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On behalf of the political prisoners
in Burma, I would like to make it clear that all we sought was freedom,
justice and personal security fundamental rights enjoyed by any
civilised society. What we were given were imprisonment, torture
and even death.
The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in its preamble declares "Whereas disregard and contempt
for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged
the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human
beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from
fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspirations of
the common people, whereas it is essential, if a man is not compelled
to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny
and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule
of law." Then we are the ones who genuinely seek peace whereas the
SLORC denies the aspirations and desires of the people who cherish
peace.
Even during the British era,
cases in which prison authorities would deny water to political
prisoners on hunger strike were never heard of. Yet during the BSPP
and SLORC period water pots have been broken into pieces or seized,
and the weak hunger strikers beaten again and again. We have heard
this many times and now I have seen it with my own eyes. In some
cases, prisoners have had to drink their own urine because, during
the hunger strikes, the prison authorities seized the water pots.
Political prisoners during the
period of British rule were permitted to read, write and discuss
politics. It was the same in the period of the AFPFL government.
Political prisoners were separated from the criminals and were able
to get basic necessities. A person who was imprisoned in that period
said to me in comparison of the two prison systems. "Our time in
prison was like on going on a picnic compared with the situation
now".
This kind of brutal treatment
is imposed when all we have done is peacefully demonstrate. The
world that we live in is becoming smaller and smaller day by day.
The interrelation and interdependence among people the world over
is now greater than ever before. In this modern era a civilised
man is one who considers not only his safety and security but also
for other people.
We believe man has an unwritten
duty to protect and to promote peace, culture and the intellectual
advancement of all mankind. Is it not an insult to man's conscience
and intelligence when in one corner of the world a handful of people
are arbitrarily committing atrocities against millions of innocent
people? Is it also not a challenge to peace and culture of mankind?
We want the whole world to know
that we the Burmese people are experiencing unspeakable suffering
under the military regime in this corner of the world.
Win Naing Oo
ABSDF(Inland)
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