"The Revolution of the Spirit" and beyond : the role of social transformation in Aung San Suu Kyis political philosophy

Burma/Myanmar's Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, remains a legend. However, she has become controversial due to her stance on the Rakhine crisis - the mainstream Western narrative accusing her of betraying democratic values. For more than twenty years, Suu Kyi preached about "the revolution of the spirit" needed to bring democracy to Burma. Has she changed her stance? This chapter delves into Suu Kyi’s political philosophy in how she understands social transformation. Suu Kyi's political leitmotif is a belief in conscious, educated individuals serving as agents of change; empowering and educating individuals enable them to understand that democracy is politically and morally the most benevolent option as it allows self-improvement. They would choose democracy, striving to uplift themselves and restore Myanmar's place among nations. Essentially, Suu Kyi's democracy is built on internal, inward-based moral qualities of individuals, yielding both positive and negative consequences.