First, I really would like to be an optimist. I want to return to my home, to my family, but I can't. I was born and raised in my country. I have been dealing with this government, successive military governments, for many years. I know the changes and what they are doing now, but I cannot believe—yet.
I will not get discouraged either. I believe in my people. This is an opening, and my people will open the door wider and bigger to get their freedom larger and larger. I believe in my people.
You asked me about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's participation in the parliament. Even now, before she joined the parliamentary session, she demanded that they change the language of the oath, because if they didn't, she wouldn't participate. But the military and the USDP refused to change the language, and finally she ended up attending parliament without changing the language oath.
For me, she lost her first battle. This seems like a small issue, because the language is already changed in the political party registration laws, and now is only left in the constitution. It was difficult for the military and the USDP to allow her demands, and they refused to change. To change the constitution is very difficult. They make it purposely difficult to amend the constitution.
If she could not change even this small language of the oath, how can she move to change other bigger issues, such as that regarding the supreme power of the commander-in-chief? There are so many things that she has to change, that we need to change, but I'm not very hopeful for....
I trust her totally. She's our mature leader. She is uniquely best, and she will try her best. That's why I don't want international governments to rush to reward the regime. They must hold the pressure.
She has entered onto a very difficult playing field. It's better that she works with U Thein Sein, U Shwe Mann, and U Khin Aung Myint to make changes for the country, but she knows there are a lot of difficulties. She needs backup. She needs leverage. Her leverage is international pressure by both international governments and civil society outside of parliament. These make up her leverage. If you lift the sanctions eventually, you won't hurt her leverage and undermine her leverage, or take her leverage away.