Aung San Suu Kyi Appeal Rejection Shows No Change In Burma

The Burma Campaign UK today called on the United Nations Secretary General to stop issuing statements of concern and start taking action about the situation in Burma. The rejection of Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal against her detention is just the latest in a series of strong actions the dictatorship has taken which demonstrate that there is no genuine reform on the way.

“The United Nations and some European countries seems to have been seduced by the mood music from the generals that change is on the way because of so-called elections later this year,” said Anna Roberts, Executive Director of Burma Campaign UK. “However, the generals’ actions tell a different story. The continuing detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 2,100 political prisoners, the mortar bombing of a school in Karen state last week, new military offensives against ethnic people in Eastern Burma, these are not the actions of a reforming regime. It is time the UN stopped dithering in the desperate and deluded hope that the fake elections will bring change, and instead renewed efforts to enforce Security Council and General Assembly demands for dialogue between the generals, the National League for Democracy, and genuine ethnic representatives.”

Aung San Suu Kyi had appealed against her latest detention, following a sham trial after an American man entered her home without her permission. She has now spent more than 14 years in detention. Her current period of detention began in May 2003 after a convoy she was travelling in was ambushed by a regime militia. She escaped with her life but dozens of her supporters were killed. She is due to be released from house arrest in November this year, a month after fake elections being planned by Burma’s generals.

For more information contact Anna Roberts on 020 7324 4710

Related news

• Gang-rape in church - impunity for sexual violence in Kachin conflict continues
• British MPs call for Aid to Victims of Conflict in Burma
• Campaign 
to 
Stop
 Rape 
& 
Gender 
Violence
• Democracy Activists remain in jail – Free Aye Aung!
• Investment and Trade in Burma
• No Political Prisoner Left Behind – Free Thant Zaw!
• Burma Sanctions Suspension – Timelines and Benchmarks Needed
• David Cameron Must Highlight On-going Human Rights Abuses In Burma
• UN Security Council Must Address War Crimes in Burma
• Burma’s Resource Curse