Aung San Suu Kyi to Accept Award in US

A U.S.-based advocacy group says Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will travel to New York in September to receive its Global Citizen Award.

A spokeswoman for the Atlantic Council says the opposition leader will receive the award "in person."

The trip will mark Aung San Suu Kyi's first trip to the United States since the 1980s, when she worked for the United Nations.

The Atlantic Council says it will honor Aung San Suu Kyi on September 21, for her "unwavering devotion to democracy and human rights."  It also says the Nobel laureate is "an international symbol of freedom and human dignity."

The invitation comes as a high-level U.S. delegation including dozens of business leaders visits Burma to explore investment opportunities in the rapidly reforming nation.

Aung San Suu Kyi is urging Western nations to be cautious about relaxing sanctions against Burma.

Last week, the United States formally lifted sanctions against Burma, allowing U.S. investment in the country for the first time in 15 years.

^{View the timeline of Aung San Suu Kyi through the years}