Information release
2nd September 2008

During the first six months of 2008, the Special Advisor of the Secretary- General of the United Nations, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Myanmar to the United Nations, were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to visit Burma in order to try to help improve the Burmese political and human rights situation. However, the human rights situation and the movement towards democracy has not improved at all, instead, politically motivated arrests and imprisonments have dramatically increased during this period.

The military regime of Burma arrested at least 39 activists in August 2008, and 21 activists were imprisoned. (See Appendix)

The detainees are members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Human Rights Defenders and Protestors (HRDP) and Student Unions. Some of them were arrested, not because of current activities, but because of their activities in August and September 2007.

Ko Tate Naing, the secretary of the AAPP, said that even though UN high level representatives visited Burma to try to solve the problems of human rights violations, the regime continues to arrest and imprison democracy activists with impunity. This means that the regime is not cooperating with the United Nations or the International Community. Due to these facts we need to reconsider the process of UN involvement in Burma.

During 2008 at least 286 activists have been arrested so far, how many more will it take for the United Nations organization and member states to understand that the rule of law does not exist in Burma and that the people they recognize, refer to and negotiate with as the government of Burma are nothing more than an illegal and brutal dictatorship?

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)

For more information, please contact
Tate Naing:                     (+66) 81 287 8751
Bo Kyi:                           (+66) 81 324 8935

SEE APPENDIX ARRESTED_ AUGUST_2008

SEE APPENDIX IMPRISONED_ AUGUST_2008