On Friday October 24th Aung San Suu Kyi will have spent a total of 13 years in detention.
On the same day leaders of Asian and European countries are holding the ASEM Heads of State Summit meeting in China.
The Burma Campaign UK and fellow campaign groups worldwide are calling on the leaders to back UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in securing the release of ALL political prisoners when he visits Burma in December.
There will be a protest at the Chinese Embassy in London: 12:00pm – 1:00pm,
49 Portland Place, near Oxford Circus tube. This protest is organized by a coalition of campaign groups and Burmese community organisations in the UK.
13 people wearing Aung San Suu Kyi face masks will hand a giant key in to the Chinese Embassy, representing the key to freedom that world leaders hold, if they work together to pressure the regime. The key will have the names and pictures of Burma’s 2,120 political prisoners on it
The number of political prisoners in Burma has almost doubled in the past year, despite calls from the United Nations Security Council for their release. These people have committed no crime. They have been locked up for calling for freedom.
Although Ban Ki-moon visited Burma twice after Cyclone Nargis struck the country earlier this year, this will be the first time a UN Secretary General has visited Burma to discuss political problems.
“We have never had European and Asian government joining forces to directly pressure the regime to release prisoners,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK. “For too long the UN has fallen for the lies of the regime. Thirty-seven visits by UN envoys have secured not a single reform. It is time the UN set timelines and benchmarks for change. The release of political prisoners should be the minimum benchmark for progress that Ban Ki-moon aims for in December.”
Last week Ban Ki-moon stated that he wanted to see the release of political prisoners as a sign of progress for when he visits Burma in December. It is the first time he has linked his visit with the release of political prisoners.
Fears are growing that the UN’s controversial lame-duck envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, will be unable to negotiate any agreement with the generals in advance of Ban Ki-moons visit, and that the Secretary General will use this as an excuse to cancel the visit. Last week the UN warned they wanted to see political progress or they would cancel the trip.
On recent trips to Burma none of the senior generals agreed to meet Gambari, even though he is widely viewed as being too soft on the generals. On his last visit Aung San Suu Kyi also refused to meet him.
“Regardless of people’s opinion on whether Gambari’s is biased or not, what is clear is that he does not have the confidence or respect of either side, and so will find it impossible to negotiate any breakthrough,” said Mark Farmaner. “We are in a catch 22 situation. Ban Ki-moon doesn’t want to go to Burma unless his envoy secures an agreement in advance, but we have no chance of getting an agreement without his personal engagement, as the generals ignore his envoys.”
The United Nations has ruled that Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention is illegal under international law.
For more information contact Mark Farmaner on 020 7324 4710.