January 26, 2001

We, the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP), are very pleased to hear the decision of the Student Peace Prize Committee of Norway to award the Student Peace Prize to the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) and its leader Min Ko Naing.

Min Ko Naing, 38, the chairman of ABFSU, was arrested on March 23, 1989 by the Burmese junta and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in solitary confinement for giving pro democracy speeches. Amnesty International recognizes him as a prisoner of conscience.

We hope that the Student Peace Prize will further highlight the repression in Burma, where even the right to form student unions and the minimum rights of political prisoners, such as reading, writing and communicating with each other, are denied.

We are very encouraged to see this prize awarded to Min Ko Naing and the ABFSU because ABFSU and Min Ko Naing have been working relentlessly for the restoration of human rights, democracy, academic freedom and peace, which have been absent in Burma for decades.

Also, we strongly believe that the prize will draw international attention to the cause of democracy in Burma and inspire students and youth around the world to join hands with the Burmese people to support the Burmese struggle.

We also believe that giving the prize to ABFSU and Min Ko Naing not only honors Min Ko Naing as an individual, but also supports the Student movement in Burma as a whole.

The timing of the decision to award Min Ko Naing and ABFSU the Student Peace Prize is significant because it is reported that dialogue has just been initiated between the Burmese junta and Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader who is now under house arrest. We would like to encourage all parties concerned with Burmese politics to take to heart the message of the Student Peace Prize, which should be read in terms of healing past trauma without any additional finger-pointing, and lead towards the genuine reconciliation and peace for the country at large.

On this occasion we would like to reiterate our call that the Burmese military government consider the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi and Min Ko Naing, as a gesture of reconciliation and peace for everyone concerned.

The Student Peace Prize is a biannual award from Norwegian students and is awarded in connection with the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT). The first Student Peace Prize was awarded to the east-Timorese student leader Antero Benedito da Silva in 1999.

AAPP was formed on December 1, 1999 in order to assist Burmese political prisoners. We also work in conjunction with other human rights organizations to support the protection of Burmese political prisoners.

We, AAPP would like to thank the Student Peace Prize Committee of Norway for choosing ABFSU, and its chairman Min Ko Naing, for the 2001 Student Peace Prize. We also would like to thank the people and organizations that nominated ABFSU and Min Ko Naing for the Student Peace Prize.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) AAPP