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Nia with Aung San Suu Kyi

 Nia Griffith MP was thrilled to have the chance to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in person, after listening to her historic address to Parliament in Westminster Hall last week. Introducing her as a leader and a stateswoman, the Speaker explained that this was a truly historic moment as “… only a few international figures – Charles de Gaulle, Nelson Mandela, Pope Benedict XVI and Barack Obama – have spoken here. Today Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will become the first figure other than a Head of State, the first woman from abroad and the first citizen of Asia to do so.”
The message of Aung San Suu Kyi ‘s speech was clear; whilst events in Burma are encouraging, there is no room for complacency and much still needs to change.  She also asked for more outside support for the transition to democracy, saying, “I am here in part to ask for practical help, help as a friend and an equal, in support of the reforms, which can bring better lives, greater opportunities, to the people of Burma who have been for so long deprived of their rights and their place in the world”
Nia later met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the Foreign Office and commented, “It was a real privilege to meet Aung San Suu Kyi and hear her speak today. We must continue to help the people of Burma during this very challenging period of transition to democracy, and do everything we can to encourage the Burmese government to implement meaningful and lasting reform.”