Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said yesterday he hoped to see a "truly free" Burma, as he met fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi during a visit to the former junta-ruled nation.
The anti-apartheid campaigner said he was "thrilled" to meet Suu Kyi for private talks at the lakeside mansion in Yangon where the activist was locked up for years during her more than two-decade struggle for democracy.
"It is wonderful to be here and to see her. We are looking forward to seeing your country truly free.
"The potential of this country is immense and we want to see the potential fully realised," he said, urging an end to ethnic conflict.
Ongoing fighting between the army and Kachin rebels in the north, and sectarian unrest in western Rakhine state have displaced thousands and overshadowed Burma's political reforms.
Tutu expressed hopes that Burma would become "truly democratic".
The Nobel laureates appeared upbeat and amicable during the short press conference, with Suu Kyi saying she was "very pleased" to see him in person.
Tutu, who won the Nobel prize in 1984 for his role in the fight against apartheid in South Africa, was a fervent supporter of Suu Kyi's struggle for democracy during her long years of house arrest.
In September 2011, almost a year after she was released, Tutu declared "I love you!" to the activist in a videolink.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
