EBO
News Summary:
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1.
2.
3. Downer calls for release of Aung San
Suu Kyi – Media Release
4. O'BRIEN Calls for Immediate Release of
Burmese opposition leader
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release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi,
detained by
military junta.
"According to information reaching us
since yesterday there is uncertainty
over the fate of Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi and a
certain number of National League
for Democracy (NLD) leaders," foreign
ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau
told a press briefing.
laureate, was taken into "protective
custody" in the north of the country at
the weekend following pro-democracy protests
that turned violent Friday.
communique on Sunday.
"We reiterate our call for her to
immediately regain her full and entire
freedom of movement, as well as the leaders of
the National League for
Democracy, detained or under house
arrest," Rivasseau said, adding that
also demanded the reopening of NLD offices in
the southeast Asian country.
At the time of her arrest, Aung San Suu
Kyi had been on a month-long
political tour of northern
released from house arrest a year ago.
Another 18 members of her entourage were
also detained, believed to be held
at the notorious Insein jail, while the
entire leadership of the opposition
NLD was under house arrest in the capital
-----------------------------------
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a foreign
ministry spokesman said.
"The federal government condemns this
new detention of the opposition
leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu
Kyi and other opposition
figures," the spokesman, Walter Lindner,
told reporters.
"We call on the government of
we expect the leadership in
to resume its work," he said, adding
that
in the Asian country closely.
laureate, was taken into "protective custody"
in the north of the country at
the weekend following pro-democracy protests
that turned violent Friday.
At the time of her arrest, Aung San Suu
Kyi had been on a month-long
political tour of northern
released from house arrest a year ago.
Another 18 members of her entourage were
also detained, believed to be held
at the notorious Insein jail, while the
entire leadership of the opposition
National League for Democracy was under
house arrest in the capital
----------------------------------
The Hon. Alexander Downer, MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Media Release
FA58 -
Downer calls for release of Aung
San Suu Kyi
I am very concerned that Aung San Suu Kyi
has been taken into custody, along with
other senior members of the National League for
Democracy (NLD), and that the
NLD’s headquarters have been closed. These actions were taken by the Burmese
authorities ostensibly in response to incidents which
occurred last Friday in northern
There can be no justification for the
continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and
her supporters and I urge that they be
released immediately.
I have instructed
concerns about this backward step to the Burmese
authorities. My Department
called in the Burmese Ambassador in
I note that the UN Secretary General’s
Special Envoy for
Ismail, is scheduled to visit
Government to take the opportunity of Mr Razali’s visit to move forward with the
process of national reconciliation. Such a process must include genuine dialogue
with all key parties including Aung San Suu
Kyi and the NLD.
Media inquiries: Chris Kenny (Ministerial)
+61 02 6277 7500 / Lyndall Sachs
(Departmental) 02 6261 1555
----------------------------------
SEAD
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
SW1A 2AH
Tel. 020 7008 2460
Press Release
(
O'BRIEN CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE OF BURMESE OPPOSITION
LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien today
called for the immediate release
of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi and other members of her
party who are being detained under ‘protective
custody’ by the Burmese regime.
The Burmese military authorities
apparently took this step following the deaths
of four people and injuries to 50 others in
a clash between Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for
Democracy (NLD) and other groups. Her renewed detention
comes just over a year after she was released
from house arrest, where she had
spent much of the previous decade.
Mr O'Brien said:
‘I am disturbed by the reports of violence
between supporters of the National
League for Democracy (NLD) and opposing
groups and extend my deepest
sympathies to those injured and the families of
those killed.
’Over the past few weeks I have been
alarmed by persistent, credible reports
that the Union Solidarity Development
Association (USDA), and other groups
supported by the military regime, have been
inciting local people into protests
against the NLD.
It is not the first time such pseudo-protestors have threatened
violence against Daw Suu Kyi's party.
‘Embassy officials have been asked to call
on senior NLD leaders in
to seek their version of events.
’I call on the Burmese authorities to
release immediately Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and other party members, and to take rapid
action against the USDA and others
responsible for the provocation that led to this
incident.
‘The United Nations Secretary General's
Special Representative, Razali, will be
arriving in
We attach great importance to his efforts,
and urge all sides to take this
opportunity to move rapidly to a genuine process of
dialogue and political
reform that could overcome this present tension.’
###
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