HUMAN RIGHTS activists have sent a petition to the United Nations calling for the release of over 2,000 political prisoners in Burma.
The petition was yesterday delivered to UN general secretary Ban Ki-moon in New York, urging him to make the release of these prisoners his top priority.
More than 670,000 people from 220 countries and territories have signed the petition, which is part of a campaign organised by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) and the Forum for Democracy in Burma.
Since last October more than 350 political prisoners in Burma have been subjected to jail sentences of up to 104 years. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi is currently on trial after being charged in relation to the military junta’s failure to protect her security, and could face five years imprisonment if convicted.
After the arrest of Ms Suu Kyi in May, the group Burma Action Ireland held a protest in Dublin to raise awareness of the issue and collect signatures for the petition.
Speaking at the time of the arrest, chairman of Burma Action Ireland Gearóid Kilgallen said: “This totally unwarranted action against Aung San Suu Kyi is yet another example of the cruelty and inhumanity of the military thugs who have been ruling Burma for the last 47 years.”