Burma's Shame

Earlier today, the military junta in Burma convicted Aung San Suu Kyi of violating the conditions of her house arrest, after an uninvited man spent two nights there in early May. A jail sentence of three years with hard labour was commuted to a further 18 months of house arrest. This keeps the pro-democracy leader conveniently locked up until after the 2010 elections.

It seems the Burmese authorities are hoping that a sentence shorter than the maximum (5 years) will be seen by the international community as an act of leniency. So it's now vital that we show them that Aung San Suu Kyi's continued imprisonment is both shameful and intolerable.

Act now - email the Burmese authorities and demand human rights for Burma

Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained for a total of over 13 of the past 20 years - her latest house detention order had been set to expire on 27 May this year. She should be free - and she should never have been arrested in the first place.

Aung San Suu Kyi is one of 2,150 political prisoners in Burma.

Hague attacks Aung San Suu Kyi detention

William Hague has described the decision to extend the detention of the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as an attempt to “suppress democracy”.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been illegally detained by the Burmese authorities for 14 of the last 20 years.

And William, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, attacked the decision by a Burmese court to sentence her to an additional 18 months' house arrest:

“Today’s verdict is an entirely politically motivated move intended to suppress democracy and shut off this courageous woman and leader from her people and confirms that the election scheduled for next year would be no more than a sham.”

William said he supported the EU agreement to impose tough new sanctions on the regime in Burma, including a ban on all new investment and sanctions on financial transactions.

And he called on the EU to support a commission of inquiry to establish if the Burmese generals are guilty of committing crimes against humanity and if they should ultimately face trial by the ICC.