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

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

Fear is not the natural state of civilized people.

Unless there is free and fair competition, there can't be healthy economic development. And what we have in Burma now is not an open-market economy that allows free and fair competition, but a form of colonialism makes a few people very, very wealthy. It's what you would crony capitalism.

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.

The important thing is fear should not control your actions. It should not dictate what you do.

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