Free Burma's political prisoners now!

FREE BURMA’S POLITICAL PRISONERS NOW!
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Press Release
Embargoed until 01.00am Thailand time Tuesday 26 May
[Bangkok, Thailand] 26 May 2009
Accept nothing less than the release of Burma's political prisoners:
Over 600,000 global citizens urge Ban Ki-moon
A global campaign for the release of Burma’s political prisoners has secured over 600,000
petition signatures in just ten weeks, according to campaign organisers. Signatures have
come from over 150 countries. "This is the largest global coordinated action for Burma
the world has ever witnessed," said Dr Naing Aung, Secretary-General of the Forum for
Democracy in Burma.
The petition calls on the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make it his personal
priority to secure the release of all political prisoners in Burma, as the essential first step
towards democratization in the country. It comes at a time when Ban Ki-moon is
negotiating a visit to the country with the ruling military government, and has said he is
"deeply concerned" about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention. The closed-door trial of
the Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the National League for Democracy is today
entering its seventh day. International condemnation of the trial has been widespread,
including unprecedented criticism from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN). Since October last year, more than 350 of Burma’s 2,100 political prisoners
have been sentenced in similar trials, to harsh sentences of up to 104 years.
Co-founder and Joint-Secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
(Burma) Bo Kyi said, “The eyes of the world are on Ban Ki-moon now. He must do
whatever it takes, and accept nothing less than the immediate and unconditional release
of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners. Without their release, there can be
no national reconciliation in Burma."
The campaign has been led by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
and Forum for Democracy in Burma, representing former political prisoners and prodemocracy
activists. A broad-based consortium of Burma exile and solidarity groups
around the world has worked to secure the signatures, including Avaaz, a massive online
community of activists.
FREE BURMA’S POLITICAL PRISONERS NOW!
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Avaaz Executive Director Ricken Patel said, "Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma's Nelson
Mandela. The UN Secretary-General must insist that her release be the condition for any
further international engagement with the Burmese junta."
Since the campaign launched on 13 March, Burma's Human Rights Day, one person has
signed the petition every 10 seconds.
-ENDS-
For media interviews, please contact:
Bo Kyi, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) +66(0)813248935
Naing Aung, Forum For Democracy in Burma +66(0)818837230
Khin Ohmar, Forum For Democracy in Burma +66(0)818840772
Ricken Patel, Avaaz + 34 608934971 or media@avaaz.org
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The Campaign By Numbers
• A broad-based consortium of over 200 Burma exile and solidarity groups have
participated in the campaign, in 32 countries across 5 continents.
• Over 600,000 people from over 150 different countries have signed the petition.
• One person has signed the petition every 10 seconds since the campaign launched
on 13 March, Burma's Human Rights Day.
• In Thai-Burma border areas, over 60 roundtable discussions about political
prisoners have taken place, for migrant workers and in refugee camps
• Over 19,000 signatures were collected from refugee camps on the Thai-Burma
border.
• Over 47,000 signatures were collected from migrant workers in Southern
Thailand.
• Over 23,000 signatures were collected in the Thai-Burma border town of Mae Sot.
FREE BURMA’S POLITICAL PRISONERS NOW!
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2. Political Prisoner Statistics
• There are currently 2,156 political prisoners in jails and labour camps all over
Burma (statistics provided by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
(Burma) )
• Since October 2008, more than 350 democracy activists in Burma have been
sentenced to harsh sentences of up to 104 years. Since November last year, more
than 230 have been transferred to remote prisons all around the country, far from
their families.
3. Campaign Consortium
The campaign is led by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) and
Forum for Democracy in Burma. Follow this link for a full list of all endorsing
organisations involved in the campaign: http://www.fbppn.net/?page_id=1750
Annex: Media Contact List for the FBPPN! petition campaign in Asia
Australia: Charlotte Long (+ 610 405 712 458); Iqbar aka Tin Hlaing (+61
0401377986 mobile or +61 0395466108)
Hong Kong: Rey Asis (+ 852 9588 9491)
India: Htun Htun (+ 91 9891 280 954)
Indonesia: Swandaru (+ 62 8125274819)
Japan: Phone Myint Tun (+ 81 90 4221 1988); Than Zin Oo (+ 81 80 5674 1960);
Arata Kumazawa (+ 81 90 7182 5594)
Korea: Nay Tun Naing (+ 82 10 8962 3414)
Malaysia: Ye Min Tun (+6017 6995 103); Ms. Latheefa Koya (+6012 3842 972)
Philippines: Egoy Bans (+63920 9132472)