BEHIND THE STAGE
As leader of the Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi ‘dominated’ the UPA government under former PM Mahmohan Singh, Suu Kyi eyes something similar
1885: Centuries of rule by a Buddhist monarchy ended with the defeat and exile of Burma’s last king by the British. A lengthy period of Western colonialism began and Burma became a province of British India.
1941-1945: Japan occupied Burma during World War II. Nationalist hero Aung San fought with the Japanese, but turned against them in the closing stages of the war.
1948: Burma attained full independence from the British on January 4, a dream Aung San never lived to see following his assassination months earlier.
1962: General Ne Win seized power in a coup, turning the country into an authoritarian one-party state.
1988: The military responded brutally, killing 3,000 protesters. Suu Kyi emerged as a key opposition leader.
1989: Junta changes the country’s name to Myanmar.
1990: Suu Kyi’s NLD won elections but the result was ignored by the military who launch a new crackdown. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for 20 years.
1991: Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize.
2007: Major protests dubbed the “Saffron revolution” break out over the summer, partially led by Buddhist monks. Junta eventually responded once more with violence, killing scores of protesters.
2012: NLD won 43 out of 45 seats in April by-elections. Suu Kyi became an MP.
2015: Campaigning began for crunch polls.