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Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has collected her Sakharov Prize for "freedom of thought" from MEPs, 23 years after she was awarded it.

She was nominated as the recipient of the annual prize in 1990, when she was under house arrest for her role in the 1988 pro-democracy protests in Burma.

She told MEPs her appearance in Strasbourg was a "joyous and meaningful occasion" and praised the sentiments of the Sakharov Prize.

"Freedom of thought is essential for human progress," she told a packed chamber on 22 October 2013.

She continued; "Whether we are Europeans, Asians, Africans, Australians or Americans we are one, based on the birthright of every human being of a dignified and secure existence. "

A nominally civilian government took power in Burma after elections in November 2010 that ended military rule.

The new administration, led by President Thein Sein, has introduced a series of political and economic reforms, including the release of many political prisoners and the easing of media censorship.

Most sanctions against Burma have now been relaxed in response to the changes.

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