Aung San Suu Kyi awarded Palme prize

Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has long been under house arrest in Myanmar, has been named winner of the Olof Palme prize, organisers said today. The award is given by the family of the slain Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme and the governing Social Democratic Party.

Kyi was cited for being ‘‘an outstanding example of the efforts to attain democracy by the people of Burma, where respect for human rights, ethnic unity, and a life in peace remain only a dream,’’ the organisers said in a statement.

The $50,000 prize will be presented on February 28, the anniversary of the 1986 shooting of Palme as he and his wife walked home unguarded from a movie theatre.

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The organisers said Kyi was awarded the prize for her ‘‘unyielding fight for a democratic Burma’’.

‘‘To her compatriots, she is known as the ‘‘Iron Butterfly’’, a name alluding both to her peaceful struggle and her courage and strength of character.

‘‘To people around the world fighting oppression, she is an important symbol of peaceful opposition to repressive power,’’ the group said.