Dear friends,
Burma's democracy leader and Nobel Peace prize winner, Aung San Suu
Kyi, has been locked up on new trumped up charges, just days before her
13 years of detention was due to expire. She and thousands of fellow
monks and students have been imprisoned for bravely challenging the
brutal military regime with peaceful calls for democracy.
Risking danger to speak out for their jailed friends, Burmese activists
are demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political
prisoners and calling on the world to help. We have just six days to
get a flood of petition signatures to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon
calling on him to make their release a top priority -- he can make this
a condition of any renewed international engagement. Follow the link to
sign the petition, and forward this email on to friends to ensure Aung
San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners are freed. Burmese activists
will present the global petition to the media on May 26th:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_aung_san_suu_kyi/45.php
On May 14th, Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and sent to jail, charged in
connection with an American man who allegedly sneaked uninvited into
the compound where she is being held in Yangon. The charges are absurd
-- it is the Burmese military, now accusing her of breach of house
arrest, that are responsible for the security of the compound. It is a
pretext to keep her detained until after elections which are set for
2010.
The Burmese regime is renown for its vicious repression of any threat
to full military control - thousands are in jail in inhumane conditions
and denied any medical care, there are ongoing abuses of human rights,
there is violent repression of ethnic groups, and over a million have
been forced into refuge across the border.
Aung San Suu Kyi's is the greatest threat to the junta's hold on power.
Her moral leadership of the democracy movement and the legacy of her
landslide victory in 1990 elections means that she is the only figure
who could face down the military in elections next year. She has been
detained over and over again since 1988 -- under house arrest and
allowed no contact with the outside world. But this scandalous new
detention in the notorious Insein Prison without medical care could be
very dangerous because she is seriously ill.
Sources say that the military regime is fearful of this unified and
massive online call to the UN -- over 160 Burma exile and solidarity
groups in 24 countries are participating in the campaign. And the
Secretary General and key regional players that are looking to
re-engage with the Burmese regime, can influence the fate of these
prisoners. Last week Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said: 'Aung San Suu
Kyi and all those that have a contribution to make to the future of
their country must be free'. Let's overwhelm him with a global call to
urgently act on his words and stop the arrests and brutality:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_aung_san_suu_kyi/45.php
As with the release of Nelson Mandela from years of prison in South
Africa, the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi from years of unjust detention,
will bring a new beginning to Burma and hope for democracy. This week
could be that historical time for change - let's stand united behind
Suu Kyi and these brave men and women and demand their release now!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_aung_san_suu_kyi/45.php
With hope,
the Avaaz team
P.S. Want to support Avaaz's work We're entirely funded by member
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For more about Aung San Suu Kyi visit:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/aboutburma/aung_san_suu_kyi.htm
For more about the Global Free Political Prisoners Campaign visit:
http://www.fbppn.net/?page_id=582
A Letter from former Presidents for the release of political prisoners:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/burma/news/Letter-from-112-Former-Presidents-and-Prime-Ministers-to-UN-
For the West and Asian countries reactions to Aung San Suu Kyi's arrest:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8050545.stm
For the full statement from the UN Sectretary General on Aung San Suu Kyi's arrest:
http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3848