In Oxford, Aung San Suu Kyi married and had two children. She returned to Burma in 1988 to look after her dying mother. At the time of her arrival there was much political unrest and pro-democracy protests. Several thousand people were killed. In August Aung San Suu Kyi made her first speech in Rangoon to many thousands calling for peaceful change. At the time she talked to the BBC:

"There have been long processions marching into town very orderly, very disciplined and all calling for democracy it's really very exhilarating. I'm sure that all the same heads of government realise that this is a very united movement of people and that it would be very foolish if they were to try to crack down."

In September there was a military takeover and Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest. In 1990 the Generals who were now in charge called elections. Even though Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest, the National League for Democracy party won in eighty percent of the constituencies. The military dictatorship refused to step down and responded by arresting more than 200 MPs. Aung San Suu Kyi was to remain a prisoner in her own home for six years.