Aung San Quotes

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.

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.

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

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

If you give in to intimidation, you'll go on being intimidated

To the best of my knowledge, no war was ever started by women. But it is women and children who have always suffered most in situations of conflict.

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.

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.

Regimented minds cannot grasp the concept of confrontation as an open exchange of major differences with a view to settlement through genuine dialogue.

One should mature over 20 years.

If you're feeling helpless, help someone.

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

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.

War is not the only arena where peace is done to death. Wherever suffering is ignored, there will be the seeds of conflict, for suffering degrades and embitters and enrages.

You must remember that democracy is made up not only of the executive, but the legislature and the judiciary.

Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.

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.

It would be consistent and proper for us to join the war for democratic freedom, only if we would likewise be assured that democratic freedom in theory as well as in practice.

If you feel helpless, go help someone.

When you feel helpless, help someone.

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

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.

Perhaps Singapore could learn from us a more relaxed way of life.

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.

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.

I don't want to see the military falling. I want to see the military rising to dignified heights of professionalism and true patriotism.

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

The good ruler sublimates his needs as an individual to the service of the nation.

We have to choose between dialogue and utter devastation.

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.

You may not think about politics, but politics think about you.

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

Democracy acknowledges the right to differ as well as the duty to settle differences peacefully. Authoritarian governments see criticism of their actions and doctrines as a challenge to combat.

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

One wants to be together with one's family. That's what families are about.

Human rights and rule of law are inseparably connected.

In Burma, our main goal in amending the constitution is not to phase out the military from politics. Our main point is to put the constitution in line with international standards and norms.

A more significant phase should mean serious political dialogue.

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

I don't believe in professional dissidents. I think it's just a phase, like adolescence.

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.

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

Peace, development, and justice are all connected to each other. We cannot talk about economic development without talking about peace. How can we expect economic development in a battlefield?

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

Agreeing to disagree is a prerogative only of those who live under a democratic system.

Sometimes, 24 hours can bring a total revolutionary change.

I think that freedom is sometimes a state of mind. Sometimes, mind you, but not always.

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.

If you can make people understand why freedom is so important through the arts, that would be a big help.

It is part of the unceasing human endeavor to prove that the spirit of man can transcend the flaws of his own nature.