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.

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).

In politics, you also have to be cautiously optimistic.

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

I was speaking to a writer the other day and he gave me a valuable piece of advice. He said that you may get to where you want to go quicker through violence, but the healing process takes longer. Whereas if you don't use violence, there is not much healing necessary, so you win in the long run.

I don't want to see the military falling. I want to see the military rising to dignified heights of professionalism and true patriotism.

I do not believe that I'm sacrificing, in fact I feel very uneasy when others used the word sacrifice to describe my life. It sounds like I'm demanding returns for my investments. I chose to walk on this journey, because I solely believed in it and wholeheartedly decided to do so, and I'm willing and able to pay for the consequences.