‘The Democratic Imperative’

Below is an extract from and the conclusion of the Speech by the Foreign Secretary David Miliband given at the Aung San Suu Kyi Lecture: ‘The Democratic Imperative’ on 12 February 2008

This speech was referring to the plight of Burma.

Extract
“I will argue that we should back demands among citizens for more freedom and power over their lives – whether that is reforming established democracies, or supporting transitions to democracy”.

Conclusion
“When it awarded the Nobel peace prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Committee said in its citation that it wanted "to show its support for the many people through the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means”.I would like to echo that sentiment today. I believe democracy can take root in all societies. I hope and believe that, in time, it will. The equal worth of human beings, their equal right to independence and self-government, requires no less. And all those brave people who are fighting to gain tomorrow the democracies that we, in the lucky, rich nations of the world are blessed with today, deserve our support. Not just in words, but in deeds”.

Spare a thought for England too David, not in quite the same situation as Burma, but the only country in the western world without a parliament or assembly of its own.