Frasi di Aung San Suu Kyi

pagina 3

“Non è il potere che corrompe, ma la paura. Il timore di perdere il potere corrompe chi lo detiene e la paura del castigo del potere corrompe chi ne è soggetto.”

“Sarebbe difficile sconfiggere l'ignoranza senza la libertà scevra di paura di perseguire la verità. Dal momento che il rapporto fra paura e corruzione è tanto stretto, non può meravigliare che in ogni società in cui matura la paura, la corruzione si radichi profondamente in tutte le sue forme.”

“L'autentica rivoluzione è quella dello spirito, nata dalla convinzione intellettuale della necessità di cambiamento degli atteggiamenti mentali e dei valori che modellano il corso dello sviluppo di una nazione. Una rivoluzione finalizzata semplicemente a trasformare le politiche e le istituzioni ufficiali per migliorare le condizioni materiali ha poche probabilità di successo.”

“All'interno di un sistema che nega l'esistenza di diritti umani fondamentali, la paura tende a essere all'ordine del giorno. Timore del carcere, della tortura, della morte, timore di perdere amici, parenti, proprietà o mezzi di sussistenza, paura della povertà, dell'isolamento, del fallimento. Una forma molto insidiosa di paura è quella che si maschera come buon senso o addirittura saggezza, condannando come sciocchi, inconsulti, insignificanti o velleitari i piccoli atti di coraggio quotidiani che contribuiscono a salvaguardare la stima per se stessi e la dignità umana. Non è facile per un popolo condizionato dai timori, soggetto alla regola ferrea che la ragione è del più forte, liberarsi dai debilitanti miasmi della paura. Eppure, anche sotto la minaccia della macchina statale più schiacciante, il coraggio continua a risorgere, poiché la paura non è lo stato naturale dell'uomo civile.”

“Nessuna dinastia può produrre sovrani forti e capaci per sempre.”

“Non vogliamo che Myanmar sia una nazione divisa da convinzioni religiose, di etnia o ideologia politica. Tutti noi abbiamo il diritto alle nostre diverse identità, e tutti noi abbiamo il diritto di sforzarci di vivere la nostra vita nel modo in cui crediamo che sia giusto. Ma dobbiamo anche lavorare insieme perché apparteniamo a una nazione e, poiché apparteniamo a una nazione, noi apparteniamo anche a questo mondo.”

“Vorremmo fare del nostro Paese una nazione al cui interno tutti possano vivere in sicurezza e prosperità. Si tratta di un obbiettivo grande. Questa è una grande ambizione. Ma non è impossibile da realizzare.”

“La Birmania è una nazione complessa, come tutti voi sapete. E la sua complessità è aggravata dal fatto che le persone si aspettano che noi superiamo tutte queste sfide in breve tempo.”

“Un regime da solo non può fare politica con successo. Non può portare allo sviluppo della nazione. Solo con la partecipazione del popolo si possono raggiungere questi obiettivi.”

“Per quanto mi riguarda, voglio che tutti siano eroi, così non avremo bisogno di speciali eroi per il nostro Paese.”

“È profondamente sbagliato e controproducente parlare di genocidio contro in rohingya in Birmania.”

“Hmaing era più vicino a Tagore essendo innanzitutto un pensatore, ma più simile a Gandhi nel suo nazionalismo.”

“Hmaing è stato paragonato dai Birmani a Tagore, in quanto grande poeta nazionalista; il confronto è valido unicamente se il nazionalismo è considerato ampiamente in termini culturali più che in senso strettamente politico.”

“Al pari dei Chin e dei Kachin, anche i Karen erano spiritisti per tradizione; oggi, invece, vi sono molti cristiani e alcuni buddisti, oltre ad altri gruppi religiosi specifici di questo popolo. Uno fra i più interessanti professa la fede Leke, una variante buddista basata sul culto del Maitreya, il Budda che si manifesterà in futuro. Tuttavia, a differenza degli altri buddisti, la loro fede non prevede immagini sacre, pagode o monaci. Il monumento religioso principale è una struttura in legno priva di recinzioni. Al centro si eleva un alto palo sormontato da un ombrello sacro. Gli adepti della fede Leke osservano dieci regole di condotta che sembrano rispecchiare i precetti buddisti.”

“I Kachin hanno molte danze a cui partecipano sia uomini sia donne. Esse rappresentano la corsa a cavallo, la pesca con le reti, la ricerca del bestiame sparso; ci sono anche quelle funebri, eseguite al suono di gong incitanti.”

“Kyansittha non era solamente un grande guerriero, ma un re che amministrò bene il paese, preoccupandosi del benessere dei suoi sudditi.”

“La ricchezza delle risorse naturali della Birmania è considerevole, ma il grande fascino del paese risiede nelle sue molte popolazioni, dalle origini e dalle usanze diverse e pittoresche. Sono state le storie e le civiltà delle etnie birmane a formare il carattere del paese.”

“Mandalay occupa un posto particolare nei cuori dei Birmani e rimane un simbolo dei giorni gloriosi in cui i re birmani governavano il paese.”

“La Birmania è uno di quei paesi che sembrano favoriti dalla natura. Il suolo è fertile, produce riso e altri raccolti in abbondanza, e le vaste foreste forniscono una grande varietà di legname pregiato.”

“Aung San non era un grande oratore; i suoi discorsi potevano essere monotoni, inconcludenti e molto lunghi, ma il popolo ascoltava con tranquillo rispetto, adeguando i proprio umori ai suoi, apprezzando sia i suoi severi ammonimenti, sia le rare battute di spirito.”

“Siamo una democrazia giovane e fragile, che si confronta con molti problemi. Ma dobbiamo affrontarli tutti allo stesso tempo nel modo in cui dobbiamo affrontare contemporaneamente tutti i nostri problemi di salute. Non possiamo concentrarci su pochi.”

“Alcuni sono preoccupati che il nostro nuovo regime manchi di esperienze in materia di amministrazione e gestione. Sì, ci manca l’esperienza. Ma non siamo riluttanti a collaborare con le persone con esperienza. Non vogliamo ignorare chi proviene dai vecchi regimi. Vogliamo che tutti coloro che possono portare beneficio al paese diano una mano.”

“Un governo democraticamente eletto è responsabile di tutti i cittadini, essendo giusto ed equilibrato verso tutti, ed esercitando la gentilezza amorevole e la compassione verso tutti.”

“La pace nel nostro mondo è indivisibile. Fintanto che le forze negative avranno la meglio su quelle positive in una qualsiasi parte del mondo, siamo tutti a rischio.”

“Quando mi si chiede perché lotto per la democrazia in Birmania, la risposta sta nella mia convinzione che le istituzioni e la pratica della democrazia siano necessarie per garantire i diritti umani.”

“Dovunque la sofferenza è ignorata, si semina il conflitto, perché la sofferenza implica umiliazione, avvilimento e rabbia.”

“Nel nostro Paese, le donne sono fra gli strati più poveri della popolazione, massacrate dal lavoro; eppure hanno una mente davvero preziosa e forte.”

“Raramente chi visita la Birmania si rende conto delle difficoltà della vita quotidiana nel nostro paese. Apparentemente le cose sembrano tranquille e serene, e solo chi ha familiarità con stati governati da regimi dittatoriali inefficienti riesce a rendersi conto di che cosa accade veramente.”

“Suppongo che il tipo di vita che conduco a qualcuno sembrerà molto strano, ma è una vita a cui mi sono abituata e davvero non è più strana di tante cose che accadono oggi in Birmania.”

“Assentire o dissentire è prerogativa di chi vive in un sistema democratico. In un regime autoritario, dissentire può essere considerato un crimine.”

“In questo momento in cui il mondo intero è preoccupato per la minaccia del terrorismo, vale la pena considerare il fatto che persone private del controllo sulle loro esistenze, controllo necessario per condurre una vita dignitosa, rischiano di andare alla ricerca di una loro realizzazione seguendo un percorso di violenza. Il fornire loro semplicemente una certa sufficienza materiale non basta a riportare in loro pace e unità. È necessario realizzare il loro potenziale di sviluppo umano e rispettare la loro dignità umana cosicché possano acquisire le abilità e la fiducia per la costruzione di un mondo solido e fiorente alla luce di una diversità armoniosa.”

“Siamo un Paese giovane e fragile con molti problemi, ma dobbiamo affrontarli tutti. Non possiamo concentrarci solo su alcuni di essi.”

“Nonostante tutti gli sforzi, non abbiamo potuto fermare il conflitto… Ma non è intenzione del governo eludere le sue responsabilità.”

“Siamo impegnati a riportare la pace e la stabilità e lo stato di diritto in tutto lo Stato.”

“The Buddhist PAVARANA ceremony at the end of the rainy season retreat was instituted by the Lord Buddha, who did not want human beings to live in silence "like dumb animals." This ceremony, during which monks ask mutual forgiveness for any offence given during the retreat, can be said to be a council of truth and reconciliation. It might also be considered a forerunner of that most democratic of institutions, the parliament, a meeting of peoples gathered together to talk over their shared problems. All the world's great religions are dedicated to the generation of happiness and harmony. This demonstrates the fact that together with the combative instincts of man there co-exists a spiritual aspiration for mutual understanding and peace.”

“In a revolutionary movement there is always the danger that political exigencies might obscure, or even nullify, essential spiritual aims. A firm insistence on the inviolability and primacy of such aims is not mere idealism but a necessary safeguard against an Animal Farm syndrome where the new order after its first flush of enthusiastic reforms takes on the murky colours of the very system it has replaced.”

“We have to all come together and create unity out of diversity that the destiny that [we ]build will be one that is right not just for now but for generations to come.”

“The effort necessary to remain uncorrupted in an environment where fear is an integral part of everyday existence is not immediately apparent to those fortunate enough to live in states governed by the rule of law. Just laws do not merely prevent corruption by meting out impartial punishment to offenders. They also help to create a society in which people can fulfil the basic requirements necessary for the preservation of human dignity without recourse to corrupt practices. Where there are no such laws, the burden of upholding the principles of justice and common decency falls on the ordinary people. It is the cumulative effect on their sustained effort and steady endurance which will change a nation where reason and conscience are warped by fear into one where legal rules exist to promote man's desire for harmony and justice while restraining the less desirable destructive traits in his nature.”

“In my country at present, women have no participation in the higher levels of government and none whatsoever in the judiciary. Even within the democratic movement only 14 out of the 485 MPs elected in 1990 were women -- all from my own party, the National League for Democracy. These 14 women represent less than 3 percent of the total number of successful candidates. They, like their male colleagues, have not been permitted to take office since the outcome of those elections has been totally ignored. Yet the very high performance of women in our educational system and in the management of commercial enterprises proves their enormous potential to contribute to the betterment of society in general. Meanwhile our women have yet to achieve those fundamental rights of free expression, association and security of life denied also to their menfolk.”

“While a private individual may be bound only by the formal vows that he makes, those who govern should be wholly bound by the truth in thought, word and deed.”

“When we are struggling against overwhelming odds, when we are pitting ourselves against the combined might of state apparatus and military power, we are sometimes subject to doubts — usually the doubts of those whose belief in the permanence of an existing order is absolute. It is amazing how many people still remain convinced that it is wise to accept the status quo.”

“As we strive to teach others we must have the humility to acknowledge that we too still have much to learn. And we must have the flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of the world around us. Women who have been taught that modesty and pliancy are among the prized virtues of our gender are marvellously equipped for the learning process. But they must be given the opportunity to turn these often merely passive virtues into positive assets for the society in which they live.”

“These, then, are our common hopes that unite us -- that as the shackles of prejudice and intolerance fall from our own limbs we can together strive to identify and remove the impediments to human development everywhere. The mechanisms by which this great task is to be achieved provide the proper focus of this great Forum. I feel sure that women throughout the world who, like me, cannot be with you join me now in sending you all our prayers and good wishes for a joyful and productive meeting.”

“It is undeniably easier to ignore the hardships of those who are too weak to demand their rights than to respond sensitively to their needs. To care is to accept responsibility, to dare to act in accordance with the dictum that the ruler is the strength of the helpless.”

“It is a wonderful but daunting task that has fallen on me to say few words by way of opening this Forum, the greatest concourse of women (joined by a few brave men!) that has ever gathered on our planet. I want to try and voice some of the common hopes which firmly unite us in all our splendid diversity.”

“Many of my male colleagues who have suffered imprisonment for their part in the democracy movement have spoken of the great debt of gratitude they owe their womenfolk, particularly to their wives who stood by them firmly, tender as mothers nursing their newly born, brave as lionesses defending their young. These magnificent human beings who have done so much to aid their men in the struggle for justice and peace -- how much more could they not achieve if given the opportunity to work in their own right for the good of their country and of the world.”

“If suffering were an unavoidable part of our existence, we should try to alleviate it as far as possible in practical, earthly ways.”

“The adversities that we have had to face together have taught all of us involved in the struggle to build a truly democratic political system in Burma that there are no gender barriers that cannot be overcome. The relationship between men and women should, and can be, characterized not by patronizing behavior or exploitation, but by METTA (that is to say loving kindness), partnership and trust. We need mutual respect and understanding between men and women, instead of patriarchal domination and degradation, which are expressions of violence and engender counter-violence. We can learn from each other and help one another to moderate the "gender weaknesses" imposed upon us by traditional or biological factors.”

“As you look at me and listen to me, please remember the often repeated truth that one prisoner of conscience is one too many.”

“There is an instinctive understanding that the cultural, social and political development of a nation is a dynamic process which has to be given purpose and direction by drawing on tradition as well as by experiment, innovation and a willingness to evaluate both old and new ideas objectively.”

“This forum of non-governmental organizations represents the belief in the ability of intelligent human beings to resolve conflicting interests through exchange and dialogue. It also represents the conviction that governments alone cannot resolve all the problems of their countries. The watchfulness and active cooperation of organizations outside the spheres of officialdom are necessary to ensure the four essential components of the human development paradigm as identified by the UNDP: productivity, equity, sustainability and empowerment. The last is particularly relevant: it requires that "development must be BY people, not only FOR them. People must participate fully in the decisions and processes that shape their lives." In other words people must be allowed to play a significant role in the governance of their country. And "people" include women who make up at least half of the world's population.”

“But first I would like to explain why I cannot be with you in person today. Last month I was released from almost six years of house arrest. The regaining of my freedom has in turn imposed a duty on me to work for the freedom of other women and men in my country who have suffered far more -- and who continue to suffer far more -- than I have. It is this duty which prevents me from joining you today. Even sending this message to you has not been without difficulties. But the help of those who believe in international cooperation and freedom of expression has enabled me to overcome the obstacles. They made it possible for me to make a small contribution to this great celebration of the struggle of women to mould their own destiny and to influence the fate of our global village.”

“Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.”

“Donor fatigue’ expresses itself precisely in the reduction of funding. ‘Compassion fatigue’ expresses itself less obviously in the reduction of concern. One is the consequence of the other. Can we afford to indulge in compassion fatigue? Is the cost of meeting the needs of refugees greater than the cost that would be consequent on turning an indifferent, if not a blind, eye on their suffering? I appeal to donors the world over to fulfill the needs of these people who are in search, often it must seem to them a vain search, of refuge.”

“I’ve always said there’s no hope without endeavor. Hope has no meaning unless we are prepared to work to realize our hopes and dreams but in order to that we do need to have friends. We need those who believe in us. Friends are those who believe in us and who want to help us whatever it is that we are trying to achieve.”

“Revolutions generally reflect the irresistible impulse for necessary changes which have been held back by official policies or retarded by social apathy. The institutions and practices of democracy provide ways and means by which such changes could be effected without recourse to violence. But change is anathema to authoritarianism, which will tolerate no deviation from rigid policies. 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. Opposition is equated with 'confrontation', which is interpreted as violent conflict. Regimented minds cannot grasp the concept of confrontation as an open exchange of major differences with a view to settlement through genuine dialogue. The insecurity of power based on coercion translates into a need to crush all dissent. Within the framework of liberal democracy, protest and dissent can exist in healthy counterpart with orthodoxy and conservatism, contained by a general recognition of the need to balance respect for individual rights with respect for law and order.”

“The royal duty of non-opposition is a reminder that the legitimacy of government is founded on the consent of the people, who may withdraw their mandate at any time if they lose confidence in the ability of the ruler to serve their best interests.”

“Often the other side of the coin of intolerance is insecurity. Insecure people tend to be intolerant, and their intolerance unleashes forces that threaten the security of others. And where there is no security there can be no lasting peace. In its "Human Development Report" for last year the UNDP noted that human security "is not a concern with weapons -- it is a concern with human life and dignity." 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. The people of my country want the two freedoms that spell security: freedom from want and freedom from fear. It is want that has driven so many of our young girls across our borders to a life of sexual slavery where they are subject to constant humiliation and ill-treatment. It is fear of persecution for their political beliefs that has made so many of our people feel that even in their own homes they cannot live in dignity and security.”

“Gandhi, that great apostle of non-violence, and Aung San, the founder of a national army, were very different personalities, but as there is an inevitable sameness about the challenges of authoritarian rule anywhere at any time, so there is a similarity in the intrinsic qualities of those who rise up to meet the challenge.”