Congressman Richardson first met in early 1994 with Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, the strong-arm military leader of Burma, about releasing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. On Feb. 14, 1994, Richardson became the first non-family member permitted to visit her since her house arrest in 1989.

Richardson later urged Khin Nyunt to open a dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, which was finally arranged on Sept. 20, 1994.

Richardson visited again Burma again in May 1995 and was allowed to visit the infamous Insein Prison, where he spoke to several Burmese political prisoners. While some prisoners were periodically released following that visit, military leaders refused to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest until July 10, 1995, just one day before the expiration of her detention order. Since then, she has been in and out of house arrest.

In May 2002, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was permitted to reorganizer her political party , but a year later, she was back under house arrest. She was once again released from house arrest in November 2010. Since then, she has pledged to lead a non-violent revolution.