Aung San Suu Kyi Quotations

Whatever help we may want from the international community now or in the future, we want to make sure that this help is tailored to help our people to help themselves.

To be forgotten, is to die a little.

I wish people wouldn't think of me as a saint - unless they agree with the definition of a saint that a saint's a sinner who goes on trying.

If you look at the democratic process as a game of chess, there have to be many, many moves before you get to checkmate. And simply because you do not make any checkmate in three moves does not mean it's stalemate. There's a vast difference between no checkmate and stalemate. This is what the democratic process is like.

If I were the blushing kind, I would blush to be called a hero.

I would like to have seen my sons growing up.

I do protect human rights, and I hope I shall always be looked up as a champion of human rights.

I don't think you can work on feelings in politics, apart from anything else, political change can come very unexpectedly, sometimes overnight when you least expect it.

The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity. It is a struggle that encompasses our political, social and economic aspirations.

Peace as a goal is an ideal which will not be contested by any government or nation, not even the most belligerent.

I think sometimes if you are alone, you are freer because your time is your own.

The Nobel Peace Prize opened up a door in my heart.

With the right kind of institutions, starting with the rule of law, Burma could progress very quickly.

After all it was my father who founded the Burmese army and I do have a sense of warmth towards the Burmese army.

Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.

What does Burma have to give the United States? We can give you the opportunity to engage with people who are ready and willing to change a society.

I think when the people in Burma stop thinking about whether or not they're free, it'll mean that they're free.

I've always been strongly on the side of non-violence.

We want to empower our people; we want to strengthen them; we want to provide them with the kind of qualifications that will enable them to build up their own country themselves.

The value systems of those with access to power and of those far removed from such access cannot be the same. The viewpoint of the privileged is unlike that of the underprivileged.

Fundamental violations of human rights always lead to people feeling less and less human.

The democracy process provides for political and social change without violence.

If you can make people understand why freedom is so important through the arts, that would be a big help.

Human beings the world over need freedom and security that they may be able to realize their full potential.

All repressive laws must be revoked, and laws introduced to protect the rights of the people.

My opinion is the greatest reward that any government could get is the approval of the people. If the people are happy and the people are at peace and the government has done something for them, that's the greatest reward I think any government could hope for.

My attitude is, do as much as I can while I'm free. And if I'm arrested I'll still do as much as I can.

The history of the world shows that peoples and societies do not have to pass through a fixed series of stages in the course of development.

The judiciary in Burma is not independent. It's widely known, everybody knows that.

Dissidents can't be dissidents forever; we are dissidents because we don't want to be dissidents.

I haven't heard any music on the BBC World Service in a long time. Maybe I'm listening at the wrong times. But not one single piece of music.

In terms of the history of a far reaching movement, 20 years is not that long.

We will not change in matters of policy until such time as dialogue has begun.

I could listen to the radio and I had access to books from time to time. Not all the time.

When we think of the state of the economy, we are not thinking in terms of money flow. We are thinking in terms of the effect on everyday lives of people.

Every government must consider the security of the country. That is just part of the responsibilities of any government. But true security can only come out of unity within a country where there are so many ethnic nationalities.

I don't want Burma to be a basket case forever.

I've always said that the more coordinated the efforts of the international community are, the better it will be for democracy in Burma.

I was a bit of a coward when I was small. I was terribly frightened of the dark.

One wants to be together with one's family. That's what families are about.

I was heartened that people everywhere want certain basic freedoms, even if they live in a totally different cultural environment.

In the end, I think people prefer the good to win rather than the bad.

Maybe it is something to do with age, but I have become fonder of poetry than of prose.

You cannot compromise unless people talk to you.

Sometimes I think that a parody of democracy could be more dangerous than a blatant dictatorship, because that gives people an opportunity to avoid doing anything about it.

I do not hold to non-violence for moral reasons, but for political and practical reasons.

I think, if you have enough inner resources, then you can live in isolation for long periods of time and not feel diminished by it.

All military regimes use security as the reason why they should remain in power. It's nothing original.

I have been free for more than a month. Some people may think that that is long enough. Others may think that that is not quite long enough.

I am not unaware of the saying that more tears have been shed over wishes granted than wishes denied.

Frankly, if you do politics, you should not be thinking about your dignity.

A family is very special. So when a family splits up, it's not good, it's never good.

I only used a cell phone for the first time after I was released. I had difficulty coping with it because it seemed so small and insubstantial.

At this age, I should be leading a quiet life.

Even one voice can be heard loudly all over the world in this day and age.

I think by now I have made it fairly clear that I am not very happy with the word hope. I don't believe in people just hoping. We work for what we want. I always say that one has no right to hope without endeavor, so we work to try and bring about the situation that is necessary for the country, and we are confident that we will get to the negotiation table at one time or another. This is the way all such situations pan out even with the most truculent dictator.

I felt that it was my duty not to senselessly waste my time. And since I didn't want to waste my time, I tried to accomplish as much as possible.

When the Nobel Committee chose to honor me, the road I had chosen of my own free will became a less lonely path to follow.

There is so much that we need to do for our country. I don't think that we can afford to wait.

The people have given me their support; they have given me their trust and confidence. My colleagues have suffered a lot in order to give me support. I do not look upon my life as a sacrifice at all.

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.

More people, especially young people, are realising that if they want change, they've got to go about it themselves – they can't depend on a particular person, ie me, to do all the work. They are less easy to fool than they used to be, they now know what's going on all over the world.

What I have experienced is nothing compared to what political prisoners in prisons suffer.

Democracy is when the people keep a government in check.

Fires of suffering and strife are raging around the world.

In politics, you also have to be cautiously optimistic.

I think I was the healthiest prisoner of conscience in the world.

One person alone can't do anything as important as bringing genuine democracy to a country.

I don't think I have achieved anything that I can really be proud of.

We always think that everybody can do a little bit more, if not a lot more.

Confidence-building is not something that can go on forever. If it goes on forever then it becomes counterproductive.

I knew some of the army quite well.

If I was afraid of being killed, I would never speak out against the government.

In general people feel more relaxed about participating in politics. They aren't frightened as they used to be.

It doesn't seem right for anybody to get so much attention.

Of course I regret not having been able to spend time with my family.

Sanctions and boycotts would be tied to serious political dialogue.

We are not out to boast that there is so much percentage of growth per year. Our real concern is how it affects the lives of people, the future of our country.

I learned to work on a computer years before I was placed under house arrest. Fortunately I had two laptops when I was under house arrest - one an Apple and one a different operating system. I was very proud of that because I know how to use both systems.

A revolution simply means great change, significant change, and that's how I'm defining it - great change for the better, brought about through non-violent means.

I was surprised by the response of young people because there is a perception that those younger than the 1988 generation are not interested in politics.

Regime is made up of people, so I do put faces to regimes and governments, so I feel that all human beings have the right to be given the benefit of the doubt, and they also have to be given the right to try to redeem themselves if they so wish.

I think I should be active politically. Because I look upon myself as a politician. That's not a dirty work you know. Some people think that there are something wrong with politicians. Of course, something wrong with some politicians.

It could achieve a lot if everyone in Burma could stop saying something is good if it is not good, or say something is just if it is not just.

Once serious political dialogue has begun, the international community can assume that we have achieved genuine progress along the road to real democratisation.

I am prepared to talk with anyone. I have no personal grudge toward anybody.

The judiciary must be strengthened and released from political interference.

I don't understand why people say that I am full of courage. I feel terribly nervous.

When I was under house arrest, it was the BBC that spoke to me - I listened.

A more significant phase should mean serious political dialogue.

I feel that the BBC World Service is not as versatile as it used to be - or perhaps I'm not listening at the right times.

I saw many aspects of the country which I needed to see in order that I might know what we need to do.

I've never thought of myself as being particularly brave - I used to be frightened of the dark when I was small. And I'm not very good with dead rats and things like that. But I face what has to be faced and I hope as best as I'm able.

When you think of Buddhism, you're likely to think of peace and tranquility.

That's not how politics works - sometimes things move in a rather imperceptible way. There are no fireworks, and then comes a time when change comes unexpectedly. Sometimes change comes with a lot of fireworks, but not always.

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.

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.

A lot of the roads, bridges, railways, and such are built through the use of forced labor, and that is causing the people great suffering. What we put into this in the form of human suffering is not worth what comes out of it.

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.

If the restrictions on the work of my party and on me personally are not removed in the very, very near future - that is in a matter of days - I think the United States should start thinking seriously of sanctions. This is really about as bad as it has ever been.