-elections. They have won 43 out of 44 seats on which they contested.

She is commonly referred to as 'The Lady' and she is giving hope to millions of Burmese. She is hopeful that things may change even after 50 years of curbing of political freedom and disastrous economic policies.

"No longer do you have to be afraid to speak your minds. No longer shall you fear repression. Go out and say what you want to say." said Ms. Suu Kyi in one of her political rallies in early March south of Mandalay. This kind of speech and rally would have been unimaginable just a few months back. But times have changed now. Today thousands of shopkeepers across Rangoon are beaming with hope and enthusiasm over Burma's future.

Team MSN She