Speaking at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Australia on Wednesday, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi distanced herself once again from human rights while reiterating her political goals.
“Let me assure you, I’m no saint,” she told the Sydney audience. “I look upon myself as a politician, not as an icon.”
The National League for Democracy leader went on to say that those in her line of work did not always get a good rap.
“Politicians are politicians, but I do believe that there is such a thing as an honest politician and I aspire to that,” she said.
Asked what her plan for Burma was, Suu Kyi replied simply: “Unity.”
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And with regard to violence and conflict in her home country, the Nobel laureate said, “I do believe in confrontation – across the table.”
Suu Kyi arrived in Sydney on Wednesday for a five-day trip to Australia which will include visits to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, and talks with Prime Minister Tony Abbot and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
Ahead of attending a session at the Lowy Institute, Suu Kyi spoke at Sydney Opera House where she also received two honorary degrees.
