Coincidence or conspiracy?
Dear friend,
© Chris Robinson We thought we’d seen it all.
Last night Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested on trumped-up charges just two weeks before her house detention was due to expire. Coincidence? Or a cynical pretext by the military junta to put Burma’s leading democratic figure behind bars?
The freedom of the Burmese people now hangs in the balance and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - made up of the countries neighbouring Burma - are crucially placed to make representations inside the country to prevent this desperate situation from deteriorating further.
Click here to email Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN to push for the release Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi was charged for breaching the conditions of her 19-year house arrest because an uninvited American man - identified as Mr John Yettaw - swam across a lake to her home in Rangoon and stayed there in secrecy for two days. She’s being held responsible for someone turning up at her door when she had no power to stop him. And what's more, why did the military fail to provide enough security to keep her safe from an intruder? The forthcoming trial on Monday smacks of a baseless attempt by the military junta to keep Aung San Suu Kyi in jail.
Please send your email to ASEAN now calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
Prior to her trial Ms Suu Kyi has been taken to the maximum-security Insein prison in Rangoon where a number of other dissidents are held. She has recently been reported to suffer from low blood pressure and dehydration and she is not in a healthy state to fight her cause. It’s up to us to stand in her corner and fight for the freedom of the Burmese people.
Thank you for your efforts at this crucial moment in Burma's history. With an outpouring of support before the trial on Monday we have a unique opportunity to give a voice to the people who need their democratic leader now more than ever.
Claire Mallinson
National Director
Amnesty International Australia
PS. Aung San Suu Kyi represents thousands of political prisoners detained in Burma who also need our help. If you have sent your email already, please forward this email to at least two friends and maximise our impact during the next few days.
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