World | Aung San Suu Kyi Suu Kyi Can Be President: Burma's Leader Thein Sein: It all 'depends on the will of the people' By Neal Colgrass Posted Sep 29, 2012 6:01 PM CDT Copied In this April 23, 2012, photo, Myanmar President Thein Sein speaks during a news conference in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, File) While Suu Kyi continues her 17-day US tour, Burmese President Thein Sein made his most glowing remarks about her so far—saying she could become Burma's president. "Whether she will become a leader of the nation depends on the will of the people," he said in a BBC interview. "If the people accept her, then I will have to accept her." Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest in Burma for repeatedly criticizing its leaders. As for Suu Kyi, she received an honorary degree from Nancy Pelosi today at the University of San Francisco, the AP reports. The Nobel Peace Prize winner spoke to the crowd of roughly 5,000—first in Burmese, then English—urging factions in Burma to take greater steps toward peace. Conflicts still roil the Southeast Asian nation, the BBC notes, including a recent eruption of violence between the Buddhist Rakhine people and Muslim Rohingya people. Read These Next Miami-Dade may have made a $400 million mistake. Judge rules '86-47' flag is no threat. Clint Eastwood's son has some big news, in case you missed it. Store owner who chased, shot Black teen in back found not guilty. Report an error