The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear
Some of the most relaxing weekends I have ever enjoyed were those I spent quietly with a sense of all work to date completed, and an absorbing mystery.
I've been repeating ad nauseam that we in Burma, we are weak with regard to the culture of negotiated compromises, that we have to develop the ability to achieve such compromises.
I don't think of myself as unbreakable. Perhaps I'm just rather flexible and adaptable.
I don't believe in professional dissidents. I think it's just a phase, like adolescence.
When I was under house arrest, it was the BBC that spoke to me - I listened.
I learned to work on a computer years before I was placed under house arrest. Fortunately I had two laptops when I was under house arrest - one an Apple and one a different operating system. I was very proud of that because I know how to use both systems.
My attitude is, do as much as I can while I'm free. And if I'm arrested I'll still do as much as I can.
As long as there is no law in Burma, any individual here can be arrested at any time.
Assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN isn't going to do anything about improving the lives of people.
It is often in the name of cultural integrity as well as social stability and national security that democratic reforms based on human rights are resisted by authoritarian governments.
I don't want Burma to be a basket case forever.
Peace as a goal is an ideal which will not be contested by any government or nation, not even the most belligerent.
Sometimes I think that a parody of democracy could be more dangerous than a blatant dictatorship, because that gives people an opportunity to avoid doing anything about it.
If I advocate cautious optimism it is not because I do not have faith in the future but because I do not want to encourage blind faith.
If I were the blushing kind, I would blush to be called a hero.
We are not out to boast that there is so much percentage of growth per year. Our real concern is how it affects the lives of people, the future of our country.
Sanctions and boycotts would be tied to serious political dialogue.
The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity. It is a struggle that encompasses our political, social and economic aspirations.
With the right kind of institutions, starting with the rule of law, Burma could progress very quickly.
