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

The provision of basic material needs is not sufficient to make minority groups and indigenous peoples feel they are truly part of the greater national entity. For that they have to be confident that they too have an active role to play in shaping the destiny of the state that demands their allegiance.

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

Every thought, every word, and every action that adds to the positive and the wholesome is a contribution to peace. Each and every one of us is capable of making such a contribution.

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

Perhaps Singapore could learn from us a more relaxed way of life.

My attitude to peace is rather based on the Burmese definition of peace - it really means removing all the negative factors that destroy peace in this world. So peace does not mean just putting an end to violence or to war, but to all other factors that threaten peace, such as discrimination, such as inequality, poverty.