Release of Political Prisoners and National Reconciliation Urgent: France

By THE IRRAWADDY Friday, January 29, 2010

France continues to call for the immediate release of detained Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 2,000 political activists as well as for national reconciliation prior to the 2010 election, according to a statement released by France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Jan. 27.

The statement said France reacted with firmness to the further sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi on August 11, 2009 and the European Union toughened its sanctions.

The statement said France “continues to call for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and of all the Burmese political prisoners. This is an essential condition for the credibility of the elections planned by the authorities this year.

“France would like the Burmese government to make concrete gestures in support of the national reconciliation process which would include the opposition and the ethnic minorities,” the statement said.

“This is particularly urgent prior to the elections planned by the authorities,” the statement said, adding that it should not be forgotten that Suu Kyi was deprived of her liberty for “14 of the last 20 years” and the numbers of political prisoners are estimated to be “approximately 2000.”

During her visit to Thailand in March 2009, Rama Yade, the French government minister responsible for human rights issues and an outspoken critic of the Burmese regime, said she has expressed her concern over events in Burma at a number of international gatherings including the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean) summit in Singapore in November 2007.

She said she was convinced the European Union (EU) and Asean can work together for change in Burma.

“I’m certain, at any rate, that we must do so, in the interest of the people of Burma,” she said.