Report, Statements Address Plight of Burma's Political Prisoners

Amid recent news reports detailing the continued detention and worsening health of Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Western media, governing bodies, international and local NGOs have issued statements calling for immediate aid to Burmese political prisoners. On May 11, the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) released a report outlining the hardships faced by these prisoners, entitled: "Burma's Prisons and Labor Camps: Silent Killing Fields." Following this, the EU issued a statement calling on the Burmese regime to provide Suu Kyi with proper medical attention. On May 13, Amnesty International released a statement condemning the lack of care given to political prisoners.

Follow the jump for links to the report and these statements, as well as to a petition in support of Burma's political prisoners.

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Desmond Tutu Burma Op-Ed: "What Burma Needs From the White House"

"When President Obama was elected, I was filled with hope that America would regain the moral standing to aid those who are impoverished and oppressed around the world. I have since rejoiced to see him reversing the most obnoxious policies of the Bush administration--by ending torture, announcing the closure of the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay and engaging the world on climate change, to name just a few. But there is another issue on which America's moral leadership is desperately needed, and here, it must be acknowledged, President Bush was on the side of the angels: the struggle for human rights and justice in Burma."

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