18-2 Commercial Centre, Taman Abadi Indah,  Off Old Klang Road, 
58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: +603-7984 7318, +603-7980 1393   
Fax: +603-7981 7782, +603-7983 7318 http://www.aseanmp.org email:  
info@aseanmp.org   23 August 2007

Regional legislators calls for immediate release of peaceful 
protestors in Burma, condemns violence used by Junta

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) urges the 
military rulers of Myanmar to immediately release Burmese student 
leaders and human rights activists who have been arrested in Yangon 
over the last three days during peaceful protests against the  increase 
of petrol prices in the country.

The arrests clearly indicate that the human rights situation in Myanmar 
continues to  deteriorate and that the military junta continues to act 
with disregard to regional hopes for a peaceful democratic transition 
of the country’s leadership.

ASEAN, having recently agreed in principle to form a regional human 
rights body, must take it upon themselves to urge Myanmar’s military 
leaders to respect the rights of its citizens and to immediately cease 
its acts of violence against those demanding justice and  fair 
treatment.

It is reported that the peaceful protests against the sudden hike of 
fuel prices in Myanmar  began in Yangon on Sunday, August 19. 
Numerous Burmese citizens have been arrested since and reports 
have surfaced of the junta’s use of violent means to suppress these 
expressions of displeasure with the governance of the county.

AIPMC is extremely concerned that the military junta’s handling of 
these peaceful protests may result in similar bloody scenes of the 
1988 pro-democracy uprising in  Myanmar that saw the killing of 
many innocent lives.

Ends.

For enquiries, please contact Roshan Jason, AIPMC Executive Director, 
at +6012-3750974