The Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the release of Nyi Nyi Aung, an
American Burmese arrested last year while visiting his sick mother, but
warned that the generals are once again playing games with the international
community, and that the release is designed to divert attention from the
recently published election laws, which have been widely condemned.
Only yesterday (17th March), Zoya Phan, International Coordinator of Burma
Campaign UK, published an article on the Democratic Voice of Burma English
language website, predicting the release of a high profile political
prisoner as part of the game the generals play to divert international
attention from election laws.
http://www.dvb.no/analysis/weve-fallen-for-the-generals-tricks/
The announcement of Nyi Nyi Aung’s release comes one week after the generals published election laws which blatantly ensure the elections will be rigged to ensure the generals control the whole process, and which bar Aung San Suu Kyi from taking part.
“The generals are playing the same old game, knowing the international
community is likely to fall for it once again, and give the release a
political significance which does not exist,” said Zoya Phan. “The USA has
recently made statements that its process of dialogue is going nowhere. The
generals want to string out the process as long as possible to avoid any
real pressure being applied. We have seen this kind of thing time and time
again, and time and time again the international community falls for it.
They need to face the fact that the generals will never voluntarily hand
over power, they will have to be forced to do so by strong pressure.”
Nyi Nyi Aung, a Burmese American citizen and former democracy activist in
Burma, was arrested on 3 September 2009 after arriving in Burma to visit his
sick mother. He was tortured and jailed for 3 years with hard labour. The
USA has been criticised for its lack of action to secure his release.
For more information contact Zoya Phan 020 7324 4710