Nyi Nyi Aung Release – Generals Keep Playing Their Games

By Burma Campaign UK • March 18, 2010

The Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the release of Nyi Nyi Aung, an American Burmese arrested last year while visiting his sick mother, but warned that the generals are once again playing games with the international community, and that the release is designed to divert attention from the recently published election laws, which have been widely condemned.

Only yesterday (17th March), Zoya Phan, International Coordinator of Burma Campaign UK, published an article on the Democratic Voice of Burma English language website, predicting the release of a high profile political prisoner as part of the game the generals play to divert international attention from election laws.

The announcement of Nyi Nyi Aung’s release comes one week after the generals published election laws which blatantly ensure the elections will be rigged to ensure the generals control the whole process, and which bar Aung San Suu Kyi from taking part.

“The generals are playing the same old game, knowing the international community is likely to fall for it once again, and give the release a political significance which does not exist,” said Zoya Phan. “The USA has recently made statements that its process of dialogue is going nowhere. The generals want to string out the process as long as possible to avoid any real pressure being applied. We have seen this kind of thing time and time again, and time and time again the international community falls for it. They need to face the fact that the generals will never voluntarily hand over power, they will have to be forced to do so by strong pressure.”

Nyi Nyi Aung, a Burmese American citizen and former democracy activist in Burma, was arrested on 3 September 2009 after arriving in Burma to visit his sick mother. He was tortured and jailed for 3 years with hard labour. The USA has been criticised for its lack of action to secure his release.

For more information contact Zoya Phan (Thailand Time) on 66898273420