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Suu Kyi takes oath of office in Myanmar parliament
Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sworn in as a member of parliament, opening a new chapter in the Nobel laureate's near quarter-century struggle against authoritarian rule in her country.
The 66-year-old, stood to read the brief oath together with 33 other members of her National League for Democracy party elected to the lower house in April.
The oath hands Suu Kyi public office for the first time and marks a transformation in the fortunes of the opposition leader, who was held under house arrest for much of the last 20 years but is now central to the nation's tentative transition to democracy.
Suu Kyi had initially baulked at taking the oath, specifically a sentence pledging to "safeguard" the army-created constitution.
But on Monday she backed down after the head of the nominally civilian government Thein Sein held firm over the oath, explaining it was the "desire of the people" to see her party in office after breakthrough April 1 by-elections.
The international community greeted her election as a step towards democracy and had urged Suu Kyi, who drew huge crowds on the campaign trail, to take her seat amid fears her refusal could stall the transition from military rule.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon welcomed her climbdown over the oath, expressing hope of further cooperation between the NLD and Thein Sein's government.
In comments later echoed by the US State Department, Ban said his meetings in Myanmar this week with Thein Sein and the NLD leader had left him "convinced that they will continue to make progress."
