Free Burma's Political Prisoners Now! - A United Campaign - Una campaña mundial por la liberación de los presos politicos birmanos

Dear Friends and Colleagues, Believe it or not? Since the launch of the Free Burma's Political Prisoners Now! Campaign on March 13, almost 200,000 signatures from different parts of the world have been collected for the release of Burma's political prisoners. It is a truly united campaign, having 175 organizations in 25 countries on board. Click HERE to check out the campaign updates. The campaign aims for 888,888 signatures by May 24th so we encourage those who haven't signed the petition to make a stand for political prisoners in Burma. Click HERE to sign this petition now to send a strong message to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the world is united in seeking the release of those prisoners. Every signature counts! This week, we'd like to focus on one of the prominent political prisoners Khun Htun Oo, Chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, who is currently serving a 93-year prison sentence in remote Puta-O prison in northern Kachin State. Click the above photo to see his profile. In Solidarity, Burma Partnership Secretariat Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyer sent a letter Burma junta’s Prime Minister, Gen. Thein Sein, pleading for a review of her house arrest. >> Click here for full story. Three Singaporean protestors handed Thein Sein a bouquet of orchids to pass on to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and called for her release.i >> Click here for full story. Five NLD members were inexplicably arrested a day after the UN called for the release of political prisoners, amongst the detained was NLD spokesperson, Han Tha Myint. >> Click here for full story. Political Prisoners: UN special rapporteur on human rights, Tomas Quintana called for the release of all political prisoners in Burma. >> Click here for full story. A lawyer, Pho Phyu who defended activists was sentenced to four years, for surprisingly, having association with an ‘illegal organisation’. >> Click here for full story. Wunna Maung Win, the junta's ambassador to the UN, denied the existence of political prisoners in Burma at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Human Rights Watch described his statement and the support he received from Russia as shameful while most of the other representatives condemned it as an ‘insult to the human rights project’. >> Click here for full story. U Gambira, the imprisoned monk leader sent out a message of support to activists campaigning for change in Burma, reminding people of our ‘duty’ in such an endeavour. This came after two of his family members were sentenced last week to five years imprisonment with hard labour. >> Click here for full story. Local Tyranny: Two young men died shortly after being interrogated and tortured. Abu Tahid and Zaw Fo Uhsong were in detention for six days without trial before being released and succumbing to their injuries in Maungdaw, Arakan State. >> Click here for full story. A youth who was detained and tortured with no warrant and charge died in custody in Arakan State. Doctors later declared that he died as a result of ‘suicide’. >> Click here for full story. Burma’s Human Rights Day was reason for the deployment for large numbers of security personnel in Rangoon (Yangon) as the regime feared that activists may stage protest. >> Click here for full story. Rohingya villagers were forced to abandon work on a World Food Programme road-building scheme in order for construction of army camps in Maungdaw. >> Click here for full story. The regime's immigration officials were selling confiscated identification papers to the highest bidder in keeping with Burma’s rating as the second most corrupt nation on earth. >> Click here for full story. Cyclone Nargis: The benefits of aid entering Burma as a result of cyclone Nargis are not filtering into the rest of the country where there exists a severe shortage of aid with Burma being one of the lowest recipients of foreign aid. >>click here for full story. At least 20 cyclone victims have protested outside the office for cyclone rehabilitation in Twante, Rangoon Division, shouting slogans they demanded reconstruction of their houses. >> Click here for full story. There are concerns about a drinking water shortage in the Irrawady delta this summer as a result of the damage done by cyclone Nargis. Distribution of drinking water is said to have been hampered by the regime's legislation. >> Click here for full story. Economy: Female jade workers on the Burma-China border were forced into the sex trade to survive after the collapse in the jade price. >> Click here for full story. Foreign investment in Burma was doubled in 2008. There were no surprises that the majority, 88%, of investment was in the extractive industries such as mining. >> Click here for full story. However, the price of gems, Burma’s third largest official export industry, was causing serious problems for the industry. Many in the industry blamed the drop in demand on the ban imposed on the import of gems from Burma by the United States. >> Click here for full story. Food shortages are forcing locals in Chin state into the opium trade, according to a Chin researcher. >> Click here for full story. The Democratic Karen Buddhist Association opened a string of casinos in Mon state where gambling was illegal, causing concern amongst locals and further indication of the impunity with which allies of the regime can act. >> Click here for full story. The UN chief may visit Burma on April 18 after painting a ‘rosy’ picture of potential progress whilst sources in Washington suggest that softening of US positions on sanctions may be as a result of oil and gas lobbyists. >> Click here for full story. There is concern that weakened currencies and the economic crisis are having a negative impact on remittances that many Burmese rely on. >> Click here for full story. Resistance: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) writers urged writers in Burma not to cease their chosen artistic expression despite the huge repression they are facing with. >> Click here for full story. Overseas activists launched protests to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the shooting of over 100 students, what is known as the Red Bridge Day. Actions were held with gatherings of signatures for the Free Burma’s Political Prisoners Now! Campaign. >> Click here for full story. Other Burma Highlights: Activists are unhappy over support given to the junta by the Japanese government in the form of election training. >> Click here for full story. The Singapore government urged the junta's PM, Gen. Thein Sein, on an official visit to the city-state, to ‘reconcile with opposition’ and engage with the west. The statement followed the announcement that five NLD members had been detained. >> Click here for full story. France’s junior human rights minister, Rama Yade is set to visit Karenni refugees with the hope of offering further support from the EU. >> Click here for full story. Tensions rose on the Burma-Bangladesh border as the Burmese military regime is unilaterally erecting a fence and mobilising troops on the border. >> Click here for full story. Norway has taken the unusual step of banning all state investment in one of China’s biggest vehicle manufacturers, because the Chinese sell military trucks to Burma. >> Click here for full story.

About Burma Partnership: Burma Partnership is a movement of organizations and individuals that aims to develop a strong broad-based partnership of peoples of the Asia-Pacific advocating and mobilizing a movement for promoting freedom, democracy and human rights in Burma. This movement facilitates strategic linkages; coordinates activities; develops and shares its capacity and resources; channels information resources; and promotes dialogue towards unified approaches. Click HERE to learn more about Burma Partnership. Contact Burma Partnership: +66 81 884 0772 +66 81 839 9816 partnership@csloxinfo.com http://apppb.blogspot.com