Aung San Suu Kyi's Nehru Memorial lecture: Highlights

New Delhi: Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke on the 123rd birth anniversary of Jawaharal Nehru today. Here are the highlights of her speech at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan:

• These past few months have given me many opportunities to thank people, governments for democracy in Burma
• I was saddened that India had moved away from us
  
• Today I wish to thank you for the Jawaharlal Nehru memorial prize that was given to me in 1998
• The thoughts and actions of leaders of Indian independence movement inspire us in Burma - our movement is firmly based in non-violence
• My mother spoke of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru with reverence - to my infant mind he was an old man who had provided my father with two sets of uniform - the smartest he ever possessed
• Narrates an anecdotal incident about how her father was outfitted by Jawaharlal Nehru enroute to London in 1948
  
• After my father's death, Nehru continued to keep an avuncular eye on my mother
• I may have met him when I was young, but I remember seeing him for the 1st time in Delhi Railway station when I was about 16
• The year of Nehru's birth centenary, I was placed under house arrest for the first time
  
• Each day was more than eventful. Touring the country to give the message of my party to the country
• I pointed out that there was no law for transition of power
• The chairman of the restoration (army personnel) arrived with a warrant
  
• My sons had come for the summer holidays
• My son asked him which class of prisoner I would be?  But I was placed on house arrest
• Nehru's book 'Discovery of India' helped me get through my years in house arrest
• Quotes Yates from the book - and how she was unable to look up what she thought was wrong for many years she spent in house arrest
• Nehru exposes dilemma, writing about his wife Kamla
• After my release from house arrest, I spoke about sacrifices made by Kamla Nehru
• Politics is about people
• Two leaders I feel closest to are Gandhi and Nehru because their challenges were similar to ours
• Our fight for democracy in Burma is non-violent. It is influenced by Mahatma Gandhi
• One day when I was under house arrest, I heard on the radio that the party has expelled me as I was under detention
• Inspite of their differences, Nehru and Gandhi worked together
  
• I learnt that  I will have to work with my party workers inspite of our differences
• Gandhi once said once said Motilal's most striking quality was his love for his son. 'Motilal's love for India stems for his love from Jawaharlal..."
• I wondered if my love for Burma came from love for my father who I hardly remembered
• The nature of political , spiritual kinship is difficult to express in words