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Take Action: Release Letpadaung Protest Prisoners!

By Burma Partnership  •  December 8, 2012

When US President Barack Obama travelled to Burma last month, in his speech at the University of Rangoon, he spoke about the need for freedom of expression and said that the “United States of America is with [the people of Burma].” Please join us in calling on President Obama to live up to his words and demand the Burma government to release all political prisoners, including those arrested for protesting against the Letpadaung copper mine in Monywa, northern Burma.

Two weeks after Obama’s trip to Burma, we witnessed the most brutal crackdown on freedom of expression since President Thein Sein took office. In the early morning of 29 November, riot police raided peaceful protest camps near the Letpadaung copper mine, firing water cannons, tear gas and incendiary devices into the camps. More than 60 monks were injured, many with 3rd degree burns. Police also arrested 8 activists in Rangoon who organized protests against the mine and the crackdown, as well as Ashin Gambira, a monk leader of the 2007 Saffron Revolution. They are all currently being held in Insein Prison. Read more about the crackdown here.

Please join us in taking action to highlight these attacks on freedom of expression in Burma. Send a letter to US President Barack Obama asking him to demand the Burma government to release all political prisoners, including those arrested for protesting against the Letpadaung copper mine.

There’s already a template letter available, so all you need to do is add your name, address and city, and press send! Please also forward this action to your friends, family and networks.

We hope you will stand with us and support the monks and protesters against the Letpadaung copper mine, and all remaining political prisoners in Burma.

Tags: Burma Partnership, Crackdown, Letpadaung Copper Mine, Protest

This post is in: Blog

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