Release political prisoners in Burma: Nobel Peace Laureates call for ‘real change’ in lead up to elections

–New Delhi, India, October 29, 2009.

Nobel Peace Laureates—Jody Williams (USA) and Mairead Maguire (Northern Ireland)—today called for governments in the region to use the upcoming elections in Burma to push the military junta of Burma harder on democratic rights.

“The Burmese in exile—like the Tibetans in exile—are building real democracy,” said Jody Williams, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her efforts to ban landmines. “The people of Burma, who have suffered for so long, deserve nothing less.”

The Laureates are supporting the calls of civil society for ‘real change’ in the lead up to the elections to be held next year in Burma. They note that credible elections are not possible without the release of Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the more than 2,000 other political prisoners. As well, the Laureates are supporting the call for inclusive constitutional review dialogue by all stakeholders in Burma in order to pave the way for transparent and fair elections.

“Countries in the region, and indeed the whole international community must stop supporting a regime that is torturing and killing its own people,” said Mairead Maguire, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for working to bring peace to Northern Ireland. “The lack of human rights in Burma is a global responsibility—and it is time to pressure Burma to make real change.”

Civil society, including exiles from Burma, were not allowed to participate in the recent meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) held last weekend in Thailand. The Laureates noted that this was a step backwards for democracy in the region, and seriously jeopardizes the credibility of ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights, just launched at the ASEAN meeting.

“Governments have no need to fear civil society,” said Williams. “Civil society has helped bring to an end violence in South Africa and Northern Ireland—and is working to bring change to Iran. If we allow their voice to be suppressed, we are saying that we don’t believe in democracy itself.”

Williams and Maguire—along with Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi from Iran—are in India at the invitation of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan people in exile. While in India, the Laureates are also meeting with women from Burma, also living in exile in India.

“The Tibet people have given the world an example to follow—they are a model of nonviolence,” said Ms. Maguire. “We are asking governments to listen to the voice of people—and support nonviolent change and democracy in Burma.”

For more information, please contact:

Rachel Vincent

Manager, Media & Communications, Nobel Women’s Initiative

rvincent@nobelwomensinitiative.org

Kimberley MacKenzie

Program Associate, Communications & Advocacy, Nobel Women’s Initiative

kmackenzie@nobelwomensinitiative.org