Burma is not yet a full-fledged democracy. We have started working on the road to full democracy. We have a lot of things to do in order to build a democratic structure and to be become a full-fledged democracy.

It is his capacity for self-improvement and self-redemption which most distinguishes man from the mere brute.

For me, 'revolution' simply means radical change.

To view the opposition as dangerous is to misunderstand the basic concepts of democracy. To oppress the opposition is to assault the very foundation of democracy.

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

Part of our struggle is to make the international community understand that we are a poor country not because there is an insufficiency of resources and investment, but because we are deprived of the basic institutions and practices that make for good government.

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.