In 12 cities, including London, Paris, Berlin, Brasilia, Bangkok, Washington DC and Toronto, campaigners will wear Aung San Suu Kyi masks, be shackled and dressed in the white cloth of Burmese political prisoners.
"Despite events of recent weeks we seem to be no nearer to gaining freedom for Aung San Suu Kyi or any of the other hundreds of political prisoners. The Burmese regime may be the jailer of Aung San Suu Kyi, but China holds the key to her release. China must now make it clear that they will support action to bring an end to this continued repression. Words are not enough to make the Junta change their minds," UK BURMA Campaign.
Campaigners are increasingly worried that the Burmese regime is succeeding in removing the crisis from the media spotlight by conducting their brutality out of public view.
"Because the pictures have stopped coming out of Burma the media have turned away from this crisis. But the torture, the arrests and the killings all go on. The international community must refocus on this crisis and the UN must do more than issue statements of concern," said Souhayr Belhassen, President of FIDH.
As well as marking Aung San Suu Kyi’s twelfth year in imprisonment, today (Wednesday) also coincides with ‘UN Day’. The protests will urge action through the UN Security Council.
"Today is the UN’s 62nd birthday but there will be few people celebrating it in Burma. For too long the UN has watched as the people of Burma have been crushed by a brutal regime. Now the UN has a real opportunity to prove its worth and use the momentum of recent weeks to support a genuine process of change," said Myo Thien, a Burmese political prisoner who fled the country in 2003.
Editors Notes:
Organisations supporting the day include: Amnesty International UK, Burma Campaign South Africa, European Burma Network, ‘Support the Monks in Burma’ Facebook group, FIDH, ITUC and US Campaign for Burma.
In Paris, the demonstration will take place at 15h outside the HQ of Total, 1 rue du général Leclerc 92047, Paris La Défense.