ASEAN INTER-PARLIAMENTARY MYANMAR CAUCUS  18-2 
Commercial Centre, Taman Abadi Indah,   Off Old Klang Road, 58100 
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Tel: +603-7984 7318, +603-7980 1393   Fax: 
+603-7983 7318, +603-7981 7782  http://www.aseanmp.org email:  
info@aseanmp.org    30 August 2007

Stop crackdown 
　　　on peaceful demonstrations now

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) strongly 
condemns the acts of the  Myanmar  military  junta  in  arresting  and  
detaining  ‘pro-democracy  88  Generation  Students  Leaders’,  
human  rights  activists  and  civil  society  in  Burma  participating  in  
peaceful  demonstrations.

Regional legislators are also concerned that the regime has also 
arrested two of Burma’s most  internationally renowned activists, Min 
Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, for reasons of ‘undermining  stability and the 
security of the nation’. Reports from within Burma show that the 
protesters are  nothing but peaceful.

The protests, occurring because of a recent astronomic hike on fuel 
prices, are a clear appeal  by the people of Burma to their military 
rulers to address the desperate economic and political  state the 
country is in. Recent reports state that over a hundred people have 
been detained  since demonstrations began, more are detained 
everyday.

AIPMC urges the junta to promptly release those arrested for taking 
part in the peaceful  demonstrations and to respect their rights to 
express themselves, especially in the light of the  price hike. AIPMC is 
very concerned that the rampant arrests, on weak grounds and the  
continued violent suppression of freedom of expression in Myanmar, 
denies justice to the  people.

AIPMC further fully supports the call for democratic restoration in 
Burma, which would lead to a  subsequent reform in the country’s 
economic situation.    Current and former parliamentarians from the 
region hope that the military regime will respect  the rights of its 
people and allow them the room to express their wishes for better 
standards of  living in the country.

The mandate of democratization in Burma which the military junta 
accepted from ASEAN as a  condition for membership includes the 
freedom of expression and freedom of public assembly.  These are 
basic principles in the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

AIPMC also strongly urges ASEAN to do more in addressing the 
unrest happening inside one of  its member states and to consider 
sending a special envoy into the country to monitor the  situation and 
to urge the junta to refrain from further acts of violence and to 
respect the rule of  law in Myanmar.
Ends

Appeal signed by:
Zaid Ibrahim (Malaysia)
Mario Mayong Joyo Aguja (Philippines)
Lim Kit Siang (Malaysia)
Loretta Ann P Rosales (Philippines)
Teresa Kok (Malaysia)
Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel (Philippines)
M. Kulasegaran (Malaysia)
Lorenzo Erin Tanada III (Philippines)
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Malaysia)
Aquilino Q Pimentel Jr (Philippines)
Kraisak Choonhavan (Thailand)
Tristanti Mitayani (Indonesia)
Jon Ungphakorn (Thailand)
Djoko Susilo (Indonesia))
Charles Chong (Singapore)
Marzuki Darusman (Indonesia)
Inderjit Singh (Singapore)
Eva Kusuma Sundari (Indonesia)
Son Chhay (Cambodia)
Tuti Indarsih (Indonesia)
Muhammad AS Hikam (Indonesia)
Nursyahbani Katjasungkana (Indonesia)

For media contact or to facilitate an interview with AIPMC members, 
please call: Roshan Jason (AIPMC  Executive Director) at +6-012
-3750974 or the numbers above.