Dissident Suu Kyi of Myanmar Learns of Her Nobel Prize

Dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest in Myanmar, has learned that she won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize and is delighted, the awards committee said Friday.

Francis Sejersted, chairman of the Oslo-based committee, said a reliable source confirmed that Suu Kyi, 46, knows about the award that she won Oct. 14. He refused to give details, saying he wished to protect the source.

Another Nobel committee official, Geir Lundestad, said Suu Kyi had started a hunger strike to protest the worsening conditions of her house arrest, including the stationing of soldiers in her home in Yangon, capital of Myanmar, formerly Burma.

“We now know that these soldiers have entered her house and that resulted in her starting a hunger strike,” Lundestad said. “We don’t know what her condition is right now.”

Norwegian state radio NRK said Suu Kyi was believed to have started the hunger strike two weeks ago and that it was not clear whether she was continuing it.

Sejersted said Suu Kyi was thrilled at winning the Peace Prize. “She was said to be delighted and referred to the prize as an encouragement to positive developments in Burma,” said Sejersted.