‘Burma Campaign UK’ Demands Unconditional Release of Pro-Democracy Crusader Aung San Suu Kyi Who Completes 19 Years Of Detention In Myanmar

By Nava Thakuria, New Age Islam 16 January 2025 Myanmar’s Nobel laureate pro-democracy crusader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has completed a total of 19 years under military detention. Leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), who was ousted by the military dictators through a coup on 1 February 2021 even though her party won the last national elections in the southeast Asian country (also known as Burma and Brahmadesh), Suu Kyi remains under imprisonment and house arrests since 1989. The daughter of Burma’s freedom movement hero General Aung San has been pursuing her fourth term detention in the military dominated nation, stated Burma Campaign UK, a global campaigner for human rights, democracy and development in Burma. The London-based rights group on 14 January 2025 also demanded an unconditional release of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, who were illegally detained by the Burmese military rulers. Myanmar’s Nobel laureate pro-democracy crusader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ----- Suu Kyi was last detained during the 2021 military coup, engineered by military dictator Min Aung Hlaing as her party prepared for taking charge of the federal government in Naypyitaw, and currently she is under solitary confinement somewhere in Yangon. The Oxford educated lady was first arrested as a democracy activist in 1995 by the then military rulers and later she was detained as lawmaker in 2012. She was not spared even after becoming the country’s State Counselor (de-facto President of Myanmar) and arrested in 2016. Various military influenced courts of Myanmar have sentenced Suu Kyi for more than 25 years in prison following a number of fictitious charges. However, the people of Myanmar irrespective of their ethnicity or creeds reposed faith on her and hence she continued winning every election since 1990. The NLD and its allies won a landslide victory in the last general elections (2020) and the newly elected lawmakers were ready to take oath in the morning hours which was forbidden by the last coup four years back. In contrast, the Burmese military have never won a mandate, and they have no legitimacy to rule Myanmar, said a statement issued by Burma Campaign UK. It pointed out that Suu Kyi is one of more than 21,000 political prisoners currently detained by the military. The current number of political prisoners since the latest coup is ten times higher than the average number of political prisoners during the previous military regimes. Over 28,000 individuals were arrested since the last coup including 589 children and the political prisoners are being subjected to appalling treatment and conditions, including torture, sexual violence and denial of medical care, added the statement. Needless to mention that Suu Kyi somehow earned a bad name globally after she failed to defend human rights for the Rohingya people precisely from Arakan (Rakhine) State in western Myanmar as the upsurge in violence against the Muslim community in 2012 and 2017. She also defended the military at the International Court of Justice in 2019 where a case of genocide against the Rohingyas was heard. She faced domestic criticism for failing to repeal almost all repressive laws framed against the critics of government and military officials. The government, virtually under her leadership, violated international laws in restricting humanitarian access to Arakan, Shan and Kachin States, where internally displaced people were in desperate need of aid after the attacks by the military personnel. Today, Myanmar is witnessing an intense civil war where a number of ethnic armed outfits along with common people with arms on their hands are waging a war against the military junta. Even though the Buddhist majority nation is still under military rule, the dictators start losing their influence and authorities. During the last four years, over 5,500 civilians were killed and nearly 27,000 were arrested by the junta soldiers. The relentless airstrikes on populated areas, setting many villages and urban localities on fire across the country of 55 million people became the order of the day. More than 3.5 million people have been displaced and they are facing acute food, medical and other logistic crises. In many parts the relief materials are prevented from transporting and distributing among the affected families comprising older people, women and children. “Despite the junta’s escalating brutality, the people of Myanmar remain resolute in their fight for freedom and justice, building a new Myanmar from the ground up, establishing a strong and inclusive foundation of governance that guarantees self-determination, justice, and a peaceful society while simultaneously ridding the country of military tyranny,” said Khin Ohmar of Progressive Voice, an active advocacy group, adding that the aspiring Myanmarese have welcomed 2025 with more determination showing the international community their unbreakable defiance against the cruel military junta. On the other hand, the junta left demoralized after rapidly losing its control over the country. Latest reports indicate that the junta now controls only 32% Myanmar townships, where 24% slips into full conflict zones and 44% have gone under the control of revolutionary forces, ethnic resistance organizations and people’s defense forces, added Ms Ohmar. The revolutionary forces under the banner of Three Brotherhood Alliance (comprising the Arakan Army, Ta’ang National Liberation Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army) launched a massive offensive (titled Operation 1027) in late 2023 and till date they have brought under control the important routes connecting the border towns with Bangladesh, India, Thailand and China. The AA fighters have captured 14 out of 17 Arakanese townships in western Myanmar along with a large number of military bases including the junta’s strategic Western Command headquarters in Ann locality. Following the intervention of China, the TNLA and MNDAA announced the ceasefire, but their revolutionaries had already seized over 15 townships in northern Shan State and Mandalay region. Facing the heat, the junta has now declared national elections by this year. The junta-controlled Union Election Commission started preliminary preparations for the polls including a countrywide census. However, the electoral process in the land of Golden Pagodas remains doubtful since its independence in 1948. The powerful government armed forces often dictate the political leadership where the military-drafted 2008 Constitution made the situation more critical for the pro-democracy activists, as it has reserved 25 percent of Parliamentary seats for the military persons and their associates. Nonetheless, Burma Campaign UK director Mark Farmaner insisted on releasing all political prisoners, commenting that the Burmese military detaining Suu Kyi for a total of 19 years demonstrates how they are still afraid of the lady attaining 80 on 19 June next. ------ Nava Thakuria is an official representative of PEC in South & Southeast Asia URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/burma-campaign-uk-suu-kyi-detention-myanmar/d/134345 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism