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Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Greeted Warmly in India


Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the Indira Gandhi international airport where she was greeted by India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai (R), New Delhi, November 13, 2012.
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the Indira Gandhi international airport where she was greeted by India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai (R), New Delhi, November 13, 2012.
Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by a crowd of supporters as she arrived Tuesday in New Delhi, her first trip to India in four decades.

The Nobel laureate will meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other top officials during her week-long visit. She will also visit her alma mater, the Lady Sri Ram College for Women in New Delhi.

Her visit is seen as an effort to restore ties between the Burmese opposition and India, which engaged with the country's oppressive former military rulers during the 1990s.

Aung San Suu Kyi spent most of the last two decades in house arrest or other forms of detention under the former leadership. A nominally civilian leadership came to power last year, allowing her to successfully run for a seat in parliament.

Ahead of the visit, the 67-year-old told India's The Hindu newspaper that she was saddened, although not surprised, at India's relationship with Burma's military rulers, given her close relationship with the country.

Aung San Suu Kyi studied politics in New Delhi after her mother, Khin Kyi, was appointed as Burma's ambassador to India in 1960.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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