17 June 2010
Paris, 17th June 2010: In the wake of the latest judgement by an UN body that the ongoing detention of Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is illegal, FIDH reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Nobel Peace Laureate and all other political prisoners.
June 19th marks the 65th birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma’s National League for Democracy (NLD) and her 5,351st day in detention. She is currently being detained for 18 months following a sham conviction on 11th August 2009 after an uninvited American man swam across a lake to her house. The finding by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that her detention is illegal and in violation of international law, declared in May was released to the public by her international counsel yesterday.
In May 2009, the US citizen John Yettaw broke into Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s home, just days before she was due to be released. The junta used this opportunity to illegally extend her detention by another 18 months. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been imprisoned by the military authorities for nearly 15 out of past 21 years under various pretexts. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has previously adopted five Opinions on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 1992, 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2008, declaring her detention to be arbitrary in contravention of Articles 9, 10, and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Later this year, the military junta plans to hold highly questionable elections designed to legitimize its hold over the political and economic life of the country. On March 8, 2010, the junta enacted electoral laws compelling parties wishing to participate in the elections to expel members who were prisoners.
“This would mean that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, which won the 1990 elections by a landslide, would have to expel her under this law. It is akin to demanding the ANC to expel Nelson Mandela” asserted Ms Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President. It is therefore not surprising that the NLD has decided not to take part in these unfair and unjust elections. The NLD and the main ethnic political parties that collectively won 95% of parliamentary seats in the 1990 election that was dishonoured by the junta, have decided to boycott this sham process, rendering these organizations illegal under the electoral law.
These future elections, as yet undated, have been planned by the regime as a cynical attempt to gain breathing space against international pressure while at the same time strangling domestic space for human rights and democracy.
“UN member states should follow the lead of UN Working Group judgement and call now for the release of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. The international community should be united and urge the junta to change these oppressive electoral laws, release all political prisoners, and hold a genuine dialogue that will result in inclusive, free and fair elections” said Ms Belhassen.
(အဓိပတိၾကီး ေပးပို႕သည္)
In May 2009, the US citizen John Yettaw broke into Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s home, just days before she was due to be released. The junta used this opportunity to illegally extend her detention by another 18 months. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been imprisoned by the military authorities for nearly 15 out of past 21 years under various pretexts. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has previously adopted five Opinions on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 1992, 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2008, declaring her detention to be arbitrary in contravention of Articles 9, 10, and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Later this year, the military junta plans to hold highly questionable elections designed to legitimize its hold over the political and economic life of the country. On March 8, 2010, the junta enacted electoral laws compelling parties wishing to participate in the elections to expel members who were prisoners.
“This would mean that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, which won the 1990 elections by a landslide, would have to expel her under this law. It is akin to demanding the ANC to expel Nelson Mandela” asserted Ms Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President. It is therefore not surprising that the NLD has decided not to take part in these unfair and unjust elections. The NLD and the main ethnic political parties that collectively won 95% of parliamentary seats in the 1990 election that was dishonoured by the junta, have decided to boycott this sham process, rendering these organizations illegal under the electoral law.
These future elections, as yet undated, have been planned by the regime as a cynical attempt to gain breathing space against international pressure while at the same time strangling domestic space for human rights and democracy.
“UN member states should follow the lead of UN Working Group judgement and call now for the release of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. The international community should be united and urge the junta to change these oppressive electoral laws, release all political prisoners, and hold a genuine dialogue that will result in inclusive, free and fair elections” said Ms Belhassen.
(အဓိပတိၾကီး ေပးပို႕သည္)
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