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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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