Burma Democratic Concern today welcome G-8 leaders calling for (10/07/2008)

BDC-10 July 2008 Press Release

Burma Democratic Concern today welcome G-8 leaders calling for "to immediately release all political detainees including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to foster a peaceful transition to a legitimate, democratic, civilian government” and also called on “the Burmese junta to lift all remaining restrictions on international aid and to improve the transparency of the incoming aid to the cyclone-affected areas in order to provide assistance to victims of Cyclone Nargis”.

“We welcome that world leaders do not forget about Burma and care about Burma. But, we wanted to see more actions rather than words. We appreciate that word leaders express their concern for Aung San Suu Kyi, political detainees and victims of Cyclone Nargis. Words are not enough. Actions needed to be taken practically. Actions focus on essential which is to implement 1990 Elections result, to take place genuine dialogue between democratic forces led by Aung San Suu Kyi and junta’s leader Senior General Than Shwe, and if junta still neglecting people’s will, eventually to adopt United Nations Security Council binding resolution on Burma so as to take effective action to emerge the legitimate, democratic, civilian government”, said Myo Thein, Director of Burma Democratic Concern.

If Burmese regime is willing to negotiate with the opposition leader, they must come to discussion table and must release all political prisoners. This is the first step forward and they must prove it by doing so. We do not accept any delaying tactics or small scale concession or using tricks. Aung San Suu Kyi said she is willing to co-operate with the regime to make the process a success. Student leaders also called for the genuine dialogue and to recognise 1990 election result. Regime is affectively ignoring the international community and will of the Burmese people for nearly 20 years now. Enough is enough. Under the brutal dictatorship, people are suffering very tremendously. Thousands of lives were lost, thousands in the prisons; facing brutal torture and are denied to receive proper medical treatment and regime will kill more people in order to hold on power. Political prisoners are very vulnerable at the hands of the brutal military regime.

“We received the reports that health of the political prisoners are deteriorating in the prisons and are denied the proper medical treatment. Some are seriously ill. Student leader Min Ko Naing is suffering from eye infection and his feet need treatment. Student leader Ko Ko Gyi is suffering from liver and stomach problems. Student leader Myo Yan Naung Thein needs urgent medical treatment as his lower body cannot move at all and feared of paralysed. Journalist and close ally of Aung San Suu Kyi, U Win Tin has been in prison for 19 years and he is suffering from asthma and breathing problems. Solo protester U Ohn Than is suffering from cerebral malaria and he needs urgent medical treatment”, said Khin Maung Win, Director of Burma Democratic Concern.

“It is very worrying to learn that political prisoners do not receive the proper medical attention. Regime is torturing political prisoners emotionally as well as their family. Addition, delaying or denying medical treatment is systematically killing the political prisoners. Knowing that your loved ones are in the prisons suffering from illness and ill-treatment and without receiving proper medical care are unbearable for political prisoners’ families”, added Khin Maung Win.

They all deserve to receive proper medical treatment and all political prisoners must be release immediately and unconditionally. The fates of the political prisoners are only the tip of the iceberg regime’s brutalities committing on its own people. There are a lot more to be revealed. In the wake of the cyclone Nargis, the world witness the regime’s negligence to save people’s lives first and not fully co-operate with the international community to conduct relief and rehabilitation works. After more than two months cyclone Nargis hit Burma, regime still fails to co-operate fully with international aid workers and intimidating domestic aid workers.

G-8 leaders seem to express incentives by saying they are prepared to respond positively to substantive political progress undertaken by Myanmar (Burma). This is the carrot. But G-8 leaders should express stick as well if regime fails to respond positively to substantive political progress. They should say that regime will be punished by international community.

“Regime should be punished by the international community by posing universal arms embargo on Burma and by posing universal economic sanctions. We need the United Nations binding resolution on Burma to sort out Burma’s overdue longstanding political crisis”, said Kyaw Lin Oo, Director of Burma Democratic Concern.

United Nations should step up further in order to solve Burma crisis. They should be firm, determined and decisive to take proactive actions. For the time being, United Nations role in Burma is not productive. UN Secretary General’s good offices mission and Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari should do more on Burma rather than working passively. They should press Burma’s generals rather than they are pressed. Ban Ki Moon and Ibrahim Gambari should learn more about Burma’s history and mentality of the Burmese generals. They should bear in mind that these very generals held the election in 1990 and these very generals fail to honour the results of the election. These very generals, again, are planning to hold another election in 2010. This is totally unacceptable.

“If United Nations fail to press the Burmese generals to honour 1990 elections result and press to implement them, it will send wrong message to the Burmese people and world citizens that if you got the guns and power, you can do whatever you want and kill the people well before the international community and get away with it. If United Nations cannot bypass the veto wielding China or if United Nations cannot persuade China to walk on the right track to support democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and democratic forces for the sake of the stability of Burma and for the sake of the Burmese people rather than a bunch of generals, the future of the world peace will be very worrying”, added Kyaw Lin Oo.

For more information contact,

Myo Thein
00 44 787 788 2386
[United Kingdom]

Khin Maung Win
001 941 961 2622
[United States]

Kyaw Lin Oo
00 66 84107 9352
[Thailand]