Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has reportedly won her first bid for parliament after spending much of the past 20 years under house arrest and in detention. If confirmed, the vote could herald a new era for Burma following decades of military rule. After the initial results were announced, Suu Kyi addressed her supporters outside the National League for Democracy headquarters in Rangoon.

Aung San Suu Kyi: “We hope that this will be the beginning of a new era, where there will be more emphasis on the role of the people in the everyday politics of our country. We also hope that we will be able to go further along the road towards national reconciliation. We will point out all the irregularities that took place, not in any spirit of vengeance or anger, but because we do not think that these should be overlooked. We do not think that such practices should be encouraged in any way. And so, it is only with the intention of making sure that things improve in future.”