I had the once in a lifetime opportunity today to see Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy and human rights champion. Suu Kyi participated in a roundtable on the rule of law at the LSE and was her typical, passionate and eloquent self. I am pretty certain I don’t have to explain or detail her life to readers of JiC. For many (including myself) she is on par with remarkable human beings like the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.

It isn’t everyday that the opportunity arises to see someone of the stature and humility of Aung San Suu Kyi. It is even more rare to see them on their birthday. But to everyone’s surprise and joy, Suu Kyi’s was celebrating her 67th birthday today. The one thousand or so people who came to see her joined in a raucous chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’. Making the event only more moving was the fact, well-known to the audience, that Suu Kyi has enjoyed far, far too few birthdays in freedom after two decades of house arrest.

While it’s far from stunning quality, I managed to capture this touching (and at one point, even funny!) moment and thought readers might enjoy seeing it too.