Aung San Suu Kyi addresses World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy, has addressed participants of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011. In a taped audio speech from her country, she called on world leaders gathered in Davos “to use their particular opportunities and skills as far as possible to promote national reconciliation, genuine democratization, human development and economic growth in Burma that our people may in turn be able make their own contribution towards a safer happier world,” she said.

Speaking on “behalf of the 55 million people of Burma who have for the most part been left behind”, Aung San Suu Kyi said her country yearned to be part of the global community and take hold of the opportunities so far “missed because of political conflicts in our country over the last 50 years.” Aung San Suu Kyi said her country’s development has lagged far behind its neighbours. “The young people of Burma need the kind of education that has enabled Young Global Leaders, some of whom are present at this gathering, to excel so early in their careers,” she said.

She called for investments in technology and infrastructure, as well as a reformed legal system to attract foreign direct investment and encourage development. “I believe that as necessary steps towards integration within the global community Burma must achieve national reconciliation, political stability, and economic growth grounded in human resources development. Without the first two which are essential for the basic requirements of good governance such as transparency, accountability, credibility and integrity, social and economic development will remain mere pipe dreams,” she said.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate appealed to investors and potential investors “to put a premium on respect for the law, on environmental and social factors, on the rights of workers, on job creation and on the promotion of technological skills. Such an approach would not only be in line with a global sense of responsibility, it would lead in the long run to greater benefits for all concerned,” she said. Listen to her statement on YouTube.