[asia-apec 1843] URGENT ACTION FOR JAILED BURMESE PROFESSOR

[Aaron James]

Friends,

In Burma, a southeast Asian country lying between Thailand and India, has
been ruled by a ruthless and corrupt military regime (which renamed the
country Myanmar). Forced labour, akin to modern day slavery persists, and
the UN, ILO, Amnesty International, and many other agencies have denounced
the junta for forced relocation, arbitrary execution, torture, rape, and
many other human right atrocities against its own population. It continues
to ignore the results of 1990 elections, in which the National League for
Democracy, led by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won 82% of the seats.
Many of the elected MPs were jailed or, as Suu Kyi, was placed under house
arrest. Estimates are that between 1 and 4 million people have been
internally displaced or have fled the country. They live in dire
circumstances. Further, Burma is now the world's leading supplier of heroin
and approximately 500,000 Burmese are infected with HIV/AIDS, some due to
needle sharing, a relief many take from hunger and illness. 

A retired Burmese University professor has dared to stand up against the
brutal regime. He handed out a petition calling for the recognition of
democratically elected MPs. For this, he was arrested, tortured. Please
respond to this urgent request for international support for the release of
the jailed professor. 

in solidarity,
Aaron James 


URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION

 ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

 28 January 2002

 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 UA-04-2002 - Arrested Professor prepared to die for democracy

 BURMA: Denial of freedom of expression, arbitrary arrest and detention of
 elderly human rights defender, concern for safety/risk of torture
 -------------------------------------------------------------------

 "Many students have already been killed. It is about time that you kill an
 old professor." (Dr. Salai Than Tun, Burmese Professor)

 This appeal is for an international response to the arrest and detention
of
 74 year-old Dr Salai Tan Thun, a retired Burmese university rector who has
 publicly petitioned the military government to return power to civilian
rule.

 In December 2001 Dr Salai Than Tun peacefully handed out copies of a
 petition calling on the military regime to hold multiparty elections
within
 a year, in front of the Rangoon Town Hall. Shortly after, security
 officials arrested him. Details of the case became known to The Irrawaddy
 news service in early January, when it also obtained a copy of Dr Salai
Tan
 Thun's petition.

 We call upon the international community to vigorously protest this denial
 of fundamental civil liberties so typical of the military regime in Burma
 (Myanmar). In particular, we call on the academic community throughout the
 world to act on this outrageous and unjust treatment of one of its peers.
 You can read the details of the case and the full transcript of Dr.
Salai's
 petition below, or scroll down to the SUGGESTED ACTION section to see what
 you can do to support his brave protest.


 CASE DETAILS

 Dr Salai Tan Thun is a 74 year-old retired rector of Yezin University,
 Pyinmana (Upper Burma). He holds a PhD in Agronomy from the University of
 Wisconsin, USA. He is a member of the Chin minority ethnic group (western
 Burma) and a Christian.

 According to reliable sources of The Irrawaddy news service (Chiang Mai,
 Thailand) in early December Dr Salai Than Tun stood in front of Rangoon
 (Yangon) Town Hall in his academic gown. This is an historic site for
 resistance to the military regime. There he distributed petitions in his
 own name calling on the military government to:

 1. Hold the multiparty general election within one year.
 2. Let the election be held by a civilian interim government as soon as
 possible.
 3. Let the election be supervised by ASEAN and UN officials.
 4. Let all the eligible Myanmar citizens who want to contest in the
 election be able to complete including our military authorities as
civilians.
 5. Transfer the state power to any winner organization as soon as possible
 without any condition.

 In addition, he urged the government to kill him if unwilling to meet the
 five points as "it is better to die than live under the military regime".
 Full text of the petition is in the next section.

 Shortly after beginning his protest he was detained by security officers.
 His whereabouts are since unknown, however it is believed that he is being
 held in Insein Prison north of Rangoon, and that his relatives have not
 been granted access to him. He joins some 2000 political prisoners in
jails
 throughout Burma. These include politicians, student activists, academics,
 writers, journalists, lawyers, unionists, comedians and many others who
 have publicly opposed the absolute military dictatorship in that country.
 The Burmese generals' release of a small number of political prisoners has
 attracted wide attention, but this progress must be put alongside the fact
 that not only do thousands remain locked up for their political views, but
 new prisoners of conscience are being detained to take the place of those
 released.

 Note that due to the repressive social and political environment in Burma,
 to date no further information on Dr Salai Than Tun's case is available.
 Those close to him are understandably reluctant to respond to enquiries as
 their lives are also in jeopardy. However if further details come to light
 an update to this Urgent Appeal shall be made available.


 THE PETITION - FULL TRANSCRIPT

 Citizens of Myanmar, I am Dr. Salai Tun Than, a retired professor, who
 belongs to a minority race called Asho Chin. I am here to request Myanmar
 military government five petitions, which are inalienable rights of
Myanmar
 people. They are

 No. 1. Hold the multiparty general election within one year.
 No. 2. Let the election be held by a civilian interim government as soon
as
 possible.
 No. 3. Let the election be supervised by ASEAN and UN officials.
 No. 4. Let all the eligible Myanmar citizens who want to contest in the
 election be able to complete including our military authorities as
civilians.
 No. 5. Transfer the state power to any winner organization as soon as
 possible without any condition.

 Let me add a remark here. This as that I will be here between Myanmar
 Independent Monument and Yangon city hall until either the government
 agrees to my petitions or simply kills me. I am here offering my life for
 the cause of the rights of Myanmar citizens. I have neither to add nor to
 subtract from my petitions.

 I would like to plead the military government to consider my petitions
 seriously whether they are just or biased toward anybody or organization
 except Myanmar people. Perhaps you already have contemplated on granting
 the matter before my petitions. If it were the case my I utter sadhu
thrice
 and God bless you all. If not convene your military junta and scrutinize
my
 petitions with soul searching intellectual faculties and the love of your
 country. If you cannot grant my petitions at any rate you simply kill me
 and I am ready to die for the rights of Myanmar citizens.

 Of course many potential intellectuals of high school and university
 students have already been killed. It is about time that you kill an old
 professor.

 I am appealing to all armed forces: army, navy, air force, security force
 and police to consider the fairness of my petitions with concern. If it is
 for the benefit of Myanmar citizens I want you to act intelligently and
 courageously like the armed forces Indonesia and the Philippines. Do you
 still want to kill your flesh and blood who are demonstrating for the
 rights of Myanmar citizens because the authorities order you so? It is
 about the time to stop killing your kinsfolk. If you join us you all will
 be adored by the people. Let us rewrite our tarnished history together.

 If you consider that you cannot agree with me, please don't hesitate. Go
 ahead and kill me. I will be here all the time. I will forgive my killers
 from the bottom of my heart.

 If we happen to meet together in one of the extensive existences of
 Sansaya, and if I were a mighty person and you all were weaklings and if I
 find you naked, starved, stricken with soars and diseases and get lost in
 the darkness of your existence in tears, may I kindly wipe away your tears
 and feed you, clothe you, and make you whole form your diseases and soars
 and give you hope with reality of well being in your lives, May God bless
 and forgive my killers.

 May I appeal to the citizens of Myanmar including Sanghas, students,
 teachers, labourers, artistes, farmers, intellectuals, doctors, nurses,
 engineers, lawyers, judges, housewives and people from all walks of life,
 please consider my proposal thoroughly and thoughtfully. If you agree with
 me join me in the demonstration. Go into the streets wherever you are and
 chant the slogan. I want no one sitting on the fence and the opportunists.
 It is the fight for our rights and to the finish. The time is now or
never.
 Let us show the military government that we are one and united solidly. Be
 courageous. Do the right and fear none. But I beseech you citizens of
 Myanmar. Let us have no violence, no profanity, and no vulgar acts. Don't
 break to loot or hit anything. We had been trapped once on looting the
 leftover warehouses. Take lessons from this and let us not be trapped
 again. Looters, violent people, abusive people, and people showing vulgar
 acts are not ours. Avoid them I plead you. Demonstrate in the streets
 though you may be in tens, hundreds, or thousands. Do not tardy! let us
act
 now. I trust that you all will dare to continue demonstration with
boldness
 even after my death. If you are stopped by the authorities on the way to
 join me please reason with them to join us. If the authorities release
 prisoners and send intoxicated and drugged people please explain the
reason
 with them what we are fighting for. Let them join us willingly. It is
 better to die than to live under the military boots without freedom. The
 lives you lost will not be in vain. Later Myanmar historians will honour
 you indeed. Don't be insecure and afraid. Righteousness is on our side.

 Generals, I am doing this on my own accord. No one urge me or bribe me or
 threaten me to do this, either underground or aboveground, individually or
 in groups, within the country or overseas. I am accountable for myself no
 one else.

 You all will see that I am wearing a doctorate gown, which I earned it. It
 is not to brag but to prove that I am a genuine old professor and I want
to
 use it as a shroud for my dead body.

 May I request ASEAN officials to convince or military government not to
 stay in power without consent of the people. If the military government
 holds the general election soon enough as requested their exit will be
 graceful.

 Otherwise their fate will be unimaginable and ASEAN's non-interference
 policy will be soiled and jeopardised. Likewise I would like to request
the
 UN officials to intervene as you did in Yugoslavia before much lives are
 lost especially after my death. Myanmar people especially youths have
 suffered enough.

 Again I would like to appeal Myanmar media people to carry on your duties
 normally and inform the people of Myanmar and the world what is actually
 happening now. It is your cardinal duty to defy the government's order
 courageously to report the truth. Let us also chant the slogan of our
 petitions, the leader will say "hold the multi party general elections"
and
 the mass will respond "within one year. Within one year." The leader will
 say, "let the election be held by" and the mass will respond "the civilian
 interim government, the civilian interim government". The leader will say
 "let the election be supervised by" and the mass will respond "ASEAN and
UN
 officials, ASEAN and UN officials". The leader will say "let any eligible
 person be able to contest in the election" and the mass will respond
 "including generals as civilians, including generals as civilians". Lastly
 the leader will say, "transfer the state power to any winner organization
 without any condition" and the mass will respond "as soon as possible, as
 soon as possible." That is all for the slogan.

 I thank you all and may God bless Myanmar people richly. The right of the
 people must be victorious indeed.


 SUGGESTED ACTION

 We urge concerned parties to send letters to Senior General Than Shwe,
 chairman of the military regime, with copies to other officials and the UN
 Special Rapporteur on Burma, expressing outrage at the arrest of Dr Salai
 Than Tun. A sample letter and contact details are in the next section.

 In particular, we urge the global academic community to forward the
details
 of Dr Salai Than Tun's case throughout its networks. We strongly recommend
 all academics refrain from actions that may lend legitimacy to the
military
 government in Burma, such as setting up exchange programmes, attending
 conferences or doing research with Burmese military approval, until Dr
 Salai Than Tun and other political prisoners are released.


 SAMPLE LETTER

 Dear Sr-Gen Than Shwe

 I am writing to you to express my outrage at the arrest of Dr Salai Than
 Tun, retired rector of Yezin University.

 Dr Salai Than Tun was detained last December while peacefully exercising
 his right to freedom of speech, in calling for a transition to democratic
 government in your country. His arrest reflects your government's
 consistent denial of the fundamental rights and freedoms of those you
 purport to represent.

 The optimism created by the release of a small number of political
 prisoners in Myanmar is being undermined by the arrest of new political
 prisoners and the continued imprisonment of thousands of others because of
 their political views. I urge you to immediately release Dr Salai Than
Tun
 and all other political prisoners in Myanmar.

 Yours sincerely
 _______________


 SEND LETTERS TO

 Senior General Than Shwe
 Chairman
 State Peace and Development Council
 Office of the Prime Minister
 Yangon, MYANMAR


 SEND COPIES TO

 1. Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt
 Secretary-1
 State Peace and Development Council
 Ministry of Defence
 Signal Pagoda Rd
 Yangon, MYANMAR
 Fax (+951) 22950

 2. U Win Aung
 Minister for Foreign Affairs
 Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 Yangon, MYANMAR
 Email: mofa.aung at mptmail.net.mm

 3. Paulo Sýrgio Pinheiro
 Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar
 Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
 Palais des Nations, 8-14 Avenue de la Paix,
 CH 1211 Geneve, SWITZERLAND
 FAX: +41 22 9170213
 Email: secrt.hchr at unog.ch (please mark ATT: MR. PINHEIRO)

 4. National League for Democracy
 97B West Shwegondaing Street
 Bahan Township
 Yangon, MYANMAR

 5. Myanmar Embassy/consulate in your country.






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------------------
Aaron James
26 Bluebell Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2V 2M3
Phone: 204-339-4484
Email: aaronj at interchange.ubc.ca
------------------