Aung San Suu Kyi Spends 65th Birthday Under House Arrest

June 17, 2010

assk_bday_rally June 19 marks the 65th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent more than 14 of the past 20 years in detention in Burma. She is the democratically elected leader of Burma, and the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner.

The Nobel Women’s Initiative has released a statement to mark the occasion, honouring their sister Laureate and calling for international action to promote peace and democracy in Burma. Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi also recorded a special video message in solidarity with the people of Burma.

Read the Nobel Women’s Initiative statement and watch the video message from Shirin Ebadi below.

Earlier this week, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention re-established that the ongoing detention of Aung San Suu Kyi is illegal and in violation of international law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is the body’s sixth opinion finding the terms of Suu Kyi’s house arrest in violation of international law.

NOBEL WOMEN’S INITIATIVE STATEMENT

ON THE BIRTHDAY OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI

June 19, 2010

Today is the 65th birthday of our sister Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, democratically elected leader of Burma. Once again, she observes her birthday under house arrest, denied the company of friends or family. The military dictatorship ruling Burma denies Aung San Suu Kyi her freedom. They also continue to imprison over 2000 others for expressing their political views. Those who live outside prison walls in Burma are not free from the brutality of the military regime either. Every day, women are raped by soldiers, children are forced to bear arms, villagers are forcibly removed from their homes and the majority of the population sinks deeper into poverty as the military elite prospers.

Today we will reflect on the courage, vision and leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. And we will grieve for the people of Burma who struggle under an unjust and cruel regime. Yet we continue to be inspired by the women and men of Burma who are working tirelessly for peace and democracy in their country. We ask all leaders and all people of the world to join us in supporting the people of Burma and responding to their calls for action.

We call on the UN Security Council to take action against Burma, specifically the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into possible crimes against humanity and war crimes in Burma. We call on Burma’s neighbours to stop providing money and guns to the military dictatorship. We call upon all states to condemn the undemocratic constitution of Burma, and the planned elections, and urge genuine dialogue with the democracy movement.