INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CALLED TO STEP UP PRESSURE FOR THE RELEASE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND POLITICAL PRISONERS

The Members of Parliament Union calls on the international community to step up pressure on Burmese military junta to start reconciliation process by releasing Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the second bloody military coup d’etat in Burma - in which thousands of peaceful pro-democracy protestors were inhumanely killed by the troops of the junta. Due to continuous political repression and economic mismanagement of the junta, entire people of Burma live in constant fear and the country has been heading toward crises politically, economically and socially.

During the past fifteen years, the junta blatantly broke its promises regarding the transfer of power to the election winning party National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi and dialogue with the NLD and ethnic nationalities for political reform and national reconciliation.

Instead, the junta cracked down the NLD and convened a state-orchestrated National Convention for drafting a constitution to legitimize and prolong military rule. On the other hand, the junta has been playing delayed and diversion tactics by using the possibility of dialogue and the release of some political prisoners as a show case to ease international pressure and legitimize and the prolong military rule.

However, international pressure is mounted after the May 30 ambush on Aung San Suu Kyi’s motorcade in Upper Burma resulting in seventy dead, many dozens injured and more than one hundred (including Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD leaders) detained. In response, the junta recently promised again to hold free and fair elections after drawing up a new constitution in the previously-stalled National Convention.

“We only need a genuine National Convention like “Panglong Conference” where the true representatives of the NLD led by Aung San Suu Kyi, ethnic nationalities and the junta can work out together to draw up a democratic federal constitution. International community should not be cheated by current National Convention”, said Daniel Aung who left the National Convention in 1994 due to lack of democratic procedures.

“If the generals have real commitment to establish a peaceful democratic Burma, they must start the reconciliation process by immediately and unconditionally releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, together with others detained in connection with the May 30 incident, as well as other remaining political prisoners as a first step”, said Daniel Aung, Vice President of the Members of Parliament Union.

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For more information contact:
1. Mr. Maung Maung Latt, (Secretary of MPU): Mobile: (+66) 1 7333 891
2. Dr. Myint Cho (Director): Tel: (+61) 2- 9646 1211, Mobile: (+61) 402 135 767