Aung San Suu Kyi

So, I think that for the authorities to say now that calling for sanctions will prevent dialogue is a ploy to stop us from supporting sanctions. It has to be the other way around: dialogue first, then we stop our call for sanctions, because sanctions make people understand that you cannot exercise repression and at the same time expect international support.

There have been many claims that [U.S.] sanctions have hurt Burma economically, but I did not agree with that point of view. If you look at reports by the IMF, for example, they make quite clear that the economic impact on Burma has not been that great. But I think the political impact has been very great and that has helped us in our struggle for democracy.

The act of willingly subtracting from one\'s own limited store of the good and the agreeable for the sake of adding to that of others reflects the understanding that individual happiness needs a base broader than the mere satisfaction of selfish passions. From there, it is not such a large step to the realization that respecting the susceptibilities and rights of others is as important as defending one\'s own susceptibilities and rights if civilized society is to be safeguarded.

There can be no civil peace without the rule of law.

We have been making constant efforts, all the time, to start dialogue with the SLORC, but you know it takes two. We don\'t want a monologue. We would like a substantive political dialogue among the SLORC, political leaders including myself, and leaders of ethnic groups-exactly as stipulated in the U.N. General Assembly resolution on Burma.

It\'s very difficult to have any faith in the sincerity of the SLORC about stamping out drug production if they find it so easy to forgive a drug baron whom at one time they said they would never, never forgive and would never, never regard as anything but a drug runner. The SLORC is far more aggressive in its attitude toward the National League for Democracy than against drug traffickers.

I still oppose \'Visit Myanmar Year,\' and I would ask tourists to stay away. Burma is not going to run away. They should come back to Burma at a time when it is a democratic society where people are secure - where there is justice, where there is rule of law. They\'ll have a much better time. And they can travel around Burma with a clear conscience.

The important thing is Burma needs to end the civil war and for this to happen both sides must want to end the war.

The [Burmese] government appears to be more interested in stamping out political activity than drug addiction. Very few university students on the campus could get away with engaging in political activities, but they seem to be able to get away with taking drugs. We have heard that it is very easy to obtain drugs on the university campuses.

Because of rampant inflation, living standards have been dropping for the great majority of the population. The people are poorer because standards of health and education have fallen. And conditions in the rural areas are worse off than they have ever been. So, you cannot equate the so-called open-market economy adopted by the SLORC with any real development that benefits people.

I think corporations should give more attention to this suffering and should wait to invest until there is a responsible government in Burma. I do not think it is a good idea to separate economics from politics; in fact, I do not think economics can be separated from politics It\'s quite understandable that many business concerns think only about their own profits It\'s up to the public to put as much pressure as it can on these companies, through shareholder resolutions and public actions.

Investment that only goes to enrich an already wealthy elite bent on monopolizing both economic and political power cannot contribute toward e?galite? and justice - the foundation stones for a sound democracy.

Burmese authors and artists can play the role that artists everywhere play. They help to mold the outlook of a society - not the whole outlook and they are not the only ones to mold the outlook of society, but they have an important role to play there. And I think if they take up this role seriously and link it to the kind of changes were wish to bring about in our country they could be a tremendous help.

You must remember that democracy is made up not only of the executive, but the legislature and the judiciary.

In Burma, we need to find out what we have to do in order to keep the democratization process on track. Economic reforms have to be taken one by one. You see it\'s not just speed that\'s important, it\'s sequencing as well. You\'ve got to get the speed right; you have to get the sequencing right.

At the moment I would like to emphasize the need for vocational training, for non-formal education in Burma to help all those young people who have suffered from a bad education. They have to be trained to earn their living. They have to have enough education vocational training to be able to set up respectable lives for themselves.

In Burma, under the present Constitution, the Army can always take over all parts of government if they think this is necessary. so until the Army comes out clearly and consistently in support of the democratic process we cannot say that it\'s irreversible. But I don\'t think we need fear a reversal too much either.

What we are lacking in Burma is an independence effective judiciary, and unless we have all three of the democratic institutions - strong and healthy, we cannot say that our democratic processes (is complete).

I think there\'s a need for the participation of the military for the stability of the transformation period of Burma. If the military and the people do unite together for the sake of our country, we can reach the development of our country in a very short time.

Art history is always changing too.

There\'s a certain age when your height stops growing and you cannot change that. This sort of body growth cannot be fixed. But there are many things that can be changed. You might have a small body structure but there are opportunities to make yourself very fit and healthy. So we\'ll have to work hard in many aspects.

The terms of the 2008 constitution [which ensures the military will continue to be the ultimate authority] could not benefit Burma in the long run. I think this constitution should be revised.

I have been arrested time and time again, and my colleagues, too. I cannot guarantee that I\'ll not be arrested again. But it\'s not something that weighs on my mind. I\'ll do what I can while I\'m free. If they arrest me again, I\'ll do what I can while I\'m under arrest.

I\'ve always been strongly on the side of non-violence. Also, I think that if you use the wrong means, the ends themselves get distorted.

India and Burma have been close friends since the days we were struggling for independence. And I\'m a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, and all those leaders of India\'s independence movement. I would like to believe the aspirations and hopes we shared in the past will continue to bind us in the future.

Peace, development, and justice are all connected to each other. We cannot talk about economic development without talking about peace. How can we expect economic development in a battlefield?

I don\'t seem to have time to breathe. Everything\'s happening so quickly, and so much is happening all the time.

We cannot be caught in the bond of suspicion. We have to carry out what we should be doing with a firm determination.

People need security of the mind. Why do they want democracy? Because it can give them freedom and security in a balanced way.

There are those who argue that the concept of human rights is not applicable to all cultures. We in the National League for Democracy believe that human rights are of universal relevance. But even those who do not believe in human rights must certainly agree that the rule of law is most important. Without the rule of law there can be no peace.