专访昂山素季访谈文稿 （英文原文）
Q: Tomorrow, the ceremony for this year」s Nobel Peace prize will finally take place, and the Chinese government has been putting pressure on countries not to attend, so the very latest we have is that China and 18 other countries have declined to attend the ceremony. Are you concerned at all about this situation at all?
A: Yes I am concerned and I have sent a message to the Nobel committee. So I don」t want to say anything now about what」s in the message. But I am concerned because it is sad that the award of Nobel Prize should have a divisive influence.
Q: Do you think all governments who are invited should send their representatives to Norway and show their support to Liu Xiaobo?
A: I myself am a supporter of the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, because they awarded me with the Nobel Prize and it helped us a great deal in our work to try to make people aware of the democracy movement in Burma. And because I have a great respect for the Norwegian Nobel Committee I would like to support what they are doing.
Q: When did you actually first hear that Liu Xiaobo had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year? What was your immediate reaction to the news?
A: I heard it on the radio the day it was awarded. I was not entirely surprised as I have heard that he was one of the front runners.
Q: Back in 1991, you couldn't pick up the prize yourself, and it was your husband and two sons who received the prize on your behalf. 19 years later, Liu Xiaobo is in similar situation –he is in jail and therefore unable to receive the prize himself, and his family members including his wife Liu Xia also can」t go to Oslo to receive the award on his behalf, and this hasn」t happened for many years in Nobel history. What do you think about the situation?
A: I think it」s a very sad situation and as somebody who has herself been a prisoner of conscience, I always want all prisoners of conscience to be freed.
Q: What would you say to Liu Xiaobo and his family at such a very difficult time?
A: I」m not quite certain what their position is. But what I would say is that you must stand strong by your beliefs.
Q: Now looking back, do you think that your winning the Nobel Peace Prize has helped push the democratic movement in Burma? Or do you think it makes the country even more repressive of dissent?
A: I think it has helped. I don」t think the military authorities were very pleased. Certainly they did try to persecute all of those who supported my winning of the Prize. But on the whole I think we got a positive result from this award because people were made aware of our struggle.
Q: so it had a positive effect on democratization in Burma even if you yourself were under house arrest for a long time?
A: Yes. I think I would have been under house arrest whether or not I won the Nobel Prize. But I think having won the Nobel Prize people were more willing to speak for me when I was under house arrest.
Q: Do you feel that Liu Xiaobo」s winning of Nobel Peace Prize would make any difference to China」s political reform and democratization?
A: I don」t know enough about the Chinese situation to make a comment about it. But I think there should be some sort of difference but I don」t know how much.
Q: This week former Czech president Havel and the Nobel peace prize laureate Desmond Tutu criticised the Chinese government for suppressing freedom in China and urged them to release Liu Xiaobo; on 25th October, 15 Nobel laureates also sent an open letter urging the Chinese government to release Liu Xiaobo. You were still under house arrest then. Do you have a message to the Chinese government with regard to Liu Xiaobo.
A: I have sent a message to them through the Nobel Peace Committee. I think it will be read out at tomorrow」s ceremony. So perhaps I shouldn」t speak about it now.
Q: From your public speeches and media interviews so far, you seem to be very confident about the prospect of democracy in Burma, so are you equally confident about democracy in China? Do you believe that democracy will come to China sooner than later?
A: I think the world current in favour of democratization, not just in China or Burma, but all over the world.
Q: How much do you know about Liu Xiaobo? Have you heard of Charter 08 he and his fellow activists drafted two year ago?
A: Yes I have heard about the Charter, but I must admit I don」t know too much about him, apart from what I heard on the Radio.
Q: Finally, after your release, we ran a discussion on our website, for readers to air their views about your release. There were many messages of support and admiration for your courage and support for the struggle for democracy. Do you have a message to our readers?
A: I would like to say when you just said that I was a bit surprised, and I」m very grateful because I did not think I had support in China at all. I have always looked upon China as \neighbour and a friend. I think Burma and China should be good friends and good neighbours. I hope this situation will improve more and more with time.
