On Tuesday 19th June Aung San Suu Kyi will spend her 62nd birthday in detention. On that day she will have spent a total of 11 years and 238 days (4,253 days) in detention. She is isolated, allowed no visitors, her phone line has been cut, and her post is intercepted.
Events will be taking place worldwide to demand Aung San Suu Kyi’s release, including:
• Protests at Burmese embassies, including demonstrations in central London.
• A reception at the British Parliament to be attended by Ian McCartney MP, Foreign Office Minister responsible for Burma, Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Moore, MP and more than 40 MPs.
• Readings and performances of The Lady of Burma – a play about Aung San Suu Kyi – will take place in 7 countries and 11 locations around the UK including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the UK Parliament Bollywood superstar Kabir Bedi will introduce an extract from the play performed by actress Liana Gould.
• An attempt to break the Guinness world record for speaking non-stop, reading the books and essays of Aung San Suu Kyi.
In May 2007 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a ruling that Aung San Suu Kyi is being detained illegally by the military junta in Burma. The regime extended her detention again on May 25th , despite growing demands for her release, including from ASEAN, the EU, USA and United Nations. 59 world political leaders, including former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and former US President Bill Clinton, have also written to Than Shwe, the dictator of Burma, calling for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release.
“Aung San Suu Kyi symbolises our struggle for freedom,“ said Zoya Phan, Campaigns Officer at the Burma Campaign UK. “Her detention is illegal and the international community must act to secure her release. It is time the Security Council discussed Burma again.”
Aung San Suu Kyi’s current period of detention began on May 30th 2003 when a convoy she was travelling in was attacked by a regime run militia, the Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA). USDA thugs beat around 100 National League for Democracy supporters to death in a failed assassination attempt against Aung San Suu Kyi.
For more information contact Mark Farmaner, Acting Director, Burma Campaign UK, on 020 7324 4713
Brief summary of events worldwide:
UK: Reception in British parliament, demonstrations at Downing Street, Foreign Office and Burmese Embassy. Extracts/readings of the Lady of Burma play in 11 locations.
Events, seminars, exhibitions, and parties in Switzerland, Italy, Japan, Poland, Austria, Norway, Ireland (attended by Director John Boorman), and Denmark.
250 ‘Arrest Yourself’ events in 42 states in USA where activists stay at home for 24 hours in solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi , plus ‘Arrest Yourself’ events in Ireland.
Members of the USA Congress, led by Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Tom Lantos will host a ceremony for Aung San Suu Kyi on June 19th at 11:00 am in Rayburn Building Room #2200
In Hollywood USA, Creative Artists Agency, one of the movie and music industries largest talent agencies, will host a film screening and reception to honour Suu Kyi on June 19th at 7:00 pm.
In Thailand, South Korea, India, Japan, Canada and other countries members of parliaments are demanding further action by their governments.
In Wisconsin, USA, Michael Bootzin will attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records by speaking for over four days consecutively without rest, during which he will read the writings and speeches of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Thailand: June 19 (1:30-5:30 PM): A public forum and ceremony has been organized by Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB), Burmese Women’s Union (BWU), National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB), Member of Parliament Union (MPU), and National League for Democracy, Librated Area (NLD-LA) to take place from 1:30 to 5:30 pm on 17th June, 2007, at Student Christian Center, Conference Room, Phayathai Road, Ratchathawi, Bangkok.
Thailand: June 19 (6:00 pm): The 10th annual Women of Burma Day event, and celebration of the 62nd birthday of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be organized by the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC), Alternative Asean Network on Burma, National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), Member of Parliament Union, and Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB). Panel discussion with members AIPMC and cultural performances and the book “Burma Women’s Voices for Hope,” will also be launched during the event and the book is collection of writings from women of Burma, including women activists in the country, refugees and exiles.
A concert will be held in Taiwan.
Burma Center Prague together with Burmese refugees and students will offer food for free to the homeless at a charity in Prague, continuing the Burmese tradition of giving to the poor during a festivity.