Myanmar's Suu Kyi leaves for U.S. visit.

2012-09-16 165

STORY: Pro-democracy leader and Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi left Yangon Sunday evening for the United States.

This is Suu Kyi's first visit to the U.S. in two decades. She is expected to meet with President Barack Obama and will receive a myriad of awards including the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award in the country bestowed by the U.S. Congress.

Suu Kyi is constantly followed by a storm of media in Myanmar and ignored a question for comments on the trip.

"It's not very good if you push a lot," she said.

Myanmar's President Thein Sein and his nominally civilian government took office in March of last year. He urged Suu Kyi to run for Parliament, a seat she easily won in the April by-elections along with 43 other National League for Democracy party members.