Those who believe Myanmar has fully reformed to a democratic nation are mistaken, the country's opposition leader and democracy advocate says.
Aung San Suu Kyi delivered a captivating address to a sold-out event in Sydney on Wednesday night, highlighting the steps still to be taken to achieve democracy in her home country.
The Nobel Peace Prize recipient has evolved from a political prisoner under house arrest for almost two decades to Myanmar's presidential hopeful.
Myanmar has only recently allowed elections and has eased its brutal military regime but Ms Suu Kyi says the constitution is preventing the country from being truly democratic.
"Those of you who think that Burma has successfully taken the path to reform would be mistaken," she said at the Sydney Opera House event.
"If you want to know why you are mistaken you only have to study the Burmese constitution.
"If you read it carefully you will understand why we can't have genuine democracy under such a constitution."
The leader of the National League for Democracy said a change to Myanmar's constitution required the vote of 75 per cent of the legislature.
Twenty-five per cent of the legislature is represented by the military members, which the non-elected army commander-in-chief appoints, she said.
"How can you call a constitution democratic when it can be amended or not amended in accordance with the will of one man who is an unelected post?" Ms Suu Kyi said.
While she confirmed her ambition to win presidential office at the next election, the constitution requires a president to have military experience.
Myanmar does not allow women in the defence academy.
Despite her lengthy period of detention Ms Suu Kyi believes she didn't have it as bad as those political prisoners - including three of the four people with her on the Australian tour - who were jailed.
But she never thought the sacrifices she made in the pursuit of democracy wouldn't be worth it.
"I always used to think if only one other person remained in Burma who wanted democracy, I would remain," she said.
The speech followed a hero's welcome in Sydney on Wednesday and a meeting with NSW Governor Marie Bashir.
The University of Sydney and University of Technology awarded Ms Suu Kyi with honorary doctorate degrees.
Ms Suu Kyi will also visit Melbourne and Canberra on her five-day tour of Australia.
