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Minister Kohout took over “Free Burma’s political prisoners now!” petition

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Kohout took petition sheets from the representatives of a humanitarian organisation People in Need Foundation today. The sheets contain signatures of 5208 Czech citizens who joined the call “Free Burma’s political prisoners now!”.

Jan Kohout přejímá petici za propuštění barmských vězňůThe petition calls upon the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make his personal priority to secure the release of more than 2100 Burma´s political prisoners, including the imprisoned opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The petition campaign “Free Burma’s political prisoners now!” was initiated by two Burma´s exile organisations Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), representing former political prisoners and pro-democratic activists in Burma. Both have their seat in the Thai city Mae Sot. Since the start of the petition on March 13, more than 677 000 people from all over the world signed the petition.

 Salute of Minister Kohout to people of Burma

The text of the petition:

Free Burma’s political prisoners now!

  "Until all of our political prisoners are free, none of us can say that Burma is now truly on the road towards democratic change."

Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, held under house arrest for 13 of the last 19 years. The military government - the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) – must immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, Khun Tun Oo and Min Ko Naing.

The release of all political prisoners is the first and most important step towards freedom and democracy in Burma. We, the undersigned, call upon UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make it his personal priority to secure the release of all of Burma's political prisoners by the SPDC.

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