Aung San Suu Kyi: Inspirational Opposition Leader Still Detained
"Fearlessness may be a gift but perhaps more precious is the courage acquired through endeavour, courage that comes from cultivating the habit of refusing to let fear dictate one's actions, courage that could be described as 'grace under pressure' - grace which is renewed repeatedly in the face of harsh, unremitting pressure." Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's "Freedom From Fear" speech given in 1990.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been detained, mostly under house arrest, for over 14 of the last 20 years. Her current house arrest sentence in August 2009 of 18 months' came after an American national swam uninvited to her lakeside compound and stayed two days, thus violating the conditions of her detention order. Her new trial was closed to the public for all but a few days. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has said that her house arrest violates both international law AND Myanmar's domestic legislation. Amnesty International has condemned both her trial and sentence and considers her a prisoner of conscience detained for the peaceful expression of her beliefs.
The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 election but the ruling military government ignored the result. Hundreds of opposition party members, including members of the NLD and student activists, have been detained by the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) since these elections. By 2008, the government had drawn up a new constitution, promised new elections in 2010, and in March 2010 annulled the 1990 election results. Amnesty International considers the new constitution flawed and calls for it to be reformed or replaced. It effectively bars Aung San Suu Kyi from holding office.
The new electoral laws, published March 2010, impose severe restrictions on political activities, including prohibiting anyone convicted of a crime or serving a sentence from being a member of a political party. Consequently, Aung San Suu Kyi cannot participate in the upcoming election and the NLD was required either to expel her or face de-registration and be declared illegal. In March, the NLD announced it would not contest the election because the electoral laws were unacceptable, unfair and undemocratic and, since May 6, ceased to exist as a political party. The NLD has declared it will continue in a non-political role, working for human rights and social justice in Myanmar.
Amnesty International considers that the Myanmar government must cease its longstanding, widespread and systematic repression of human rights and guarantee all the people of Myanmar three fundamental freedoms: of expression, assembly and association. It must also release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and allow them to participate freely in the upcoming election.
Updated: 11 June 2010
ADD YOUR VOICE NOW!
To General Than Shwe, Chairman, State Peace and Development Council, Union of Myanmar
I urgently call upon the Myanmar government to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her two female companions immediately and unconditionally, and to ensure that they receive all necessary medical attention.
I call upon the Myanmar government also to live up to its responsibilities under the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners to provide appropriate medical care to all political prisoners, many of whom suffer from serious medical conditions. I ask particularly about the following Prisoners of Conscience suffering from chronic and various medical conditions: Htay Kywe, Hla Myo Naung, Ko Ko Gyi, Min Ko Naing, Myo Yan Naung Thein, Su Su Nway, Kay Thi Aung, Zarganar, U Khun Htun Oo and U Win Htein.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Amnesty International has been working on the case of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi since her first house arrest in 1989, as well as on the cases of the hundreds of other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Myanmar.
More about Aung San Suu Kyi
Born in 1945, Daw Aung San Suu is the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), an opposition party in Myanmar. Her father Aung San negotiated Burma's independence from the United Kingdom in 1947. She is a Buddhist advocate of non-violent resistance and a mother of two.
After marrying and living abroad, Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988. Following mass demonstrations for democracy in March 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi founded the National League for Democracy (NLD). She campaigned for a democratically elected government, respect for human rights and peaceful settlement of conflicts. She was put under house arrest in 1989 by the military who had overthrown the government. Despite this, the NLD won the national election, with approximately 60% of the vote and 81% of the seats. However, the ruling military government ignored the election results and have since remained in power.
Aung San Suu Kyi has remained in Myanmar, despite threats to her safety and despite being repeatedly placed under house arrest for her unwillingness to remain silent.
Her own health in recent months has been cause for much concern although in her court appearance the British Ambassador found her "composed, upright, crackling with energy...very much in charge of her defence team." Since the 2007 protests by thousands of people in Myanmar and around the world, the pressure is on to ensure that Aung San Suu Kyi and other prisoners of conscience, who are among the 2,155 political prisoners detained in Myanmar, are released without delay.
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PHOTO CREDIT: An image of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is displayed on the European Parliament's building at Place du Luxembourg on June 18, 2009 in Brussels in support of the EP's campaign for her release before her trial resumes on 26 June. AFP PHOTO / DOMINIQUE FAGET DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images