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Political change
There are more than 2,000 prisoners of conscience in Burma
Elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spent twelve of the last eighteen years under house arrest.
Burma has been ruled by military regimes since 1962.
The current military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has ruthlessly opposed democracy and freedom of speech. There are currently more that 2,000 prisoners of conscience in Burma. These prisoners include journalists, students, doctors and
pro-democracy activists.
The most prominent prisoner of conscience is Burma’s rightfully elected leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. She has spent over twelve of the last eighteen years under house arrest. Although she and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) had a decisive majority in the 1990 elections – the first elections held under the SPDC – they have been unable to take up their positions. Most remain in exile or prison.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s current sentence expired this year; however, the SPDC decided to extend her period of house arrest – a step that is illegal under Burma’s own laws. She was held under the State Protection Law of 1975 which only allows terms that are a maximum of five years in length.
In August and September 2007, Buddhist monks and Burmese civilians took part in the largest pro-democracy demonstrations in Burma since 1988. The regime responded with a brutal crackdown, beating, torturing, arresting, imprisoning and killing monks. A Japanese photo-journalist was shot dead at point-blank range.
In May 2008, despite cyclone Nargis, the regime held a referendum on a proposed new constitution. The entire referendum process was rigged, with numerous reports of intimidation, bribery and harassment of voters. Under the referendum law, campaigners for a ‘no’ vote could be jailed. The regime refused to permit international observers. The regime claimed that 92.4% of the population approved the constitution, which will enshrine military rule.
Change for Burma! calls for:
- The United Nations to set specific benchmarks for progress in Burma, with deadlines. Such benchmarks should include the release of political prisoners before UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits Burma, an end to the military’s offensive in eastern Burma, and meaningful tri-partite dialogue between the regime, the National League for Democracy and ethnic nationalities.
- The release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, the restoration of democracy to Burma and an end to systematic violations of human rights.
Join Change for Burma! and take action today to bring long-lasting political change to Burma.
