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.
Human beings the world over need freedom and security that they may be able to realize their full potential.
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.
One wants to be together with one's family. That's what families are about.
Of course I regret not having been able to spend time with my family.
A family is very special. So when a family splits up, it's not good, it's never good.
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.
Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.
War is not the only arena where peace is done to death.
I don't understand why people say that I am full of courage. I feel terribly nervous.
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.
For me, 'revolution' simply means radical change.
The democracy process provides for political and social change without violence.
Humor is one of the best ingredients of survival.
Since we live in this world, we have to do our best for this 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.
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.
One person alone can't do anything as important as bringing genuine democracy to a country.
I think sometimes if you are alone, you are freer because your time is your own.
Maybe it is something to do with age, but I have become fonder of poetry than of prose.