Over 100 former political prisoners call for Suu Kyi’s release

by Mizzima News
Monday, 15 June 2009 15:31

New Delhi (mizzima) – More than 100 former political prisoners world wide, have put their signatures on a statement calling for the release of Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and urged the UN Security Council to impose a global arms embargo on Burma.

The former political prisoners from over 20 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe have signed a special “64 words to Aung San Suu Kyi”, a campaign that urges Aung San Suu Kyi’s supporters to tweet, write text messages, send videos and photographs to a Website – 64forsuu.org, launched by campaigners on May 27 to mark the Nobel Peace Laureate’s 64th birthday on June 19.

The former political prisoners in their 64 words for Aung San Suu Kyi said, "The continued denial of your freedom unacceptably attacks the human rights of all 2,156 political prisoners in Myanmar. As those also incarcerated for our political beliefs, we share the world's outrage. We call on the United Nations Security Council to press the Myanmar Government to immediately release all political prisoners, and to restrict weapons that strengthen its hand through a global arms embargo."

Kim Dae-jung, South Korea’s former President and Nobel Peace Laureate in his words said, “Aung San Suu Kyi's continued detention shames Asia."

Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to scrap its policy of non-interference saying, "ASEAN cannot continue its policy of non-intervention. It's time to work together for regional stability and prosperity."

Several signatories are themselves under house arrest including Yuan Weijing and Zeng Jinyan of China.

Others who signed their names include Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Ingrid Betancourt, former Senator and Nobel Peace Prize nominee kidnapped by the Colombian FARDC, Kim Dae-jung, former President of South Korea and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Lech Walesa, former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nelson Mandela.

The others are Shirin Ebadi, lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Shao Jiang, a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Terry Waite, the British humanitarian and author, Vaclav Havel, writer and former President of the Czech Republic, and Yuri Feodorovich Orlov, nuclear physicist and former Soviet dissident.

The ‘64 words for Aung San Suu Kyi’ campaign, dedicated to her 64th birthday and the 14th time that she will celebrate it in solitary confinement, has been signed by several prominent personalities including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and British soccer player David Beckham.