PUBLIC LAW 110–209—MAY 6, 2008 122 STAT. 721 

Public Law 110–209 

110th Congress 

An Act 

To award a congressional gold medal to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition 

of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human 

rights, and democracy in Burma. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds as follows: 

(1) Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945, in 

Rangoon, Burma, to Aung San, commander of the Burma 

Independence Army, and Ma Khin Kyi. 

(2) On August 15, 1988, Ms. Suu Kyi, in her first political 

action, sent an open letter to the military controlled government 

asking for free, open, and multi-party elections. 

(3) On September 24, 1988, the National League for Democracy (NLD) was formed, with Ms. Suu Kyi as the generalsecretary, and it was, and remains, dedicated to a policy of 

non-violence and civil disobedience. 

(4) Ms. Suu Kyi was subsequently placed under house 

arrest, where she remained for the next 6 years—without being 

charged or put on trial—and has been imprisoned twice more; 

she currently remains under house arrest. 

(5) Despite her detention, the National League for Democracy won an open election with an overwhelming 82 percent 

of the vote—which the military junta nullified. 

(6) While under house arrest, she has bravely refused offers 

to leave the country to continue to promote freedom and democracy in Burma. 

(7) For her efforts on behalf of the Burmese people, she 

has been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 

in 1990, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, and the 

Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. 

(8) Ms. Suu Kyi continues to fight on behalf of the Burmese 

people, even donating her $1.3 million from her Nobel Prize 

to establish a health and education fund for Burma. 

(9) She is the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize 

recipient, spending more than 12 of the past 17 years under 

house arrest. 

(10) Despite an assassination attempt against her life, her 

prolonged illegal imprisonment, the constant public vilification 

of her character, and her inability to see her children or to 

see her husband before his death, Ms. Suu Kyi remains committed to peaceful dialogue with her captors, Burma’s military 

31 USC 5111 

note. 

May 6, 2008 

[H.R. 4286] 


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122 STAT. 722 PUBLIC LAW 110–209—MAY 6, 2008 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4286: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 

Vol. 153 (2007): Dec. 17, considered and passed House. 

Vol. 154 (2008): Apr. 24, considered and passed Senate. 

WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 44 (2008): 

May 6, Presidential remarks. 

Æ 

regime, and Burma’s ethnic nationalities towards bringing 

democracy, human rights, and national reconciliation to Burma. 

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the House 

of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate 

shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 

behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, 

to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her courageous and 

unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and 

democracy in Burma. 

(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the presentation 

referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred 

to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with 

suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by 

the Secretary. 

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 

gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regulations 

as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the 

cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 

and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal. 

SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursuant to this 

Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, 

United States Code. 

(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 5134 and 

5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under 

this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE. 

(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is authorized 

to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs 

of the medals struck pursuant to this Act. 

(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the sale of 

duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. 

Approved May 6, 2008. 


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