Aung San Suu Kyi quotes:

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.

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.

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.

The democracy process provides for political and social change without violence.

A revolution simply means great change, significant change, and that's how I'm defining it - great change for the better, brought about through non-violent means.

Human beings the world over need freedom and security that they may be able to realize their full potential.

Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.

When the Nobel Committee chose to honor me, the road I had chosen of my own free will became a less lonely path to follow.

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.

I don't think you can work on feelings in politics, apart from anything else, political change can come very unexpectedly, sometimes overnight when you least expect it.

Fundamental violations of human rights always lead to people feeling less and less human.

I only used a cell phone for the first time after I was released. I had difficulty coping with it because it seemed so small and insubstantial.

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.

When we think of the state of the economy, we are not thinking in terms of money flow. We are thinking in terms of the effect on everyday lives of people.

I do not hold to non-violence for moral reasons, but for political and practical reasons.

Confidence-building is not something that can go on forever. If it goes on forever then it becomes counterproductive.

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've always tried to explain democracy is not perfect. But it gives you a chance to shape your own destiny.

We will not change in matters of policy until such time as dialogue has begun.

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

I would like to have seen my sons growing up.

For me, 'revolution' simply means radical change.

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.

When I was under house arrest, it was the BBC that spoke to me - I listened.

History is always changing.

At this age, I should be leading a quiet life.

War is not the only arena where peace is done to death.

More people, especially young people, are realising that if they want change, they've got to go about it themselves - they can't depend on a particular person, i.e. me, to do all the work. They are less easy to fool than they used to be, they now know what's going on all over the world.

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.

Of course I regret not having been able to spend time with my family.

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.

I don't think I have achieved anything that I can really be proud of.

By helping others, you will learn how to help yourselves.

The best way to help Burma is to empower the people of Burma, to help us have enough self-confidence to obtain what we want for ourselves.

If I was afraid of being killed, I would never speak out against the government.

I have been free for more than a month. Some people may think that that is long enough. Others may think that that is not quite long enough.

Assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN isn't going to do anything about improving the lives of people.

The people have given me their support; they have given me their trust and confidence. My colleagues have suffered a lot in order to give me support. I do not look upon my life as a sacrifice at all.

I wish people wouldn't think of me as a saint - unless they agree with the definition of a saint that a saint's a sinner who goes on trying.

I could listen to the radio and I had access to books from time to time. Not all the time.

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.

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

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

Whatever help we may want from the international community now or in the future, we want to make sure that this help is tailored to help our people to help themselves.

I was heartened that people everywhere want certain basic freedoms, even if they live in a totally different cultural environment.

If you do nothing you get nothing.

One person alone can't do anything as important as bringing genuine democracy to a country.

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

I think, if you have enough inner resources, then you can live in isolation for long periods of time and not feel diminished by it.

I haven't heard any music on the BBC World Service in a long time. Maybe I'm listening at the wrong times. But not one single piece of music.

Every government must consider the security of the country. That is just part of the responsibilities of any government. But true security can only come out of unity within a country where there are so many ethnic nationalities.

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.

Frankly, if you do politics, you should not be thinking about your dignity.

I think sometimes if you are alone, you are freer because your time is your own.

Sanctions and boycotts would be tied to serious political dialogue.

I think I should be active politically. Because I look upon myself as a politician. That's not a dirty work you know. Some people think that there are something wrong with politicians. Of course, something wrong with some politicians.

I think when the people in Burma stop thinking about whether or not they're free, it'll mean that they're free.

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

A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity.

In a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear. Never let fear prevent you from doing right.

I don't want Burma to be a basket case forever.

I've always said there's no hope without endeavor. Hope has no meaning unless we are prepared to work to realize our hopes and dreams but in order to that we do need to have friends. We need those who believe in us. Friends are those who believe in us and who want to help us whatever it is that we are trying to achieve.

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

It is the love of ordinary people, in Burma, in Japan or anywhere else in the world, for justice and peace and freedom that is our surest defense against the forces of unreason and extremism ...

As long as there is no law in Burma, any individual here can be arrested at any time.

The judiciary in Burma is not independent. It's widely known, everybody knows that.

If you look at the democratic process as a game of chess, there have to be many, many moves before you get to checkmate. And simply because you do not make any checkmate in three moves does not mean it's stalemate. There's a vast difference between no checkmate and stalemate. This is what the democratic process is like.

Religion is about increasing peace and harmony in the world. ... People of all different religions should be given the opportunity to pursue good in their own way.

We want to empower our people; we want to strengthen them; we want to provide them with the kind of qualifications that will enable them to build up their own country themselves.

Despotic governments do not recognize the precious human component of the state, seeing its citizens only as a faceless, mindless -- and helpless -- mass to be manipulated at will. It is as though people were incidental to a nation rather than its very life-blood.

There is nothing to compare with the courage of ordinary people whose names are unknown and whose sacrifices pass unnoticed. The courage that dares without recognition, without the protection of media attention, is a courage that humbles and inspires and reaffirms our faith in humanity.

Fearlessness may be a gift but perhaps the more precious thing is the courage acquired through endeavor, courage that comes from cultivating the habit of refusing to let fear dictate one's actions, courage that could be described as 'grace under pressure'- grace which is renewed repeatedly in the face of harsh, unremitting pressure.

Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal. But it is one towards which we must continue to journey, our eyes fixed on it as a traveller in a desert fixes his eyes on the one guiding star that will lead him to salvation.

I don't like to be called a symbol. And I don't like to be called an icon. I will just say that I have to work very, very hard. So I'd rather be known as a hard worker. I don't think symbols do much, nor icons.

Some of the best indicators of a country developing along the right lines are healthy mothers giving birth to healthy children who are assured of good care and a sound education that will enable them to face the challenges of a changing world.

To be kind is to respond with sensitivity and human warmth to the hopes and needs of others. Even the briefest touch of kindness can lighten a heavy heart. Kindness can change the lives of people.

If you're feeling helpless, help someone.

If you are feeling helpless, help someone.

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.

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.

Humor is one of the best ingredients of survival.

Human beings want to be free and however long they may agree to stay locked up, to stay oppressed, there will come a time when they say 'That's it.' Suddenly they find themselves doing something that they never would have thought they would be doing, simply because of the human instinct that makes them turn their face towards freedom.

It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.

Investment that only goes to enrich an already wealthy elite bent on monopolizing both economic and political power cannot contribute toward egalite and justice -- the foundation stones for a sound democracy.

I think one must take responsibility for one's actions and one's decisions. But one should never take -- one should never assume that everything that happens for the good is achieved by one's self alone.

The peace of our world is indivisible. As long as negative forces are getting the better of positive forces anywhere, we are all at risk.

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.

When you think of Buddhism, you're likely to think of peace and tranquility.

The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all.

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

Sometimes, 24 hours can bring a total revolutionary change.

People must work in unison.

It is not power that corrupts but fear.

I am not unaware of the saying that more tears have been shed over wishes granted than wishes denied.

A family is very special. So when a family splits up, it's not good, it's never good.

There is a special charm to journeys undertaken before daybreak in hot lands: the air is soft and cool and the coming of dawn reveals a landscape fresh from the night dew.

The value systems of those with access to power and of those far removed from such access cannot be the same. The viewpoint of the privileged is unlike that of the underprivileged.

Regime is made up of people, so I do put faces to regimes and governments, so I feel that all human beings have the right to be given the benefit of the doubt, and they also have to be given the right to try to redeem themselves if they so wish.

Fires of suffering and strife are raging around the world.

What I have experienced is nothing compared to what political prisoners in prisons suffer.

I don't think of myself as unbreakable. Perhaps I'm just rather flexible and adaptable.

It cannot be doubted that in most countries today women, in comparison to men, still remain underprivileged.

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...

I felt that it was my duty not to senselessly waste my time. And since I didn't want to waste my time, I tried to accomplish as much as possible.

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 believe in professional dissidents. I think it's just a phase, like adolescence.

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.

If you want to bring an end to long-standing conflict, you have to be prepared to compromise.

Peace as a goal is an ideal which will not be contested by any government or nation, not even the most belligerent.

If I were the blushing kind, I would blush to be called a hero.

I'm not the only one working for democracy in Burma - there are so many people who have worked for it because they believe that this is the only way we can maintain the dignity of our people.

It could achieve a lot if everyone in Burma could stop saying something is good if it is not good, or say something is just if it is not just.

Burmese authors and artists can play the role that artists everywhere play. They help to mold the outlook of a society - not the whole outlook, and they are not the only ones to mold the outlook of society, but they have an important role to play there.

Even one voice can be heard loudly all over the world in this day and age.

The Nobel Peace Prize opened up a door in my heart.

This was the way I was brought up to think of politics, that politics was to do with ethics, it was to do with responsibility, it was to do with service, so I think I was conditioned to think like that, and I'm too old to change now.

People keep saying I've changed. I used to be confrontational. But I'm - I haven't changed. It was - it's just that circumstances have changed.

Dissidents can't be dissidents forever; we are dissidents because we don't want to be dissidents.

When you decide to follow a certain path, you should follow it to the end and not be diverted from it for personal reasons.

Maybe it is something to do with age, but I have become fonder of poetry than of prose.