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Message from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
General Secretary, National League for Democracy
August 2002
Produced by
Altsean-Burma
In support of The Free Political Prisoners in Burma Campaign
[Message begins]
The release of political prisoners has always
been at the top of the agenda for the NLD. The release of political prisoners
is important because it
means a return to political normalcy. Unless political
organizations are free to go about their work unhindered and unintimidated by
the
authorities, we can never say that we have started the process towards
changed democracy.
Democracy means pluralism. That means many parties,
many strands of thought. That means that we have to be able to disagree. That
means we
have to be able to agree to disagree. Because of that, the holding
of political prisoners saps peoples' confidence in the possibility of change.
If people are going to be arrested for expressing their opinions, their
political opinions, then how can we say that there is a hope for political
freedom
in Burma, and without political freedom, how can there be democracy? So, we repeat,
again and again, we reiterate, that the release
of political prisoners is
the most important thing for all those who truly wish to bring about change in
Burma.
Those who are at liberty to express their thoughts, those who
are at liberty to associate freely with others, they do not know what it is like
to live in a society where you can be imprisoned for saying the wrong things,
for associating with the wrong people. Wrong, let me say, in the
eyes of the
authorities.
If you cannot say what you wish, then it means that you
are not free, either as an individual or as a member of a political society. We
in the
National League for Democracy know better than most political parties
what it is like to work in a situation where political activity is considered
a
crime. Our political prisoners have not committed more crimes than those
of expressing their political beliefs either through word or through
action.
Some of our political prisoners were arrested on grounds other than those
associated with political activities, but we all know that the real reason
for
their imprisonment was their political affiliations. Because of that, we insist
that the release of political prisoners is necessary if the
process of reconciliation
is to go forward to a point where it becomes truly irreversible.
Until
the process becomes truly irreversible, none of us can afford to be complacent.
Until all our political prisoners are free, none of us can say
that Burma
is now truly on the road towards democratic change. Because of that, we would
like to call upon everybody who cares for the future of
Burma to support the
request, the demand for the release of all political prisoners, speedily and unconditionally.
They should be released as soon
as possible, that they may resume their political
activities, that they may live by their political beliefs, unhindered and unoppressed.
Towards that end, we have been working since the party was founded ...
because from the very inception we have had to face political persecution
and
imprisonment. Towards that end we will go on working, and we hope that all our
friends everywhere will support us in our endeavors.
Thank you.
[Message ends]