Myanmar Action Appeal

Danny Fisher posted the following at his blog. I couldn’t rewrite it better. So, here it is…

Yesterday, Amnesty International put out an urgent action appeal regarding U Gambira, the 27-year-old Buddhist monk who led last year’s monastic uprising in Myanmar as head of the All-Burma Monks Alliance (A.B.M.A.). Amnesty considers U Gambira and two other protest leaders (including his brother) to be prisoners of conscience in danger of (further) torture and ill-treatment and even death.

Buddhist monk U Gambira and his brother Aung Kyaw Kyaw have recently been charged under a vaguely worded security law. Similar politically motivated charges have also been brought against labour rights activist Su Su Nway, who is in poor health. They are being held in Yangon’s Insein Prison, where they risk being tortured or otherwise ill-treated. Amnesty
International considers them to be prisoners of conscience, held solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful association.
U Gambira and Aung Kyaw Kyaw were charged at the end of January under Section 17/1 of the Unlawful Associations Act, which carries a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment. A hearing on their charges scheduled for 4 February was postponed and no new date has been given by the authorities. U Gambira was earlier reported to have been charged with treason, which carries a sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.

[…]

Su Su Nway has reportedly been charged under sections 124, 125 and 505 of the Penal Code. Sections 124 and 505, which relate to sedition and incitement to offences that damage ‘‘public tranquillity’‘, have been used over the years to criminalize peaceful political dissent. Su Su Nway was reportedly due to stand trial on 6 February in Yangon’s Bahan Township, but there is no news of what happened in the proceedings.

Amnesty’s report states that U Gambira has been stripped of his monk’s robes, and that he and his brother have both been tortured in detention. It is not known whether they have been granted access to a lawyer. Su Su Nway suffers from a longstanding heart condition and her health is said to have deteriorated in prison. She has also not been allowed to visit her family or receive parcels from them.

Here’s what you can do: write letters. Amnesty International is asking concerned citizens throughout the world to write letters to Myanmar’s Senior General Than Shwe and its Minister of Foreign Affairs Nyan Win about the situation. You are asked to do the following things in your letters:

welcome the recent release of Min Lwin, father of U Gambira and Aung Kyaw Kyaw;

call for the release of U Gambira, Aung Kyaw Kyaw and Su Su Nway;

state that Amnesty International considers U Gambira, Aung Kyaw Kyaw and Su Su Nway to be prisoners of conscience, held solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful association;

call on the authorities to ensure that all detainees are treated humanely, with full respect for their human rights, and that no one is subject at any time to torture or other ill-treatment;

urge the authorities to immediately ensure that while in detention, all detainees are granted regular access to lawyers, families and all necessary medical treatment;

call on the authorities to release all those who were arrested for exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly during the crackdown, as well as all prisoners of conscience held before the recent events;

call on the authorities to ensure that vaguely worded security laws are not used to prevent the peaceful expression of political opinions.

Once you’ve written your letters, send them to the following addresses:

Senior General Than Shwe

Salutation: Dear General

Nyan Win
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Naypyitaw, Union of Myanmar
Salutation: Dear Minister

COPIES TO:
Mr. Myint Lwin, Counsellor Minister
Charge D’Affaires Ad Interim
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
2300 S St. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 332 4351
Email: [email protected]

You can also spread the urgent action around. Email it to your friends. Print out copies and take them to your local dharma center or sitting group. Spread the word.

Time is of the essence, so please send your letters immediately if not sooner.