26 Quotes by Burmese authors

Burmese sayings move with the unhurried grace of a pagoda bell at dusk, blending gentle humor with a steady moral compass. Rooted in Buddhist mindfulness, they prize modesty, patience, and compassion, yet leave room for sly, village wit. Images of monsoon fields, teak monasteries, and the Irrawaddy carry lessons about impermanence, duty, and kinship. Elders speak in parable, not decree; counsel arrives as cool shade rather than thunder. The language favors soft cadence, spare metaphor, and a quiet, stubborn hope.

See the complete list of authors from Myanmar

"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"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"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"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

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

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"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"

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

"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"

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

"We always think that everybody can do a little bit more, if not a lot more"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"I saw many aspects of the country which I needed to see in order that I might know what we need to do"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

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

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"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"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"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"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"There is so much that we need to do for our country. I don't think that we can afford to wait"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

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

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"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"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"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"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

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

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"Sanctions and boycotts would be tied to serious political dialogue"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

"A more significant phase should mean serious political dialogue"

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

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

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

"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"

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

"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"

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

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

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

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

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

"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"

Aung San Suu Kyi, Activist

Small: Aung San Suu Kyi

"Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves"

U Thant, Statesman

"The war we have to wage today has only one goal and that is to make the world safe for diversity"

U Thant, Statesman

"Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love and compassion would have built the defenses of peace"

U Thant, Statesman