In the summer of 1988 student-led demonstrations erupted across Burma in protest against the one-party system.  Within days, Aung San Suu Kyi became the focus of Burmese people's hopes, speaking out for human rights and multi-party elections.  But the demonstrations were harshly put down with large numbers of people killed.  Martial law was imposed and the universities closed.
 
Thousands of Burmese students fled across the border to Thailand. In response to their plight, well-wishers set about raising money to send them basic provisions.  One was the businessman and philanthropist Alan Hall, Prospect Burma's first chairman, who gave the charity its name and its focus on education. In the early days we raised funds for books and classes in refugee schools, and awarded an annual scholarship to an exiled student to go to university.

In 1991 Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize, and since then she has donated part of the income from that and other prize money to us.  Her support, together with generous donations from other people and organisations, has meant that we have been able to expand our work with students dramatically.