More than three-hundred thousand people have signed the petition calling for UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to secure the release of Burma’s political prisoners. The figure means that someone has signed the petition every 20 seconds since the campaign was launched.
A new report – Silent Killing Fields – published yesterday by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, has exposed the systematic denial of medical care for political prisoners. Last week Aung San Suu Kyi, who is ill and under house arrest, was denied medical care after her doctor was arrested. Although her doctor’s assistant has now been allowed to visit her, her doctor remains in jail, with no explanation from the dictatorship as to why he has been arrested.
“The leadership of the democracy movement is locked away in jail, but UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon seems content just to issue occasional statements calling for their release,” said Nang Seng, Campaigns Officer at Burma Campaign UK. “The United Nations must step up diplomatic initiatives to secure the release of all political prisoners.”
The number of political prisoners in Burma has doubled since the democracy uprising in 2007. Many prisoners have been moved to jails hundreds of miles from their families.
The global campaign is being organised by the Free Burma’s Political Prisoners Now! campaign, led by former political prisoners.
The free Burma’s Political Prisoners petition can be signed here.
For more information contact Nang Seng on +44 (0)2073244710