On Tuesday, the White House announced that President George W. Bush signed H.R. 4286 to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s prime minister-elect who has been under house arrest for the past six years. The enrolled bill was sent to the President on May 1, President Bush singed the bill after the recent natural disaster in the country now called Myanmar and the problems with trying to get aid to the people posed by the current military government.
Aung San Suu Kyi is the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for her work on behalf of the Burmese people. When award the $1.3 million prize, Ms. Suu Kyi used the money to establish a health and education fund for Burma. She is the only Nobel Peace Prize winner imprisoned. Congress will present her with the gold medal to recognize her commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights and democracy in Burma.
H.R. 4286 call for the Secretary of the Treasury to “shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions.” The Secretary can also strike duplicate bronze and gold medals for sale to the public at a price to be determine. Proceeds from the sale of duplicate medals will be deposited in the US Mint Public Enterprise Fund.