About Free Burma’s Political Prisoners Now! - FBPPN

fbppn-logo.jpgFor decades the people of Burma have suffered from socio-economic hardship and severe oppression of political and civil rights by its brutal military regime. A fuel price hike in August 2007 has sparked protests that are the largest and most sustained in Burma since 1988. The price hike has had a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the Burmese people, many of whom live under the poverty line and struggle for daily survival. The popular uprising in August and September 2007 was an expression of long felt desperation and strong will for change among the Burmese people, but once again the military regime showed its repressive and dictatorial nature by brutally killing and arresting the peaceful protesters. All Political Prisoner Must Be Release Now
There are over 7,000 people detained during and after the protests. Among those detainees were 13 leaders of ‘the 88 Generation Students’ who previously served long jail sentences, surviving torture and solitary confinement. The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), which monitors prison conditions in many conflict settings, has not been able to visit Burmese prisons since late 2005 because authorities have prevented visits in accordance with the ICRC’s usual procedures that include carrying out private interviews with detainees, is still unable to visit the detainees.

The despair of the Burmese people, as well as the regime’s violent way of silencing all political opposition, were already known to the international community, following the popular uprising in 1988. When the people of Burma once more took to the streets in September 2007 and the regime again crushed their aspirations for change with brutal violence, Governments around the world, as well as different UN agencies, unanimously condemned the violent actions of the Burmese regime.

Nevertheless, the Burmese military regime has not yet shown the will to engage in meaningful dialogue for national reconciliation, and effective measures to pressure the generals into cooperation remain to be found.

Therefore, we need support from members of the international community and people all over the world by calling the Burma’s military regime for immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.