Aung San Suu Kyi pays tribute to BBC on tour of UK

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met former BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Dave Lee Travis (centre) and composer Jonathan Dove (left), during her UK tour, BBC News reports.

Aung San Suu Kyi has thanked the BBC World Service for keeping her “in touch”, during her years of house arrest in Burma.

On the first day of a UK tour, she met the BBC’s director general and staff at the BBC Burmese Service in London.

“Because of the BBC I never lost touch with my people, with the movement for democracy in Burma and with the rest of the world,” she said.

Ms Suu Kyi also met former Radio 1 disc jockey Dave Lee Travis, whose BBC World Service show she listened to while detained.

During a brief conversation, Ms Suu Kyi recalled how she was “thrilled” to hear a young Burmese boy speaking on his programme for the first time.

Ms Suu Kyi was also introduced to composer Jonathan Dove, who is writing a musical tribute to her, which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 later this year.