March 13, 2002

On March 13, 1988, the dawn of 8888 movement towards democracy, student Ko Phonn Maw of Rangoon Institute of Technology died under the cruel violence executed by Burmese military authorities. Today it has been 14 years since that bloodshed day of Ko Phonn Maw was recognized as Burma Human Right Day.

The Burmese military authorities has brutally annihilated the 1988 movement for democracy resulting a great toll of deaths nationwide. Again they seized the state power, imprisoned and tortured thousands of democratic activists.

In 1990, the military junta held multiparty elections. They had also assured the public that they would go back to their barracks after the election. In spite, the junta failed to keep its promise and arrested numbers of political activists, tormented and imprisoned them. Since the junta went on seizing the power instead of marching back to the barracks, the elected people's representatives are unable to carry out their respective duties in a parliament. Still, the military junta, who disrespected people's they seized the power unavoidably and went on administering for the stability of sovereignty.

Under the military junta's oppressions, there has been over two thousands political prisoners in various jails across Burma. These individuals have suffered long-term imprisonment as a consequence of their involvements in the struggle for democracy and human rights. The AAPP is carrying out steadfastly for the release of political prisoners who were unjustly imprisoned, and it will continues carrying out further activities.

Now, we rejoiced to see the improvement of the cooperation between Burma's democracy and human right activists working for the release of political prisoners of Burma.

Today, no the 14th anniversary of Burma Human Right Day, we, the AAPP make the resolution to reveal, oppose and eradicate all the human right violations in Burma, cooperating with other human right activists and institutions.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)