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.

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

I'm rather inclined to liking people.

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

You cannot compromise unless people talk to you.

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, ie 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.

In general people feel more relaxed about participating in politics. They aren't frightened as they used to be.