Aung San Suu Kyi Speech Summary

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The speech by Aung San Suu Kyi was made in the wake of the 8888 uprising, a violent outburst of bottled-up resentment towards the government after years of repressive, centralized, one-party rule. In her speech, Suu Kyi expresses her aims and intentions for the Burmese people, thus revealing the beliefs that guide her actions. Her speech can be seen as a rally to get the people to identify with her beliefs and unite them to fight alongside her. Her desire for a ‘multi-party democratic system of government’ within Burma is stated at the start. Later on, by encouraging the people to be united even as they employ peaceful measures to achieve this aim, she expresses her belief in ‘revolutionary change without violence.’ This meant that she believed in strength through unity and the adoption of peaceful bloodless approaches to conflicts. Suu Kyi not only believes in unity and peace but also in the people exercising restraint in their actions. She acknowledges that the movement has grown stronger but urges them to refrain from subjugating those that are weaker. Not only that, she encourages the people to be ‘disciplined’ as well. By stating this, Suu Kyi desires that the people control their actions by choosing not to create any more trouble towards those against them. She intends for their energy to be channelled towards measured, peaceful responses instead of violent ones. Not only does Suu Kyi’s speech state her intentions and beliefs, it also expresses her motivations to