VARIOUS: Campaigners in Thailand mark Suu Kyi's 12 years in detention with protests

Almost 30 foreign and Burmese activists held a peaceful protest outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok on Wednesday (October 24) to demand the release of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Myanmar. Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of Myanmar's opposition party, the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, marks her twelfth year, detained by the the country's military junta. The activists wore the white clothes of Burmese political prisoners while 12 campaigners wore Aung San Suu Kyi masks and chained themselves together as part of worldwide protests to mark the 12th year of her detention. The protesters waved placards and chanted slogans like "Free Aung San Suu Kyi" and "Free Burma". The seventh living female Peace Prize winner -- Aung San Suu Kyi -- is in detention in Myanmar, where she has now spent 12 of the last 18 years in prison or under house arrest. "Today marks 12 years that Aung San Suu Kyi has been in detention. We're calling for her release and that of all political prisoners. We're doing it outside the Chinese embassy because we believe the Chinese government has the influence to bring about that change in Burma. They give it diplomatic support in the U.N., they've got an enormous amount of investment, economic and military aid. They are the organisation that can bring about change there," said Adam Cooper, protester and coordinator of the Peace for Burma coalition. The protesters aimed to demand the release of political prisoners and warn of increasing torture and ill treatment in Myanmar. They also called for the U.N. to prioritise action on Myanmar and secure the release of prisoners. Campaigners took action at 12 noon and similar protests will held in 12 cities around the world like London, New York and Australia. Suu Kyi, 62, has spent 12 of the past 18 years in detention and is confined to her house in Yangon without a telephone and requiring official permission, granted rarely, to receive visitors. Despite years of imprisonment, she represents hope for the Burmese people. "Daw Suu is the hope of the people, including the ethnic nationalities. The committee representing the people, parliament, the united nationality alliance and all the ethnic groups have overall support of her and she is the hope of the reconciliation which would be brought back in our country," said Soe Aung, Deputy Chairperson of the foreign affairs Committee, National Council of the Union of Burma. Protests and rallies take place almost-weekly in Thailand by Thai and Burmese activists calling on Suu Kyi's release, but it has resulted in nothing. Fresh calls for her freedom come weeks after the junta's bloody suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations led by Buddhist monks in Myanmar's major cities. Human rights group Amnesty International has also renewed its appeals for Suu Kyi's unconditional release. China, along with India, is deemed to have an influence on Myanmar's military junta. "People need change in the country and they have shown their desire very clearly. Now the international community must act very soon and immediately that the military regime will come to the dialogue table without illogical, irresponsible conditions which they put against the NLD," added Soe Aung. Last month's monk led military protests led to the international community condemning the junta, but the generals would not budge. Instead, Suu Kyi was reported to have been transferred to a prison and the protests were violently cracked down on by the army. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In its 100 year history, only 12 women have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Only seven are still alive.

ITN Source | October 24, 2007

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