Aung San Suu Kyi

"I had not realized how much I loved my country until I was separated from it."

"Censorship is never an acceptable weapon in the fight for justice."

"I have been in solitary confinement and I still believe in democracy."

"The value of a nation is not in its soil but in the character of its people."

"One needs to be brave in order to say goodbye to those one loves."

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries."

"The road to democracy may be long and difficult, but it is worth the journey."

"I believe in the power of human decency and resilience."

"In the end, it is our choices that define us, not our circumstances."

"We must learn to practice tolerance and respect for all living creatures."

"The most important thing is to have the courage of your convictions."

"Suffering is not ennobling; it is degrading."

"To love is to suffer; to avoid suffering is to avoid love."

"The spirit of man can endure anything that does not destroy the body."

"Without internal peace, external success means nothing."

"I do not believe that religion is the enemy of politics."

"A good leader must also be a good listener."

"The task of peaceful change cannot be achieved in a day, but must be pursued with consistency."

"Knowledge is power, but compassion is the higher calling."

"To accept a dictatorship is to give up hope for better things."

"The most violent element in society is ignorance."

"I think about the future with hope, not fear."

"In my younger years, I believed revolution would come quickly. Now I understand it takes decades."

"You cannot achieve anything without sacrifice."

"The struggle for freedom is eternal and universal."

"I have learned that true strength lies in gentleness."

"Democratic values do not diminish the importance of cultural traditions."

"Every human being deserves to live in dignity."

"The pen is mightier than the sword, but only when people are allowed to read."

"Change comes not from fear but from hope."