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 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.

Burmese political culture lacks an understanding of negotiated compromise. We have to build up that kind of culture.

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

The people of my country want the two freedoms that spell security: freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Since we live in this world, we have to do our best for this world.

It's very difficult to have any faith in the sincerity of the SLORC about stamping out drug production if they find it so easy to forgive a drug baron whom at one time they said they would never, never forgive and would never, never regard as anything but a drug runner. The SLORC is far more aggressive in its attitude toward the National League for Democracy than against drug traffickers.